Meet with Surgeon today (Bionic Dog)

[StarFox]

Well today was the day. We found out what kind of surgery that we needed for Zebra's hip. When we got to the Vets the people that worked there were sooo nice and helpful! The love Zebra and didn't mind him kissing them on the mouth. :lol: Well we went into this small waiting room......or at least we thought it was a waiting room but it was actually the examination room! It was huge! A computer, a little rug, soft comfy chairs, beautiful pictures...it was so cool. Anyways we meet the doctor and he checked Zebra and had him walk around a little bit outside so he could look at his hips. ...Now here is where all the bad stuff comes in. :( He asked if he could do some more x-rays on Zebra because we only had one x-ray of his hips and it wasn't very good. So i said sure no problem. Then he asked if he could do a Palpation Exam......and then he said that the exam required for Zebra to be put under anesthesia!!!!!! :o This was an important exam for him do to because he needed to see the angle that the hip slips out of the socket. So I let him do it...Oh I cried soo much! I was not expecting him to have anything like this done today! :cry: My poor baby had no idea what was going on.

SO while they took more x-rays and put him under anestesia one of the nurses took us around to the entire hospital to show us around. Well I know that many of you have seen 'Emergency Vets' on animal planet, and how great the facility they have that they show on TV. Well this hospital was 3 times that! They have everything you can think of! MRI's, surgical dentist, at least 4 huge inside kennel areas, a hyperbaric chamber, there own cat blood transfusion center, ultrasound,there own lab where they do all the blood wook, ICU, I mean they had everything! I was amazed! It was just a smaller version of a people hospital :lol: .

So we went to the waiting room untill we could go back and talk with the vet while he showed us what zebra's hips were like (zebra was still asleep). Anyways while we were waiting there was this woman who was waiting to get her 2 goldens from there and we started talking. Apparently her dogs had Hip Dysplacia and had had a total hip replcement and TPO (Triple Pelvic Osteotomy(i'll get to that in a moment)). Anwyas this woman was great and she could not stop raving about the work they had done on her dogs and how they were like brand new dogs. She eased my fears allot.

FInally we got called back and the doctor showed us how Zebra's hips were forrmed and all that. We were sent into a waiting room untill they took him out of anestesia. The doctor finally came back and told us what kind of operation Zebra would need. ....Ok now here is the realy realy bad part. Zebra's Left hip needs a Total hip replacement. His right hip needs a TPO-Where they put a specally designed surgical implant that stabalizes the pelvis. And captures the ball of the femer in the hip cup. This would stop the right him from becomming anyworse. ..So not only do BOTH his hips need work...but so do his elbows! :cry: Zebra has Canine Elbow Dysplasia too! It is a 1 and a half on a scale of 3. So it's not very server but they have to go in a pull out a small peice of bone that broke off and is now whearing on his cartilage. And he has very very very small arthritis in his elbows because he is putting 80% of his weight on his front legs.

So yes in total we need 4 surgery's and all at the cost of .....12 THOUSAND dollars! Not including medication and re-checks every week for 12 weeks. My mom says yes we will get all the surgerys' done but the more I think about it the more upset I get. Is it realy fair for me to have him go threw so much just so I can be happy and have him longer? Zebra will need to be crated for 12 weeks, he can't run, play or anything. The first few weeks the ONLY time he can come out of his crate is to go the bathroom then right back into his crate, and that's not fair to him. The more I think about it the more I wonder if I'm doing this for him or for me? I can't think of loosing my baby but I'm just having so many conflicting emotions now. Everytime I think of it I just cry so much but I realy don't know what to do.

I'm sorry i'm like a blubbering idiot crying and all. But that's what happend today at the vets.

[ellieangel]

Strangely hubby and I were discussing this scenario today,but we were talking about the cruciate ligament op,in this case too the dog may have to have surgery and be crated and wesaid that if one of ours had to have it we would be in a dilhemma.

We came to the conclusion that if it happened to Rio he would NEVER cope with a crate, we tried to crate train him when he was a pup and he would nearly rip his claws out in panic,also he panics when he is away from Ellie and to be crated for weeks would be torture for him.
It would be kinder to put him to sleep,that may sound harsh but I think that is what would be kindest for him.

However Ellie on the other hand would probably cope in time with the confinement,so long as she was crate trained first she would be ok.

It is difficult to explain unless you know my boy he is very shy and sensitive and insecure.

Do what your heart tells you Starfox,you know him better than we do,like I said my decision would be different for each of my dogs.

I'm so sorry you are going through this (((hugs))) :(

[Malamum]

I'm sorry I can't really offer any advice but just wanted to let you know that we are here for you no matter what your decision is.

[bk_blue]

I'm sorry that I can't offer any advice either but whatever decision you make we are all here for you!! :angel:

[mouseatthebusstop]

the selfish person here is the one who bred without getting hip scores done
you are just making the best out of a bad situation, whatever happens we are with you

[Rowie-the-Pooh]

Awwwwwww Starfox, hun! *Hugs* What a dillema!

As Ellie said, do what your heart tells you to do. Do you think Zebra will be able to handle 12 weeks of confinment? And then (and I think this is what they do?) physical therapy and such. The exercises to strengthen his hips? What about the cost? 12 thousand is ALOT of money, did both parents agree to this? Make a list of the pro's and con's. Just clear your mind and think. Will Zebra be able to cope? Most importantly, will you?

Remember, whatever the chioce, we are all here for you! :buzi: And whatever the choice is, it would be for the best. Wether to go for the surgeries or not.

Your such a brave person! And remember, there is no such thing as blabbering on Dogo! :wink:

[JudyHoffman]

I have two questions:

How old is Zebra now?

How long has he been living like this?

Once I know these answers I will tell you a story about a foster dog I placed with severe hip dyplasia and how she is doing today without any surgery, a good diet, lots of playtime and what her life expectancy is without any surgery.

[Guest Anonymous]

correcet me if i'm wrong but i think zeebra is only 1 1/2 years old!! :(

Mel i'm sooo sorry for all that is going on with Zeebra.. you do what you think is best for Zebra... do what your heart says! and we will back you 150% !! chin up and you know i'm here for you! *hugs* hang int here! Cody and Zoey are sending lots of puppy kisses and hugs to Zebra!

[StarFox]

Thanks you all for you support, i don't know what i would do without you all. You just like my big dogo family. :P

Mouse- I know I'm furious at BYB, breeders who don't care, and people who let there un-nutered/spayed dogs run around. It's people like us that have to fix there mistakes and the anger i have for them is beyond words. :x

Judy- Zebra is 1 year and 5 months. He has been like this for 5 months but has been getting progressivly worse.

Rowie- Both my parents want to have all the sugeries done. My mom wants to take out a loan for the payments. My mom said somethint yesturday that got me thinking she said that yes he would have to be in recovery and crated for 12 weeks (3 months! :o ) But he would live pain free for 6 or more years. ANd that's true....he will have a good life ahead of him. The Surgeon said that Zebra will most likely be more hyper and more strong then he is now after he has the surgery (The doc has a 95% sucsess rate, that the dogs are better after the surgerie then before). Oh and thanks for asking rowie....I think zebra might be a little depressed because he would have to be in a cage for a few weeks but I think i might take it allot harder then him.

[Guest Anonymous]

i would say go for it. my friend's white german shepherd had to have both hips done at a little over 2 years and his recovery didn't go as well as expected - it took him a whole 6 months until he was able to live a "mostly normal" life again.

this dog is now 7 years old and in excellent shape. 6 months of very limited activity have brought him 4 1/2 years of pain free running, playing and other activities he enjoys very much, and he is very likely to enjoy at least 4 more.

animals adjust very well to new situations, and they mostly will react completely different to crate rest/confinement after surgery than under normal everyday circumstances.

the vet has given you a high chance of success, so i think if you are willing and able to spend that kind of money, go for it. :)

[imported_Kat]

Hi there Star, just to echo the others you will be stood by regardless of what decision you make.

Working at a veterinary practice we see a lot of HD dogs. If you can cope and your dog can cope with up to 4 months of cage confinement, followed by intense physiotherapy and further continuous xrays, then accept the operation. Your dog is young, but just bear in mind that 4 or 5 years down the line you could be into the same money if not more again, as this sort of surgery is not guaranteed. Minor surgeries may also have to be done as your dog finishes growing, or perhaps your vet will be sensible and ensure that no further significant growth will occur with Zebra. it IS expensive and it isn't guaranteed, but if you have tried combinations of anti-inflammatorys (Phenoleucotrophin, phenylbutazone, *rimadyl isn't recommended by our practice as the effect wears off very quickly and dogs also become immune to it*) and injections of cartrophen or ketofen, and are prepared to take a chance then do it.

A great semi herbal treatment is Artphyton which is given for 10 days every month in the food, its in a pellet form and we have seen tremendous results with it. We are very hesitant to launch into surgery as are most other vets that I know of, as success rates are variable.

Whatever you decide, everyone will stand by you. Please keep us updated. :wink: