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]

Yes, we have had several members whose dogs have been diagnosed with HD. One was a 10 mo old who underwent surgery in both hips. 

Have you notified your breeder? All reputable breeders warranties will cover HD diagnosed in the first two years. 

[Susan]

Hi Karen     Thank you for your reply. I would be interested in chatting/emailing with anyone who has had a dog with hip dysplasia especially if they have had the surgery done.

I replied separately with a more detailed story about the breeder and the contract.

Thanks again

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is her page: http://www.doodlekisses.com/profile/PennyZolecki
She is not real active here these days but you could send her a friend request, I am sure she would be happy to talk with you about her experiences with the surgery. You should also look at her blog, where she detailed her dog's surgery and recovery. It was a huge success. She said that she never realized how bad it must have been for him until she saw the way he ran and played afterwards. 

Having a doodle with serious health problems that are incurable and ongoing as well as an orthopedic problem that could have been permanently fixed versus having to live on pain meds, I have to tell you that IMO, if a dog has a condition that can be fixed, such as HD, I would do whatever I could to do that. I know it is terribly expensive, but so is the medication, supplements, and physical therapy over years and years of a dog's life, not to mention the worry and sadness you feel for him, all the time. Of course you should follow the specialists' advice about treatment, but I can tell you that I would give anything to be able to "fix" my poor guy's health issues. Hugs to you and Finnigan. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I sent Penny a FB message with a link to this discussion. :)

[Wendy and Myla]

I'm so sorry that you got this diagnosis!  I have no advice other than to make sure you talk to your breeder - as Karen says, if she's reputable she will reimburse you costs and also make sure that she doesn't breed the parents again.  Please keep us updated on what is happening with Finnigan!  I'm so sorry he's in pain - that must be heartbreaking to watch!  Hugs!

[Susan]

Wendy thank you so much for the kind response. The hug sure helped and it was just what we needed.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Susan ~ I am sorry to hear of Finnigan's  diagnosis.  I hope your breeder is helping out with this situation.  Finnigan is such a handsome doodle.  Will be watching for progress reports.  Hang in there.

[Susan]

Once we got the x-rays we notified the breeder of Finn's diagnosis and also sent her the x-ray. She said her vet would talk to our vet. We signed a contract when we purchased Finnigan saying the breeder guaranteed the hips for 2 years. She would reimburse HALF of the cost of the puppy... if the hip dysplasia was "severe and a grade 3", or we could return the puppy for another one. When we phoned her about the diagnosis she said she has never x-rayed her dogs for hips or elbows because she has never had a problem with hip or elbow dysplasia with any one of her puppies.

We are not sure how she guarantees that the puppies will be free of genetic defects when she has never x-rayed any of her dogs. (She said she will get Finn's parents x-rayed now that he has been diagnosed with hip dysplasia.) To us she is doing things backwards.

We would never return Finnigan for another puppy. He is part of our family and we love him so much.  He has been going to nursing homes, Doctor's office's and local stores since he was 4 months old. He is perfect for therapy work and he goes for his therapy dog test in April. He has brought so many smiles to people young and old and he is the best dog we have ever had.

Our vet sent Finn's hip x-ray to 2 different surgeons. For now they say to give him pain meds as needed and once the pain medication is ineffective we can look at surgery. The surgery is very expensive and the most common surgery is to remove the head of the femur. We are very reluctant to have the type of surgery.

We bought a 2nd puppy from this breeder days before we got Finnigan's x-rays. This puppy has different parents and she is a Petite Goldendoodle. We would never have bought another puppy from this breeder if we had known that she never x-rayed her dogs.

This situation is heartbreaking for us but the support  from other doodle owners on Doodlekisses is heartwarming!!! If anyone has any suggestions we would be grateful.

[EJ & Dante]

Return the puppy?  No one is going to return their beloved dog, and I'm shocked that would be part of the guarantee.  Our will refund the full price of the puppy or replace the puppy with another for genetic issues, including HD, and no return is necessary.  I cannot believe she didn't xray the parents.  That is irresponsible breeding.

I'm so sorry you are going through this with your puppy.  Pleas keep us posted!

Edie and Dante

[Penny, Comiskey & Beemer]

Susan, I have sent you a friend request, please feel free to read all my posts on the subject.  I agree with Karen, we decided to fix the issues with Beemers hips and not just medicate.  I know the expense is great but we are now 7 years past the surgeries, with no additional worries.  You were very lucky to have noticed this before he was past the age of the TPO correction.  This is really the way to go....Beemer had a 40% correction on both hips....I am not sure how he even walked....Penny, Comiskey & Beemer

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Susan, your breeder is behaving exactly like a crummy breeder does.  It sounds like she borrowed someone else's contract wording - if your dogs haven't been tested how can you possibly know if their hips are good.  Don't expect to get any financial assistance from her.  I am so sorry.  My guys and I are sending hugs to you.

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Hi Susan. I'm so sorry that you are going through this. I remember very clearly how I felt when I got Wally's diagnosis of hip dysplasia when he was about Finnigan's age. The orthopedist we saw at Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston suggested a conservative approach and for Wally, who is now 10 years old. We have kept him very lean and well exercised, and try to limit his jumping. If you are giving Rimadyl for pain, remember to have Finnigan's blood tested regularly, because Rimadyl can be tough on a dog's liver. It's now so many years since Wally's initial diagnosis, but I do believe that if the prognosis had been worse and he was facing a lot of pain, I would have opted for a surgical correction. There is a Yahoo group for owners of dogs with hip dysplasia, which you might want to check out. Also, I would press the breeder to cover the cost of whatever you and the doctors decide is the best course of action for helping Finnigan.