Any doodles that needed surgery to correct growth plate problem??

[Melinda]

hoping someone can help me....was just told that my 5 month old doodle will need surgery to correct a growth plate problem, front legs...at this point he is not in any pain and is as active and crazy as any 5 month old!!!   I am so worried...he is the sweetest little boy.....if anyone has had the same or similar problem with their doodle, or has any info that can help me sort this out I would really appreciate it....thanks

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm very sorry to hear this. Did the vet give you a name for the condition? Is it hypertrophic osteodystrophy by any chance? 

[Melinda]

no,   they didn't give a name...but she explained the problem is that the growth plate in both legs is closing to fast  ( it's the first joint up from his paws) because he has no pain and his extension on both joints is good we may be able to delay surgery....vet said surgery will prevent possible orthopedic problems down the road....surgeon hasn't even examined him yet....diagnosed from x-ray, which according to my vet does not show a severe problem....I'm very confused...I've looked at so many pics of other doodles and many have legs that look like my guy....they appear "knobby" at that joint.....is what i'm describing tha same as "hypertrophic osteodystrophy"?

[Melinda]

just looked up hypertrophic osteodystophy and it seems that is what my guy has....do you know something about that?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I have no personal experience with it, but it helps to find others who have experienced this if we know exactly what condition it is. 

I would definitely consult with the surgeon, I am a great believer in specialists. They know so much more about a specific condition than your GP vet, and can usually answer all of your questions. For info that can help you sort all of this out, that's where I would turn.

[Melinda]

thanks....yes, i am taking him to the surgeon that already viewed his x-rays....just so worried and want to do what's best for him....in researching this it seems not all vets think surgery is the way to treat this.....would definitely help to hear if anyone else has had to deal with this problem....

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm just wondering how you could research it if you don't have a definite diagnosis for the condition by name. The treatment depends on the exact condition. That's why I agree with F that you really need to see the surgeon sooner rather than later, to help with your worries, confusion, etc. Guessing and speculating are not helpful in these situations, it usually makes you more anxious. 

[Melinda]

...you do not need a name of a disorder to do research....you can start based on symptoms and any other pertinent info you have.....because of my professional background and personal experience, which of course you are not aware of,  I am quite proficient in researching medical disorders....as such, gearing the research to potential orthopedic disorders in young dogs was not difficult..of course i am worried and confused since there various opinions on how to proceed with treatment,  should this in fact be the diagnosis...you are right that randomly guessing and speculating is not helpful, unfortunately for my sweet little boy that is not what i'm doing....in fact, it was based on my concerns and observations of my puppy that my vet decided to x-ray him in the first place....prior to that she thought he was just a lanky puppy going through an awkward stage....she was actually somewhat surprised at the surgeon's opinion based on the x-rays....i will of course be seeing the surgeon with my puppy sooner rather than later and am aware that whatever treatment he might require will be based on his actual diagnosis...of course, i am hoping that all my research as well as the vet's preliminary findings are wrong, and my puppy will be fine.....I have to say that i am somewhat new to this site, but was happy thinking I  could reach out to other doodle parents for possible info and support....i will assume then that your last response meant to do just that....

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, it was, and I'm sorry that you seem to have felt otherwise. 

There are several different disorders that come up regarding growth plate disorders in puppies and young dogs; some require surgery and others do not. I also have a professional background in the health & science field and would find it very difficult to research treatment options for any disease if I did not know what disease was being treated. 

I also have a dog who has two different immune-mediated diseases and a ruptured lumbar disc, and in each case, trying to research the symptoms and possible treatments before getting a firm diagnosis from the various specialists was more than frustrating, it was downright nervewracking, so I was trying to spare you some of that. 

In your case, there have been some members here whose dogs have been treated for various types of orthopedic issues, paneosteitis being one of them, and I was hoping to be able to direct you to someone whose dog had the same thing as yours, which is why I was trying to pinpoint the exact condition. 

Hopefully, someone else will be able to help you. I'm bowing out of this discussion now. Good luck to you. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Karen meant just that I am certain. It is hard to answer posts without knowing much about the poster's expertise but now we know you better. Karen was just trying to be helpful.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, F. 

[Melinda]

Sorry if I took it the wrong way. I do appreciate anyone with any knowledge or info I may not have. so thank you for that

[F, Calla & Luca]

I am sorry to hear this too.