Hip Dysplasia:(

[angelish]

Utterly devastated that my 10 months old cross breed has just been diagnosed
He is insured but after googling the cost of hip replacements (vets are recommending ) it is not going to cover the costs involved
I'm on my own barely keeping out the red as it is and panicking that I'll have to have him pts as he's just in too much discomfort to cope with out an operation
Has anyone been through a double hip replacement and know the costs involved

He is being referred to a bigger hospital so I am just awaiting for an appointment

 

[CorvusCorax]

Sorry to hear that

What is the cross of breeds and what size is he likely to make? What do you mean in terms of discomfort? Have you seen the x-rays and has it all been explained to you?
Hopefully the bigger vets might have better news.

 

[splashgirl45]

so sorry, thats such a young age to be diagnosed. cant be any help but didnt want to read and run. if it is not possible to keep him out of pain by either pain relief or operations PTS isnt the worst that could happen. whatever you do i am sure you will do the best for him HUGS xx

 

[Bartleby.]

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis, I've been there too and it was very upsetting to hear in a young dog (mine was 18 months).

I only have the experience of costs 12 years ago but it was £3000 per hip (insurance excess made it £500 per hip). We had both hips done, 6 months apart, in our German Wirehaired Pointer. Although the aftercare was intense she recovered surprisingly quickly each time. I wouldn't have changed a thing, she is now 14 and although she now has other issues (and is very old!) the hips have meant that she's had an awesome long life.

Whatever decision you make, cost is obviously a massive consideration. But on the surgery side my experience was positive.

 

[Goldenstar]

We have a lab with dysphasia it was bit of bolt from the blue as both parents had good scores and where from sound families .
She’s now nearly fourteen and although she’s very creaky now and on a lot medication shes had a full and very happy life .
Replacements where not an option when she was young so I can’t help you there .

 

[splashgirl45]

you may find an op may not be the right thing at the moment anyway as he is probably still growing, pain relief is very good these days so could give you a bit more time to decide what to do. maybe the bigger vets can give you a better idea of prognosis etc., what cross is your dog?

 

[angelish]

Thank you for your replies , he's meant to be a border collie cross GSD but he looks more like a fluffy Labrador so I suspect hes lab X GSD

He's very lame , he had X-rays yesterday , he can't cope with any kind of walking for more than 5-10 mins
His left side is worse than the right side
Does anyone know if the insurance would except it as two different claims for the left side and then the right ?
I highly doubt that and vets have warned me they may not pay out at all for it in that case I just wouldn't be able to afford it
I suppose I just need to wait and see what the referral hospital says
I just can't help panicking I'm going to Loose him

 

[angelish]

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis, I've been there too and it was very upsetting to hear in a young dog (mine was 18 months).

I only have the experience of costs 12 years ago but it was £3000 per hip (insurance excess made it £500 per hip). We had both hips done, 6 months apart, in our German Wirehaired Pointer. Although the aftercare was intense she recovered surprisingly quickly each time. I wouldn't have changed a thing, she is now 14 and although she now has other issues (and is very old!) the hips have meant that she's had an awesome long life.

Whatever decision you make, cost is obviously a massive consideration. But on the surgery side my experience was positive.

Did they pay it two seperate claims per leg ?
i suppose all insurance co are different but that sounds promising
The rehab sounds like hard work but compared to a tb on box rest (got one of those ATM too) should b a doddle I'm not in the slightest fased by that just very worried about the cost and of course putting him through it all too , they're big ops to put him through but for he chance of a normal life seem worth it and lots of good outcomes

 

[Bartleby.]

Don't panic, I know it's hard to wait but the hospital will be more experienced to advise and the picture might change. There might be a few options, full replacement is the most extreme of the surgeries. Not sure why the vets are already warning that the insurance wouldn't pay out.

Edit: sorry missed your last message. They were two claims but we did them within the same insurance year so that the hips weren't excluded.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Scoring schemes will not accept plates from dogs younger than 12 months so bear in mind he still has some growing to do. Please make sure whoever took the initial x-ray is experienced in these matters, positioning is very important and can make a huge difference. I know dogs with severe HD that went on to live long lives, managed through medication, keeping them light and careful exercise, including swimming.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

So sorry to hear this. Poor chap They can do amazing things these days with operations and fixing hip issues mind.

Our lab has hip hysplasia.. her family and generations are all scored so just shows it can throw up in a odd litter mate. Shes 6 now. Hers is 6/10 for 10 being the worst and left leg much worse, she also has arthritis in her left knee. Vets didn't want to operate as of her age. Shes a slim, working lab who comes riding with me across the fields as she loves it so much and cries if I leave her. She isn't lame, is on a joint supplement (yumove) the only thing we do is give her metacam if shes stiff and make sure shes always warm even in winter..

I have everything crossed for you, but unfortunately it is common so they should be experienced fixing these kind of things. I would of thought it would be one claim, as its the same 'issue' the same as my horse. Sometimes they wait until they're older before operating.

Best luck
xx

 

[angelish]

Thank you for your replies everyone
I'm having a pretty terrible week so just able to see the doom and gloom in the situation
Things might seem better once I've spoken to the referral vets at the hospital
Sadly he can't even tolerate a 10 minute walk if he does any more than just wondering about quietly through the day it's fairly obvious he's sore by the afternoon although he is now on pain medication that is helping
He can't even play with the other dogs on the yard as it makes him really sore , his left hip socket is almost flat rather than concave and they've warned me it might actually pop out of the socket

He's pretty miserable he's not keen to come even 100 yards down to the field with me (he's a live in your pocket kind of caricature) he gets so far and just lies down and waits for you

I though as much that the insurance would treat it as the same condition each leg but was worth a little bit of hope

 

[Nicnac]

So sorry to read. Having had 7 Bernese mountain dogs I have unfortunately had two with HD. One was so severe that we had her hip joint removed (this was before hip replacements in dogs were a done thing) when she was quite young - sorry can't remember exact age but was younger than yours. As she grew, her ligaments and muscles supported her leg and she lived to 13. It's far cheaper than a hip replacement - maybe worth looking into.

As pp said - make sure you take your dog to an expert who can take the correct xrays for diagnosis - it's worth extra money to make the right decision for him. Good luck

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I echo the see an expert advice. Is he fully grown and all growth plates fixed?

Given you’ve found out about both hips now, I think the insurance company may treat it as one issue. You need to bite the bullet and phone them. At least then you’ll know what your options are.

I was devastated to find out one of mine is dysplastic. He is kept lean, he swims a lot, he’s not allowed to do lots of bonkers running, he limits himself. It’s such a sod, I was hoping for long Sunday afternoon walks and that’s just not been possible.

Given the level of pain yours is experiencing, I’d be worried that the only surgical option is a full bilateral replacement.

 

[angelish]

Thank you
Sadly it is looking like a double hip replacement is the only answer

I should hear from my vet today re getting him booked in at the hospital to no doubt get more x-rays etc so they can asses the best way forward
Only thing I know is it's most likely he'll have the left hip done first as that is the worst and then maybe go from there as to weather or not they'll want to/need to do the right one ,ATM it's looking that way as he's lame/swinging on both

I do trust my vet and the referral hospital he is going to , unfortunately money is a massive deciding factor for me , I will of course try my best with things like down grading my car , selling jewlery and can get some on a credit card but I am on my own with no help and struggle to pay mortgage , bills and keep a horse as it is there is only so much money I can get hold of
Unfortunately I'm in a situation were I may even need to think about pts as I simply can't afford it
He is insured thank god and I'm praying that is going to at least cover most of the cost but if it doesn't I can't keep him in this level of pain it's just not fair

 

[angelish]

So sorry to read. Having had 7 Bernese mountain dogs I have unfortunately had two with HD. One was so severe that we had her hip joint removed (this was before hip replacements in dogs were a done thing) when she was quite young - sorry can't remember exact age but was younger than yours. As she grew, her ligaments and muscles supported her leg and she lived to 13. It's far cheaper than a hip replacement - maybe worth looking into.

As pp said - make sure you take your dog to an expert who can take the correct xrays for diagnosis - it's worth extra money to make the right decision for him. Good luck

Unfortunately there just isn't any "extra money"
Although I'm sure the referral hospital have done many of these operations and know what they are doing it is ultimately going to come down to costs

He's 10 months and two weeks old now , they've said they stop growing around 10 months but he's only had initial x-rays from my local vet and has yet to go to the hospital were I'd imagine they'd take further x-rays and do more tests etc
It may be that they will wait another few months with him on pain relief till they're sure he's stopped growing
I just don't know yet hopfully I'll get an appointment soon

 

[pippixox]

Our friends spent thousands on a double hip replacement (two operations) for their puppy. He is doing well now, but he missed out on being a puppy due to pain and disability and a year was spent with operations and recovery.
I’m not saying I wouldn’t consider tryin everything to find the money. But I would not think badly of you to PTS on serious medical grounds, not just due to cost. There could be future issues like early arthritis or complications from surgery

 

[angelish]

Our friends spent thousands on a double hip replacement (two operations) for their puppy. He is doing well now, but he missed out on being a puppy due to pain and disability and a year was spent with operations and recovery.
I’m not saying I wouldn’t consider tryin everything to find the money. But I would not think badly of you to PTS on serious medical grounds, not just due to cost. There could be future issues like early arthritis or complications from surgery

Thank you
If money wasn't an issue (it may not be hopefully I'm panicking for nothing) I would go for the operations as they have pretty high success rates for him to have a normal life
But I'm gutted at having to put him through it he is my baby , he's my first dog for me not a family dog I've ended up having live with me and I feel really sad he has so much to go through
He's quite laid back and friendly/likes strangers etc so I'm hoping his temperament is going to help him through it

But I do think sometimes it's a lot to put them through too , especially older dogs that go on to have more problems etc
I do think some vets and owners just put them through so much for very little gain i.e. An extra few months etc
But I also think he's got his whole life ahead of him and if I can scrape the money together that it will be the right thing to do for him and it will break my heart to loose him so young especially if it's simply due to finances

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Looking at some of the operations that animals are put through, I'm not sure I would want that for mine, although having had both cruciates repaired on one dog, then seeing him recovered and pelting through the woods, I know I would do it again. If the potential outcome is very good, then it is worth it.

I don't blame you at all for needing to think of the money. It's always unexpected and we do have to be practical. I made the decision for a horse years ago: the outcome was not looking positive, the amount was such that I'd have had to take out a huge loan or re-mortgage and I just couldn't do it.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[angelish]

Thank you
I wish I could just remortgage the house but unfortunately that's not possible
Both my horses are unsellable , ones retierd unsound and the other is my hopes and dreams but is extremely tricky at times

But it might not come to that I'm feeling a little more positive today that I will just find the money somehow for him and hope the vets can do a repayment plan for the rest
I know with horses that if insurance doesn't cover all of it the vets are understanding and can come up with something so fingers crossed it's not the disaster it looked yesterday

 

[Clodagh]

I am so sorry for what you are going through. Whatever you decide remember he is not going through the mental agonies you are. He just knows he is in a lot of pain. If you have to PTS that is not doing the wrong thing, or anything to beat yourself up over. (I am sure you will anyway, but sometimes life gets in the way).
I would also check his elbows, no point bankrupting yourself to fix his hips and finding his elbows are shot too. I feel so sorry for you. Family friends had to PTS a 12 month old lab a few years back and it was heartbreaking.

 

[rara007]

Very sorry to read this Good luck with whatever you decide- it’s heart breaking when these young dogs just can’t have a decent quality of life. We probably PTS more that age than send to get new hips (lots of uninsured patients) and as much as its not what you want to think about and you have options thanks to the insurance, if it does come to that it’s not the wrong choice

 

[jedjelly]

Awful news for you to receive. I'm sure your pup is now occupying your every waking thought.
There's no wrong or right decision. No one can stand on judgement if you decide not to put your darling dog through the operations. Just because an operations can be done, doesn't mean it should. Insured or not. One thing to consider is rehab costs and commitment.

We had a Rottie operated on be bi-lateral elbow disease. Her prognoses was good, with suggestions of soundness within 6/8weeks. I won't go into great depths, but she was far from sound 8 months on, even after courses of aqua therapy, physiotherapy and acupuncture. Her rehab bill far out grew the original operation costs. She was never sound without painkillers and we lost her to bone cancer at 2.5yrs old. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, would I do the same again? I hope I never, ever have to decide.

 

[angelish]

Awful news for you to receive. I'm sure your pup is now occupying your every waking thought.
There's no wrong or right decision. No one can stand on judgement if you decide not to put your darling dog through the operations. Just because an operations can be done, doesn't mean it should. Insured or not. One thing to consider is rehab costs and commitment.

We had a Rottie operated on be bi-lateral elbow disease. Her prognoses was good, with suggestions of soundness within 6/8weeks. I won't go into great depths, but she was far from sound 8 months on, even after courses of aqua therapy, physiotherapy and acupuncture. Her rehab bill far out grew the original operation costs. She was never sound without painkillers and we lost her to bone cancer at 2.5yrs old. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, would I do the same again? I hope I never, ever have to decide.

Omg how heart breaking
That must have been a terrible time , they're part of the family it's so hard
I lost my old dog last year aged 14 and this one was bought shortly after , i purposely looked all over for the same cross breed as he'd been so fit and well all those years

 

[CorvusCorax]

That's the thing unfortunately, even when you outcross from breeds prone to HD or ED, if it's in the genes on either side, it will still come out

 

[jedjelly]

If I learnt anything from our experience, I would have to suggest that you don't rush into a decision either way for your darling dog. It may not feel like it right now, but you do have a little time to think. Keep up the pain killers to keep him comfortable while you come to terms with your options and the consequences. Is it worth asking if your boy is a suitable candidate for femoral head removal? Old fashioned surgery but I understand it can be very effective.

Having been there and worn a million t-shirts, please think very, very hard before getting into debt for vets fees. I'm not talking about a credit card bill for a few months either. I have friends who ended up with a charge on their property for vets fees. That has huge implications for them and the dog sadly didn't make it. It's not a choice/balancing act about dog or money, dog or money. It's about being a position where your dog is better off and you can afford to feed yourself and your family.

Your darling dog will feel loved and cherished whatever your decision. Because you truly care about their welfare.

Sometimes genetics turn round and bite us on the bum. Our darling Rottie was from a long line of health tested stock. However, she was a DNA disaster. Sometimes breed lines just don't gel. Sadly, crossing breeds doesn't make the pups immune from breed defects. If only breeding was that easy.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

The gsd on the yard had femoral head surgery and I was sceptical at first, he didn’t seem to be making progress, but he is looking fabulous now, much easier in his movement. Definitely something I’d research. I’m not sure if it can be done bilaterally.