[Enrico25]

Hi evreyone im new here and this is my first post not sure if I’m in the right section. I’m writing today about my little puppy who started training school not to long ago, the dog trainer suggested that I go see a specialist because they seen my puppy not acting right, the way she walked, got up and couldn’t keep up with running. So today i brought her in she did a X-ray and the vet said she had moderate hip dysplasia and that she would not live a happy life , my wife and I contacted the breeder who sold us this puppy with a garentee against this and is willing to take her back but knowing she will euthanize her I want to see if anyone here has any other opinion. Here’s a picture of her scan and a pic of my puppy

 

[Enrico25]

 

[crittersitter]

I'm sure someone that's more familiar with HD in pups will chime in. I just wanted to say I am very sorry.

 

[JonRob]

So today i brought her in she did a X-ray and the vet said she had moderate hip dysplasia and that she would not live a happy life , my wife and I contacted the breeder who sold us this puppy with a garentee against this and is willing to take her back but knowing she will euthanize her I want to see if anyone here has any other opinion. Here’s a picture of her scan and a pic of my puppy

Please do not send your puppy back to the breeder to be killed. She does have hip dysplasia, but this can be treated and she can have a very happy life if it's treated properly. If you do not want to keep her, I might be able to find another home for her. Where are you located?

 

[Jax08]

That right hip is severe. I think you need to consult with an ortho. I believe at this age, you can do an FHO instead of a full hip replacement. She can live a full and happy life with surgery.

Or you can return her to the breeder.

 

[CometDog]

OOF. That right socket is shallow. And it sounds like she is symptomatic. Did you take out insurance on her prior to these visits? If it was a dog I wanted to keep, I'd do an FHO. There are often studies/trials you can get in on and they will do it for a very reduced price, including if you have insurance and deductible. I know someone who got one for 3k total, including hospital stay, everything. For a Golden. Where are you located?

 

[Enrico25]

I’m located in Montreal. I went to 2 vets for opinions both are charging me around 4000$ a hip with no garentee. I’m discouraged the breeder will replace the dog,but that isn’t the point the family and i are attached to her but çant afford to spend that much money especially knowing it is not garenteed.

 

[Quinnsmom]

Shot in the dark here, can you get a referral to the veterinary college at Sainte- Hyacinthe? They might be able to give a more modest price. Was the $4000 for an FHO or a total hip replacement?

 

[JonRob]

I’m located in Montreal. I went to 2 vets for opinions both are charging me around 4000$ a hip with no garentee. I’m discouraged the breeder will replace the dog,but that isn’t the point the family and i are attached to her but çant afford to spend that much money especially knowing it is not garenteed.

Most dogs with hip dysplasia do not need surgery on both hips. If the worst hip gets a total hip replacement, the dog often does so well that the other dysplastic hip does not need surgery. So this makes it much less expensive.

For a big dog, an FHO (femoral head osteotomy) is a really crummy alternative to a total hip replacement, although it's better than being dead. Best bet is to manage the pain until she is 10 months old and then get her a total hip replacement on the worst hip.

In the United States, veterinary schools at universities usually charge less than private practices for a total hip replacement. I don't know whether this is true in Canada.

What is your puppy's personality like?

Can you post some pics of her?

Again, please do not send her back to the breeder to be killed. If you decide not to keep her, please let me know right away. If she has a good temperament, I can find her a home that will get her a total hip replacement when she is old enough.

 

[Enrico25]

This is my little girl she’s such a good puppy so calm people freak out, for the moment she’s on antibiotics and joint chewable treats, I won’t be able to afford surgery. If I do keep her and give her light exercise and we’ll balanced diet with these little supplements and antibiotics can she still live a nice life?

 

[JonRob]

Thanks for the pic--she is beautiful.

I won’t be able to afford surgery. If I do keep her and give her light exercise and we’ll balanced diet with these little supplements and antibiotics can she still live a nice life?

You can try this and see how she does. But it did sound like she's already having difficulty. Also, antibiotics are not used to treat hip dyplasia.

 

[Magwart]

An FHO in the United States could likely be done by an excellent general-practice vet for under $1000. Some good generalists know how to do FHOs, so you might be able to do it for far less than an ortho specialist, if you can't afford an ortho specialist. (That's sometimes especially helpful to know if you've already done a consultation with a specialist, and they've confirmed that this is an acceptable treatment option.) New England is a little higher than other parts of the U.S., but probably less than Canada, based on prices I've seen posted here. (In the Deep South, I think our rescue's vet might have charged us $500 the last time we did one, with a fabulous outcome.)

If it's the difference between being euthanized or not, it might be worth a road trip. Try emailing New England German Shepherd Rescue and asking if they know a good vet in Vermont and call for a price. Chances are they'll know someone who's both good AND reasonable.

Don't fret if you can't do a total hip replacement -- it doesn't mean you're a bad owner, as many people can't afford multi-thousand dollar surgeries for dogs they love. Get the second-best treatment, and give the dog a happy life. The FHOs we've done in rescue have all had very good outcomes: the dogs were no longer in pain, could walk, and went on to live good lives. They weren't going to be athletes, but they could be loved companions. To me, that's a pretty great outcome for a dog whose other option is euthanasia.

 

[Jax08]

$4k per hip is most likely a total hip replacement. Many German Shepherds have had FHO (removal of the femoral head) and lived full lives.

Your other option is to save the money for the THR and do the worst side first. Talk to an orthopedic specialist about this.

 

[cvamoca]

Shot in the dark here, can you get a referral to the veterinary college at Sainte- Hyacinthe? They might be able to give a more modest price. Was the $4000 for an FHO or a total hip replacement?

Even more of a shot in the dark, what about AVC? (Atlantic Vet college in PEI) It's also a teaching facility. I know it's 2 provinces away but the middle of Montreal to my place in NS is not quite 12 hours drive. Less if you are going to PEI from the NB side.

I'm thinking it might be cheaper in the long run. People bring their animals to AVC from all over.


I'm looking at your puppy's picture and she's sitting exactly correctly (a good obedience sit)- nice and straight-- mine always slumps to the side (and no idea whether or not she has any hip issues, nothing yet) I've never taken a picture where she sat straight. Seems unfair, eh? I'm really very sorry...


If you return your dog to the breeder, has she said she'd for sure euthanize it? Yes, it reflects badly on the breeder, but there are other options-- offering you a puppy at 1/2 price while you keep your puppy, too. Some breeders have a 24 month hip guarantee and you keep the puppy, they replace with another. That only works if you want 2 dogs from a breeder with potentially serious hip dysplasia...there's no right answer here, from an owner's perspective. We love our dog's, regardless. So sorry, she's a sweet looking pup.

 

[selzer]

There is certainly no guaranty the next puppy will not have a problem, but there it certainly does not need to have HD just because this one does.

Breeders do not make a ton of money on puppies. If they break even -- if their total dog-related expenses -- dog food, veterinary care, toys, treats, grooming, shows = the amount they bring in on puppy sales, they are doing very well. For me, my dogs can either eat OR go to the vet, if I was only shelling out, what puppy sales come in.

It sounds like you can make a ton if you have a litter of 9 puppies, and you keep just one, that is eight puppies at $1500, or 12k. If you get $1500 for each. But subtract 4K for the vet, and 4K for food and you are down to 4k. If you got that much. That sounds like one hip operation. $100 for a set of classes, $120 for a weekend show, $100 for licenses and fees, $720 for sales tax (yeah the buyer is supposed to pay that, but when you say $1500 they want tax, title, and out the door for that. No one wants to hear that they have to pay another ninety some dollars for sales tax). Before you know it that last 4k is gone long before you have covered anything.

So what you have are breeders who can replace a puppy a lot easier than pay for a surgery. And a whole lot easier than returning the purchase price of a puppy. If a breeder agrees to do that, the buyer does not want to hear, "Well Xara will be having a litter in April, so I should be able to pay you the $1500 in June, when I sell the pup that would have been the replacement puppy."

I am sorry, but it is what it is. This is a live critter, and the person producing them is not a millionaire. If they could they would probably be happy to help you pay for the surgery. Or they would return your purchase price, and so long as you spay/neuter they will let you keep the pup -- leaves them the trouble of finding a loving home for a pup with a problem. If they could they would just for the good will. But as I say, most breeders are registering a loss each year from this business, and they put a lot of hours into it. And at the end of the day, a living being can be born with a problem.

Your puppy looks very sweet, and very beautiful. If she is in pain, there are 4 types of hip surgery, not all of them make sense for they type/severity. Femoral head removal is one an the total hip replacement is another. One, they scrape the head and maybe the socket, and I don't know if that buys you time or what. The least invasive is the cutting of the tendons that put pressure on the hips and press it into the socket. The dog can still walk and run, etc, but the majority of the pain is gone because the pain is from the rubbing/arthritis between the head and the joint.

Lots of dogs do just fine without ever having surgery.