Hip Dysplasia

[Susan]

Our 10 month old F1B medium Goldendoodle "Finnigan" was diagnosed with hip dysplasia last month. We can feel his hips clicking when he walks and sits. He is also starting to have some pain. He had x-rays last month. Has anyone else had this problem?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Rimadyl can also be very, very tough on the stomach. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I'm so sorry you are going through this.  My Finnegan was diagnosed at about 20 months with HD although there were earlier signs. Weakness after puppy play.  Uncharacteristic exhaustion.  Sometimes a hind leg would "hitch" and he'd hop on 3 legs for a few seconds and then be fine.  The exhaustion made the vet think it was Addison's but those tests were negative.  Then he started showing signs of pain after exercise and sometimes could not even get up and walk.  X-rays finally revealed the HD.  The breeder wanted the X-rays sent to the OFA for confirmation which we did.  Surgery works in some cases but it was not recommended for Finn. He was treated with Dasaquin (a joint supplement) and Rimadyl as needed. I changed his exercising to shorter frequent walks with varied speed on grass or dirt, shorter play sessions, and more free exercise.  I looked for a pool for swim therapy. Unfortunately, none near us but you might have access to one.  Keeping their weight down is important. Thankfully, Finn is now almost seven and he's had few problems and needed little Rimadyl with changes to our routine. He still gets half a rimadyl if he's going to have a very active day -- like going to the beach.  You can't pick him up or he will yelp in pain. He's a bit suspect of bigger heavier dogs at play.  And his hind end wobbles a bit more.  But he  still runs and plays his heart out. I would have had the surgery if the experts thought it would help him. But things have turned out well, so far, considering. As others have said - be sure to contact your breeder.    

[DonMarie and Picco]

Sorry to hear about sweet Finnigan.  I hope everything works out with the breeder.

[Stella]

Have you seen a surgeon for their opinion?

I would also recommend you have him assessed by a rehab professional, they will give you a home exercise (strengthening) programme and be able to advise you on suitability and amount of other types of exercise. This is one of the best places in the GTA

http://www.caninewellness.com

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Yes, Finn sees an excellent orthopedic specialist/surgeon once a year for an annual exam - or if any problems come up in between. This is the same doc who diagnosed him.  We got a second opinion from University of PA when he was diagnosed.  Will have to read through your site.  It looks very interesting.  Thank you!  I'm sure it will help others as well!  Give your Finnigan a hug from us!

 

[Susan]

Thank you so much for the information. We were trying to find somewhere that could do physiotherapy with Finnigan. We live about 2 hours outside of Toronto but it would be worth the drive if they could help him. We wil see what the surgeon says next week. I will look into caninewellness.

Thanks again

Susan

[Stella]

Where are you Susan, I might be able to find a rehab person closer to where you live??

[Susan]

Update on Finnigan

He is now on Metecam for pain and also a joint supplement. He will see a surgeon next week in Guelph. If he plays for more than 5-10 minutes he ends up limping. It is heartbreaking to see him in pain when he is only 11 months old. He should be able to play outside with other dogs without being in pain. We are anxious to hear what the surgeon has to say.

Thank you to everyone who responded to my earlier discussion. Hip dysplasia is an awful diagnosis but we took comfort in reading the stories from other Doodle owners who have been through it!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Please update us after you see the surgeon, Susan. Good luck with the consultation! 

[Binny P]

I have no advice or experience to offer, but just wanted to say I am so sorry you are both going through this -- my previous dog developed hip problems when he was a senior, and it was incredibly sad and painful to see him be uncomfortable and in pain. I can't even imagine how much harder it would be to see it in such a young pup. Thinking good thoughts for you all. 

[Susan]

We saw a surgeon last week and Finnigan has hip dysplasia in both hips but his right is much worse than the left. She recommended a total hip replacement so we are being referred to a surgeon at the University of Guelph. If we don't do surgery Finn will have to be on pain medication and have restricted activity for the rest of his life. He limps more and more each day and sometimes he just lays down and groans.

They have added Tramadol to his pain regimen. He is still on Metacam every 24 hours and now can have Tramadol every 8-12hrs as well. He is on Powermeg for his joints.

The estimated cost of the total hip replacement is $6000 Canadian. Apparently they don't do the TPO surgery anymore, at least not in south western Ontario. The surgeon said that the femoral excision surgery is more successful in small dogs and she would only recommend it for Finnigan as a last resort.

Only a couple of surgeons do the total hip replacement and the first surgeon that we saw does not do them. We are hoping we don't have to wait too long to see the next surgeon.

The breeder says she will give us half the cost of Finnigan back which is only $1,000. We have already spent $850 and his medications are $100 month. I wish the breeder would contribute more towards the cost of the surgery.

I wish we knew that she never x-rayed any of her dogs prior to breeding them. We would not have bought our puppies from her. We have a signed contract saying we only get half the cost of the puppy if the dog has problems with the hips. When we signed the contract we believed that she had x-rayed her dogs and that we were dealing with a reputable breeder. Now do we take the $1000 or do we take her to court and try to get more money?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think you are making the right decision regarding having the surgery done, Susan. I'm sorry you and Finn have to go through this; I hope that one day soon, you will be able to look at Finnigan running and romping pain free and feel that it was all well worth it. 

I'm not sure that it would be worthwhile taking the breeder to court under the circumstances. You do have a signed contract agreeing to her terms, and unless you can show that you were deceived about her dogs having been tested when they were not, it's unlikely that a court would award you more than what the terms of  the contract stipulate. And even if they did, you will have to pay for a lawyer, which might offset most or all of whatever extra you could get. The maximum refund under any circumstances is not going to exceed the full purchase price. I think if it were me, hard as it is, I'd take the $1000.