About 3 weeks ago I took Teddy and Trevor for a walk up Rib Mountain. It's not a long way up maybe a mile. On the way down Trevor was lagging behind and Teddy's hip was making a clicking sound. The next day Trevor couldn't get out of his kennel. I literally had to lift him out. Teddy wasn't too anxious to rise either. Something is wrong with the pups. When they continued to limp and have difficulty walking after three more days, I decided to take them in for x-rays. My worst fears were confirmed---both dogs have severe hip dysplasia.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with CHD it is a genetic disorder affecting large breed dogs in which their hip bones develop abnormally. In Teddy's case, the ball or head of his femur is not round, but actually straight on one side making it sit poorly in the socket. In Trevor's case, the head of the femur is actually halfway out of joint. This makes walking very difficult and painful. So much so that Trevor doesn't use all four legs anymore. He does a sort of 'bunny hop' when he walks and only uses three legs to run.
The pups have been on anti-inflammatory meds, pain relievers, and glucosamine supplements for almost three weeks now. So far, they are not showing much improvement. The vet is suggesting some other forms of steroids such as shots, a change in their anti-inflammatory drugs and if things don't improve, surgery. Tom and I have already decided that at $1500-3000 per dog, surgery is not an option. We will try to reduce the swelling, keep them comfortable and let the Lord handle the rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment