Hip Dysplasia
  OUR OES (SADIE) WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH VERY BAD HIP DYSLPASIA. BOTH HIPS ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS ONLY HER MUSCLES ARE HOLDING THEM IN PLACE. SHE IS THE MOST LOVEABLE DOG EVER SO FRIENDLY AND ENERGETIC. SHE IS ONLY ONE YEAR OLD. WE ARE SO SAD THAT SOON WE MAY LOSE HER. SHE REQUIRES SURGERY IN BOTH HIPS UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN NOT AFFORD IT. DOES ANYBODY KNOW OF ANY HELP WE CAN FIND WITH THIS? IS THERE A PET INSURANCE THAT MAY COVER THIS SURGERY? OUR VET IS NOT VERY HELPFUL WITH SUGGESTIONS. AS IT IS NOW WE ENJOYING OUR ANGEL AS LONG AS WE CAN UNTIL WE CAN TELL SHE IS IN PAIN WE DON'T WANT HER TO SUFFER SO WE PROBABLY HAVE TO PUT HER TO SLEEP AT THAT POINT. IT IS SO HARD TO THINK THAT WE WILL HAVE TO DO THAT WHEN SHE GIVES US SO MUCH JOY. DOES ANY ON HAVE SUGGESTIONS!? |
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| Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear of sadies bad HD.
I can't offer much in advice, just want you to know am thinking of you and there is a few people on this forum that can pass on some information/advice in relation to HD that have had experience with this condition. So hopefully you will have some helpful replies soon. |
| I'd call around to other vets until you found a reputable one that would work out a payment plan with you. Don't take it as a death sentence. Some vets will be very sympathetic with your problem and try to help you and your dog out knowing how much she means to you. |
| Hi,
One of my boys, Panda (shown in my avatar) has moderate dysplasia in both hips as well. After many vet visits (I rave about my wonderful vet!) as the office I use is also a teaching clinic with several vets and has a full lab located there. I was of the mindset that I wanted the surgery done on one hip now ...give it time to heal and then save up for the next surgery in a couple years before he got too old. Most of the literature I read said one hip at a time is the best way to go, giving it time to heal before doing the next one. (Ironcially, my mom had has hip surgery and both hips done at one time is rare for people too.) Panda is five. Thinking that surgery would be too hard on him as he aged and that it was inevitable. Not so said the vet..for some inexplicable reason hip dsyplasia doesn't always mean surgery needs to be done I was told. She told me that some dogs even with bad x-rays seem to cope pretty good, while others with a less severe form may need the surgery asap. It all depends on the dog and luckily it's the front legs which bear most of the weight of their bodies. There are two kinds of surgery, one is done when they are pups but the time line is crutial to have this type of surgery and can only be done when they are young. The other one which you and I may face someday is done in adulthood. Again the word is "may" it doesn't mean that surgery is a a sure thing in many of the cases. The latest research has shown that the majority of dogs can cope with this affliction. Glucosamine helps Panda enormously and moderate excercise is good too, the vet said. I take him to the dog park daily but curb how much he runs as I notice a defiante limp if he overdoes it. Glucosamine is a natural product taken by people or pets and available at the pharmacy for a pretty good price. If you search the net you'll also find foods which are recommended for dogs with hip or arthritis problems. I am assuming the vet did x-rays to give you the info you mentioned that regarding Sadie's condition? Did they rotate her hips too? This is usually done under sedation to check her mobility? I can imagine how devestating this news must have been to you and perhaps you can give us more info into exactly what your vet told you as to her condition. Give Sadie a belly rub from me, and my boys are sending her sloppy sheepie kisses. Marianne and the boys |
| I'm very sorry about the diagnosis you received.
Quote: IS THERE A PET INSURANCE THAT MAY COVER THIS SURGERY?
Most insurance companies will not cover a preexisting or just diagnosed condition. I almost certain that diagnosed hip dysplasia would be excluded but you should call to find out. Have you asked your vet if you can make payments? Also check into CareCredit which looks like it allows people to spread out the payments over several months and veterinary care IS listed. A guest had posted this company on another thread a while back... http://www.carecredit.com No Interest Payment Plans- 3, 6, 12, & 18 month plan options No interest if the balance is paid within the specified time period Low minimum monthly payments You might also check prices with a teaching hospital. If for some reason none of these are options, check with a rescue. If the dog is turned in to rescue, they may cover the surgery... an awfully sad option but it might allow her to live. I have a sheepie that is 1 1/2 and she has HD too. These are her x-rays at about 10 months of age taken shortly before we adopted her http://www.pomeroys.com/EmmaDarby/MadisonXray.jpg . We adopted her knowing she had this challenge. HD was just one of the reasons she was turned in to rescue (we're her 3rd home not including a Humane Society in her first 10 1/2 months of life). http://www.pomeroys.com/EmmaDarby/Page30.htm You can see in the x-rays that she has very little cup to hold the femoral head in place. She too may eventually require surgery. We were ready to schedule surgery when she first arrived but NEOESR said to allow her to settle in and find her place in the pack. After about 2 months we found she was getting around better. One of our vets said that surgery was not needed at this time and that it may never actually be required. A Michigan State University orthopedic surgeon told me that x-rays don't tell the whole story... it depends on how the disease progresses and how the dog responds to it. Do you have your dog on any type of Glucosamine? When Panda arrived she could only play for about 5 minutes and would then have to sit down. It sounded like she had spent a lot of time in a crate so I believe it was because her endurance and muscle tone weren't very good but also because of pain. Her 2nd owner said that she had come up lame before. Since September, we've given her 1 Cosequin DS 2x a day (started at 3x a day) and 1 adult strength buffered aspirin to start her day. I recently was advised that GlycoFlex is better for OES... "... However, Cosequin has antiplatelet properties and OES are especially prone to platelet problems. Try Glycoflex instead..." Dr. Dodds I don't want to offer any false hope but I think the Glucosamine supplement is one of the things that has helped Panda. We had x-rays done earlier this year to help monitor her condition and so far, so good. We allow Panda to play without restriction but do not encourage it for extended periods... we keep the play periods short. She doesn't play fetch but this game is hard on the hips with the fast starts, stops and turns. Swimming is the best exercise for a dog with HD because it allows them to keep their muscles in shape but takes the pressure off the joints while they do it. For Panda, good muscle tone has helped her compensate for what is lacking in her hips. One final word of advice... make sure your sheepie isn't carrying any extra weight. It's important to keep a sheepie with hip dysplasia at a lean but healthy weight. This takes added burden off the bad joints and allows the dog to get to it's feet without as much struggle. If she needs to loose a few pounds, consult your vet about replacing a portion of her food with salt-free green beans. We've used the frozen, canned and fresh cooked before. I hope something here will help you to help your sweet sheepie. I know how difficult this is and wish you and Sadie the very best. Jaci |
| Hi Jaci,
Lots of good info and advice you gave! You must have been writing it while I checked your post further down in which you gave another of our members advice. I was going to advise Sadie's mom to read that post too. (It's located on this page toward the bottom.) That's what's great about this forum is we can all help each other out. Marianne and the boys |
Marianne, thanks for posting... it's so good to hear someone else saying some of the same things I've been told or am witnessing with my Panda. I'm glad our Panda's are doing well so far and hope Sadie will also. 
Jaci |
Marianne, I think we're writing our posts at about the same time. You must type faster  I really do appreciate hearing how others are coping with this challenge. I think the Glucosamine supplement can make a big difference. |
| Hi Again,
Jaci, it's great that we've both been given the same advice even tho we're in different parts of the world..me in Canada and you in the US. Yup does my heart good to hear you've also been told that surgery is not always recommended. Forgot to mention the weight too so glad you said that on your post as well. LOL I do think we are typing our post at the same time as I see you've just reponded to my last one. I keep having to edit mine for typing errors.
Marianne and the boys My Panda boy sends love to your Panda girl  |
| I encourage you to look around and talk to more vets in your area or surrounding it. Good luck and sheepie luvs from FL! |
| If you are close to a good veterinary college I would contact them. In Indiana we are fortunate enough to have Purdue University, which did a lot of work to diagnose and treat the problems we had with our Winston's Cushing's Disease.
Best of luck! |
| THANK YOU EVERYONE!! OUR VET DID HAVE ME BUY GLUCOSAMINE CHONDROTIN AND SADIE IS TAKING IT . SHE GETS AROUND PRETTY WELL RIGHT NOW, IT IS HARD TO GET UP AND DOWN & SHE DOES THAT BUNNY HOPPING WHEN SHE RUNS. WE WERE UNAWARE THAT WAS A SIGN OF HIP DYSPLASIA BEFORE SHE WAS DIAGNOSED. SHE ONLY JUMPS WHEN EXCITED WE HELP HER UP & DOWN WHEN SHE GOES FOR RIDES IN THE CAR. OUR VET IS NOT A SURGEON SO THAT WILL BE OUR NEXT STEP AND TO CHECK INTO A PAYMENT PLAN. WE LIVE IN MISSOURI & I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS A VET COLLEGE IN COLUMBIA THAT IS A TEACHING VET HOSPITAL I AM GOING TO CONTACT THEM ALSO. SADIE WILL APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S HELP. |
| Our Bernese Mountain dog that is 11 months old has sever hip dysplasia too. We rescued her when she was 10 months. She is at Purdue as we speak awaiting a first surgery. Did your Sadie have surgery yet? |
Anonymous wrote: Our Bernese Mountain dog that is 11 months old has sever hip dysplasia too. We rescued her when she was 10 months. She is at Purdue as we speak awaiting a first surgery. Did your Sadie have surgery yet?
You an contact me at JodiGSD@aol.com |
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