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Riley has hip displaysia
I know it's been a while since I have been around but wanted to share some news we received this week about Riley.
He has been struggling this past month of so to recover from an injury. He had been improving but after a few recent setbacks that had me in tears and freaking out over every horrible thing it might be I finally decided it was time to get some xrays to see if anything serious is going on. Unfortunately the xrays showed that his left hip is quite dysplasic. His right hip is actually pretty good and his knees are stable. There is some degenerative changes in one of his hocks but that its thought to be secondary to the hip. He just turned six years old on May 12th. This is hitting me pretty hard as it feels really soon after losing Lucy and dealing with all her ortho issues in her last years . I am considering having a total hip replacement done for him. Has anyone had or known a dog that has had the procedure. My initial thoughts to surgery were no way but after some more thought and research I am interested. It is gonna cost a small fortune (4 to 6,000) but it does appear to have very good results if we can survive the three months of hell. The idea of surgery terrifies me! If we had received this news when he was 9 or 10 I would be more likely to try to manage things with meds and therapies but he still is very strong and active. He doesn't have the greatest structure and has had "injuries" over the years which we thought were from his back but I have definately noticed more soreness episodes over the past year and when I think back we are almost getting to a "chronic" type of situation. He has been on good quality glucosamine product (Recovery etc) since he was a year old. He receives fairly regular chiropractic treatments and has also had IMS treatments in the past and even got a canine massage last month. I have rarely given NSAID to him and have mostly treated the soreness with rest, chiro and homeopathic remedies like Arnica or Traumeel which has worked in the past. He is currently on Metacam (actually he is big enough to use Moloxicam thankfully) until this current inflamation episode settles down and have started him on the cartrophen injections. The meds are making him more comfortable. He stands up much faster and seems to rest better. He is also wanting to play a lot with Stella which is great fun trying to regulate . I will restrict his walks to on leash for now and gradually build up the time over the next few weeks until he can hopefully be back to his regular levels. I have stopped all obedience training and rarely ask for a sit. We go to the chiro tomorrow and I will also see what his opinion is on everything. I worry about the long term issues with medications. He is still very strong and fit currently but I can already feel the muscles on his bad side are changing as he uses that side less. He is one of those crazy dogs that does things sometimes that you know must hurt but he never shows any signs. His brother is much wimpier and is quite the baby when he hurts himself. Now that Riley is showing some signs from the hip it makes me think that he has been very uncomfortable especially when I think back on a few things (he grumbles when I pick up his back feet to wipe them etc).
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"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead |
#2
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and a pic of my boy just in case people need to remember who he is .
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"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead |
#3
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Do you have any place near by where he can swim regularly? Swimming is a great way to build up those muscles without stressing out the joints.
Building up those muscles, keeping him lean and using pain meds as needed should help a lot.
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Sandi |
#4
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Swimming is great therapy!!
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"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." |
#5
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Oh, Teri... I'm sorry to see this. I know you're considering hip replacement, but have you thought about Stem Cell therapy? They are doing amazing things for hip dysplasia, arthritis, liver disease and a few other things. I heard about it a few months ago and thought it would be something to consider for Thorins arthritis, but the cancer took him. I googled and found a youtube video that's quite inspiring:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8ZUKNE69tg There are many articles and owner accounts/testimonials out there. This looks to be pretty promising. It's still invasive, but nothing like hip replacement, and no side effects after the treatment because they use the animals own cells. It's not as costly as hip replacement either. Good luck with Riley, and hugs to you both
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"Obey my dog!" - Mugatu "Who can believe that there is no soul behind those luminous eyes!" ~ Theophile Gautier "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole" - Ok... whoever said this has never had a sick or special needs baby. They ARE our whole life! R.I.P. my sweet, handsome Thorin. You are missed dearly Dec. 25, 1999 - Mar. 4, 2012 |
#6
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#7
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I am so sorry to hear the news about Riley.
Please give him a big smooch for me.
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Sylvie Owned by Bree 12 year old GSD Keesha 8 year old GSD Cyrus 7 year old GSD RIP: All my angels. |
#8
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TeriM, the gold and white sable sheltie I once had ,had one very bad hip too and the pain was most obvious when, if lying on his side for grooming, I tried to lift a hind leg to groom inside the thighs. He would cover himself up, forelegs back, hind legs forward, and so stiff you couldn't get to his belly, let alone inside the thigh. A chiropractor said that dogs like this usually have their back out and golly, after he worked on him, what a difference. The dog was totally relaxed. I see your boy visits a chiro too. Wish you luck if you operate and I hope you'd give us a blow by blow account of it all. I'm sure a lot of us are interested in such things. I have seen the stem cell therapy on TV and agree with Robyn, looks good.
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#9
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What a cute pic TeriM - sorry for the sad news though - may Rgeurtrs's link can help
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#10
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Teri I'm so sorry to hear about Riley's problem. It's tough. My Sheba (a ShepX) had to be put down at 7 due to severe hip dysplasia in both hind legs. She had torn her ACL and they couldn't do the surgery to repair that because she couldn't walk on her other leg alone for 3 months due to her hips. When we had her I was struggling as a single parent so the surgery to replace her hips was out of the question for us, like you we did our best to keep her pain free. It's a hard thing. I would certainly do the surgery or the stem cell treatments if it was an option. I agree with you, he's in the prime of his life, so if it's possible for you to do it then I would. They are our kids right.
He's looking as gorgeous as always. A friend of mine has her son doing some stem cell treatments for Colitis and it seems to be very helpful. I sure hope things work themselves out for you and Riley. Certainly he couldn't have a better mommy pulling for him. |
#11
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Crapola, that's too bad. I did once meet a big yellow Lab who'd had hip replacement surgery by the owner's friend, a surgeon who did human ones. Apparently they spirited the dog into a major Toronto hospital for the preliminary diagnostic work. Sorry, not meant to tease, but I don't really know these folks, just met them while on vacation. The surgery WAS a big success, that's the main point.
Yep, I would read everything I could on stem cell therapy. Good luck. |
#12
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TeriM I dont know very much about the subject but the little bit I have read seemed to be very positive.
Hugs to you and Riley Cindy
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Tabitha April 10, 1995 - August 23, 2013 Bomber April 10, 1995 - July 12, 2010 Winston Nov 15, 1999 - September 15, 2011 Sophie Aug 30, 2011 "UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED" He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. -Unknown |
#13
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Aw crap so sorry it wasn't better news Give that big handsome black dog a hug from me too
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Avoid biting when a simple growl will do The Spirit Lives As Long As Someone Who Lives Remembers You - Navaho Saying |
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"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead |
#15
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He would need to be crated or confined in an exercise pen. It will definately be a LONG few months but hopefully would be worth it. I would also try to get him more used to the crating prior to any procedures.
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"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead |
#16
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Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and good thoughts for my boy. I will be talking with my vet this week and will likely ask for a surgery referral. That would evaluate if he is even a good candidate for the procedure and allow me to get some more information.
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"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead |
#17
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Good luck, Teri! Keep us posted on what the specialist says. And give that boy another hug from me, pls!
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." |
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