Another reason to buy from a reputable breeder
Barney was free to me. I took him from a lady who bought him from a pet store and he got too big for her and her little dogs. He was born in a puppy mill, as far as I can tell from his records. I got him at 6 months old. I noticed he had a funky walk when playing in the yard. So when I got him neutered at 7 months I had them Xray his hips while he was out. Sure enough, signs of hip displaysia, already at 7 months! Barney will be 4 next month. Last night we were out for our evening walk and he was walking slower than usual (which is hard to believe since he's SO SLOW all the time  ) I noticed he was limping. We called him to us. He started trotting to us and then his back legs collapsed under him. He couldn't get back up. We ran to him and examined him. Finally we were able to get him up. He walked maybe 20 more feet and collapsed again, peeing while falling down.
We carried him home. He is still limping and seems sensitive right now, but he can get up and walk. The vet confirmed this was either from his hips or arthritis in his lower spine. At less than 4 years old! Poor Barney. He will most likely only get worse as he gets older.
So please...anyone who thinks that pet store puppies are cute, please don't buy them. That's not the way to get your sheepie. (I love Barney and he has the best personality and I'm glad I have him, I just hate that he is/will be going through so much pain in the future) |
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Poor Barney!!!! I hope you feel better real soon!!!!
 AND a BIG  from Heart!!!!!! |
| POOR Barney! |
I'm so sorry.  Is there anything that can be done for him?
Kristine |
| The vet said that he can refer me to some surgeons for a consultation to see what they think. Basically the plan of action for now is to keep him on the glucosamine and fish oil and keep his weight down (he actually weighed in at 84 pounds today--he was 90 not too long ago), and we're giving him a dose of steroids right now for his skin so he said that would also help the hips for now, and in the future we can give him rimadol (sp).
Who knows, he might not get worse, but that's most likely a dream I just feel so bad for him. He was so sweet and happy when the vet was manhandling him today... |
| Steph sorry to hear about Barney, know we are thinking of you all.
PM Jaci (6girls) and see if you can get some more ideas on how to manage Barneys situation at the moment. Jaci has done wonders with her young girls HD. Things also, like when walking Barney, not too far and always on a soft surface like down a park with grass rather then the pavement to help keep his butt muscled but with no major impact on the hips. Things like stairs too, on a lead and guided up and down under a controlled situation. Hoping all will be well with sweet Barney and keep positive too, there is ways to help him as his problem advances and the more you explore with others that have gone through it with younger dogs I am sure there will be something there in info to help you both. |
I thought I'd just post 
Panda too has an undetermined heritage. It's hard to see them struggle. You might again go through this list to see if there's something you haven't yet tried- http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... icleid=444 Panda had been on buffered aspirin, Cosequin DS and vitamin C or Ester C from shortly after she arrived until just recently (see below). She's now on just the Cosequin DS. A couple of things we'll look into if Panda begins having problems again will be- Quote: Methyl-sulfonyl-methane (MSM): MSM is a natural, sulfur-containing compound produced by kelp in the ocean. MSM is reported to enhance the structural integrity of connective tissue, and help reduce scar tissue by altering cross-linkages which contribute to scar formation. MSM has been promoted as having powerful anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties. Quote: Creatine: Creatine is an amino acid derivative formed in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. It is found in red meat and fish. Creatine is not a muscle builder, but aids in the body production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a fuel, for short, intense bursts of energy. In humans, it builds lean body mass by helping the muscle work longer, allowing one to train harder, lift more weight, and have more repetitions. It is the increase in exercise which results in building muscle, not creatine alone. Creatine may be helpful in dogs with muscle atrophy associated with osteoarthritis. Ask your vet if building up Barney's hip/leg muscles might help him to get along better. If the vet thinks stronger muscles will help, I wonder if swimming might be the way to go for him since he's having problems maneuvering on his own. The buoyancy of the water would take stress off his joints and possibly allow him to build them up. It can be a vicious cycle... it hurts to move so the dog is reluctant to move so the muscles weaken due to inactivity. We seldom take Panda for walks anymore but she does run and play in the backyard daily with no restrictions... frequent but short playtime sessions. She's my quirky girl... going away from the car on walks is fine but coming back is a drag race.  She also can't catch anything that's tossed to her. I think her velcro behavior actually helps to keep her muscles toned enough that she currently isn't showing symptoms. She follows us just about every time we leave the room... she'll also get up at night and check on me if I'm up late. I hear her get out of bed and run through the house to find me. My loving, goofy, naughty shadow. On vinyl or tile floors, she sometimes needs help getting up... that new vinyl plank flooring is terrible for dysplasic dogs lying down on it unless she's on a rug so we have scatter rugs in places on the floor where she likes to lie down.Quote: He was so sweet and happy when the vet was manhandling him today...
Barney sounds like such a great boy.  At some point we both may need to look at FHO or total hip replacement... IF it might be a good option. Until then, we need to keep extra weight off them. Does the vet feel that Barney's current weight is good? One thing I've learned is we need to keep them lean but not so lean that they loose muscle mass.
The vet thinks this is a good weight for Panda... it's a couple pounds more than what I had kept her at between 1 and 3 years- http://oesusa.com/PandasSummerDoo.jpg I ask just about every time we're in if her weight is ok. We had to take Panda off her daily buffered aspirin and Ester C because she had vomited blood over the weekend. Thankfully blood tests came back great so it's probably gastric irritation which should heal with a stomach coating med. If we see signs of pain again, we'll be back in to discuss pain medication options. I hope you can find some things that will help. Hugs to Barney  |
| Awww poor Barney!
Just a thought - swimming is a great non-impact way to build strength to support his joints. Hip surgery (if you can afford it) works miracles. Hoping for the best for your sweet pup! |
| Sorry to hear about Barney. He's way too young...
Did your vet take any xrays? Rebecca was just diagnosed with arthritis of the spine last night and it was very evident on the xray. The vet said that the gluco-chondroitan supplements will not help the spine, it only helps the joints. Regarding the rimadyl, make sure your vet monitors his liver regularly on the meds. Our first OES also got immuned to the drug about a year after he took it too and we had to switch him to something else. |
| Oh, poor Barney.
how scary to have him actually collapse on a walk. |
| I'm so sorry that's happening to Barney. Is medication the only option? Does the vet think surgery might help? |
| Is he collapsing due to the pain or is the
joint slipping causing him to collapse? If it's a pain issue, it seems pain meds might help... |
VerveUp wrote: Sorry to hear about Barney. He's way too young...
Did your vet take any xrays? Rebecca was just diagnosed with arthritis of the spine last night and it was very evident on the xray. The vet said that the gluco-chondroitan supplements will not help the spine, it only helps the joints. Regarding the rimadyl, make sure your vet monitors his liver regularly on the meds. Our first OES also got immuned to the drug about a year after he took it too and we had to switch him to something else. Having arthritis of the spine myself I can tell you that exercise, walking etc helps me. also yoga - a lot of which is based on normal animal stretching anyway (think downward dog  ) Sorry to hear about Rebbecca and Barney.
Not to start a disagreement - but a neighbors golden-doodle was recently diagnosed with severe dysplasia. The vet brought up the surgery and the owner who has had two hip surgeries herself said she would not subject her dog to that. she felt they were way too painful for an animal to whom she could not explain what was the reason for the pain etc. just sharing - not offering an opinion even. I am sure I would consider all options if it ever comes to that. |
| panda and i send big hugs and kisses to barney....panda is extremely concerned...... |
| I am so sorry to hear about Barney. It is so hard to see HD in our little guys and to see the pain they go through.
We've known about Oliver's HD since he was 8 months. At 1.5 years, we aren't showing any symptons (knocking on wood that I didn't just jinx myself). I know you will, but serisouly consider all options before making your decision. Oliver saw 5 vets when we found out, 2 wanted to do a THR, 1 wanted to do TPO, 1 wanted us to medicate him until he was old enough for a THR, and 1 wanted us to "do nothing". We went the "do nothing" route, which means we give Consiquin DS, eat Science Diet j/d, and did hydrotherapy to build muscle. I think *if* (once again, knocking on wood) if need surgery, we'll look into a FHO. The muscle mass has to really be there, but I've heard/read great things about it, even in large breeds. The THR is just so scary. Especailly at such a young age. We seriously discussed it with the vets, but the success rate just isn't high enough for me to subject Oliver to it. Just remember that there are so many options out there. I believe Jaci just posted on a new technology of injecting dogs at the joint with something (my memory is horrible). I even asked my HD vet about that, and it's been done for years in horses. I'm rambling...sorry...I am very saddened by the news, and wish you luck. Please keep us posted. |
| Poor Barney Give him extra hugs and belly rubs tonite from me and the gang. |
Quote: I think *if* (once again, knocking on wood) if need surgery, we'll look into a FHO. The muscle mass has to really be there, but I've heard/read great things about it, even in large breeds. The THR is just so scary. Especailly at such a young age. We seriously discussed it with the vets, but the success rate just isn't high enough for me to subject Oliver to it. It's part of our adoption agreement that if Panda needs surgery that it will be FHO only. I had asked the rescue about total hip replacement and was told they wouldn't adopt to us if we planned on having that procedure done. I don't know enough about it. Quote: I believe Jaci just posted on a new technology of injecting dogs at the joint with something (my memory is horrible). I even asked my HD vet about that, and it's been done for years in horses.
It's VetStem... I'd love to hear from people who actually tried this therapy and have been through it first hand with their dogs. http://www.vet-stem.com/smallanimal |
Quote: It's VetStem... I'd love to hear from people who actually tried this therapy and have been through it first hand with their dogs. http://www.vet-stem.com/smallanimal
I agree, I would love to hear from people who have first-hand experience with this treatment, as well as get some more feedback from vets. I think I'll do some more research on it. I'll make sure I keep you posted. |
| Some stated that they give buffered asprin to their dog. Please consult a vet before doing this. Reason being, my friend's husband is a vet, and told a group of us that full strength aspirin can kill a dog. I dont know the specifics but will ask him when he gets back from Utah. |
| Buffered aspirin can be given to dogs but I agree completely... get a vets approval before giving it. You want to be certain it's ok for YOUR dog.
This is from the OESCA website which is a reprint from the Drs. Foster and Smith website- http://www.oeshealth.org/hipdysplasia.htm http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... icleid=444 Quote: Anti-inflammatory Drugs Buffered Aspirin: Buffered aspirin is an excellent anti-inflammatory and painkiller in dogs (Do NOT give your cat aspirin unless prescribed by your veterinarian.). It can be used along with glucosamine/chondroitin products. With all aspirin products used in dogs, there is a risk of intestinal upset or in rare cases, gastric ulceration. Because of these problems, it is recommended that if a dog develops signs of GI upset, the product be discontinued until a veterinary exam can be performed. (By giving aspirin with a meal, you may be able to reduce the possibility of side effects.) Using buffered aspirin formulated just for dogs makes dosage and administration much easier. Quote: I agree, I would love to hear from people who have first-hand experience with this treatment, as well as get some more feedback from vets. I think I'll do some more research on it. I'll make sure I keep you posted.
Thanks, I'd appreciate that. If I hear anything I'll share it too. I've wondered how long the benefits of this therapy have lasted in real life experiences. |
| So sorry to hear about Barney and hoping all goes well for him and you |
| Steph, I'm so sorry about Barney . Hopefully the meds will help. You make a good point about pet stores but I'm sad you had to learn it this way. |
jcc9797 wrote: Quote: It's VetStem... I'd love to hear from people who actually tried this therapy and have been through it first hand with their dogs. http://www.vet-stem.com/smallanimal I agree, I would love to hear from people who have first-hand experience with this treatment, as well as get some more feedback from vets. I think I'll do some more research on it. I'll make sure I keep you posted. I don't have any first-hand experience with this, but I did have a lengthy conversation about it with my vet about a month ago. She said although it's very new, she's had three of her patients go to (I forget where....CA maybe?) for this procedure and they have all had outstanding results so far. The only patient of hers that is similar to a sheepdog that went was a Bouvier - the others I think were a bulldog and....don't recall. We were there for Winston, who is a 11.5 yo OES with very bad HD/arthritis/muscle degeneration....she mentioned that if we had this available when he was about 5 he would have been the perfect candidate. She said she's seeing costs in the $3-5k range for it. I have two others, one who has the slightest diagnosis of HD there is, the other is clear. I don't think with a slight diagnosis it's worth putting them through that because with daily glu/con he should be just fine. But with one who is more significant, it's certainly worth looking into. |
| Oh dear. Poor Barns. I'm really sorry to hear this Steph. I hope you can find the best course of treatment for him. |
| Steph, I'm so sorry to hear Barney is starting to experience pain from the HD. As you know, we had an FHO done on Drez's right hip at almost 12 years of age. It worked fairly well and I would not hesitate to do it again.
Please give that sweet boy a big hug from PA! |
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