OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Thanks for letting us know how your girls are Lynette. Still keeping everything crossed for you all. My very best wishes xxxx

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Thanks for the update, Lynette. Glad to hear both are home - I'm sure it will make a huge difference in their healing now that everyone is back together.

With regards to the crate, I'm not the best person to reply as to be honest I haven't been the most successful at it for my own pooch, but mainly because in many ways (barring the counter surfing while I'm gone which can be dealt with in other ways) I haven't really needed to crate.

But, generally, I imagine the way to do it would be to start in small increments, just a few minutes at a time WHILE you are in the room, and with something in the crate with them that makes them happy, usually, for a Lab, that's a food treat of some kind : but it could be a toy. Once they are happy with going in the crate in that scenario, then just keep stretching out the time, eventually just going into another room for a minute of their crate time, etc. Also feeding all their meals in the crate help them to associate the crate with a happy place. And at the beginning, with my pooch who was a rescue and not all that happy with crate confinement, I would not even close the door on him as he ate.

There are articles on the main site on crate training - have a look and you'll get some great advice there.

Are your girls coned? That might make it more difficult - I know it was pretty much impossible to crate train my boy while he had the cone on after his neuter op. Too much bashing and crashing - stressful for him and us.

Prayers continuing here...and more hugs going your way.

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Hi - yes Karen Channel 4 filmed us coming home and the girls being re-united so they are following their story as they also filmed the surgery but they have said there is no agenda to cover unscrupulous breeders in this documentary as its 99% completed now they have been filming for 4 months + - its due to be aired in Feb so im hoping by then the girls next op is over and they will be different pups. I have asked if an expose is something theyd consider doing in the future but no commitment at the moment ...

Someone form the site has v kindly offered to help me draft something to TS to see if we can get them to investigate the breeder so im hoping this may come to something in terms of stopping her from breeding ...

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

thanks Lisa, yes sadly the cones are still on which is the main problem as they cant turn or move easily ... I am trying to put them in for small spells but its not working v well, the cones come off next friday hopefully so this should help - ill check the sites out - thanks

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Thanks for all the updates, Lynette. You're a champion on every front.

Thanks also for the info about the ops they had. Sounds like you are in great hands on the veterinary side

The breeder is, IMO, irresponsible for not informing the other owners ASAP, Christmas or not. Their pups may be in pain and this should be attended to. Any decent breeder would put the dogs' welfare first.... Makes me mad.

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Good to hear that both girls are home and that you are coping, well done.
Alice

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Lynette you are doing marvelously ....thanks for letting us know....I know your girls will not be looking their best but take some photos ,even if you don't post them now ,maybe we could see them when they are fully recovered.....the visual record will be amazing to see how far they have come.
Are channel 4 keeping in touch with you to see them when they are better?let us know when it is going to be screened if you can,you know every one of us will be glued to it.
You HAVE saved their lives,you and your family are wonderful x

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

[quote author=Oberon link=topic=3426.msg41146#msg41146 date=1386965842]
The breeder is, IMO, irresponsible for not informing the other owners ASAP, Christmas or not. Their pups may be in pain and this should be attended to. Any decent breeder would put the dogs' welfare first.... Makes me mad.
[/quote]

It's madness for the breeder not to contact them immediately. To do so might shorten the period a dog is in pain, shorten the time to diagnosis with valuable information, or even stop things from getting worse - even if there are no signs yet of anything being wrong, because the owners have been warned. What caring owners wouldn't want to know asap?

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

I have such admiration for you Lynette , what a massive but ultimately rewarding task you have undertaken . Thank you so much for another update on your lovely girls , wishing you all the luck in the world with everything

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

How are beaux and bella doing lynette, hope they are both doing well and that you have a great christmas, sending you get well soon hugs and licks

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

I have been wondering about you all too.
Hope things are progressing.
Wishing you the best for Christmas and a brighter New Year
xx

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

I have been thinking of you and wondering too, hope all is as well as it can be.

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Me too , hoping all is well for you and your babies xx

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Only picked up on this thread. Just unbelievable.

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

[quote author=Puppypal link=topic=3426.msg42931#msg42931 date=1387918818]
How are beaux and bella doing lynette

[/quote]
Ah Annabelle you had the care to ask what I was thinking but didn't come on to the thread and ask.
Lynette ,I'm quiet generally this last week but believe me when I say I think about you and beaux and Bella x
Hope you are doing ok,I'm sure Christmas has been quite challenging this year but I hope you managed to enjoy it around what's going on with your girls xxx

 

Beaux and Bella post HD and ED surgery - an update ...

Hi all,
Firstly apologies Ive not been on here since December but life has been pretty hectic with the girls post their hip and elbow operations and we just havent found the time to anything outside of keeping our heads above water!

However, life is improving as our the pups, and we are beginning to see our gorgeous girls' personalities return with all the naughtiness!! So heres an update for all of those who sent us so many good wishes ... heres also a quick re-cap - both girls were operated on Dec 4th, Bella had a TPO on her hip (broken, rotated back and pinned in 3 places) and both tendons cut on her elbows. Beaux was far more severe and had the same hip op but sadly her ED was so severe she had to have her elbow plated and the other elbow bone cut - she was v poorly for a while, lost alot of weight and has taken a lot longer to recover.

For anyone faced with this terrible decision I want to reassure you that however tough this journey has been I believe it has been worth it ... my husband and I had at least 2 week sof 3 hrs sleep a night when the pups returned home, they had to be caged with cones and they howled all night and woke my three year old up and vice versa all night long ... we had to carry them out individually in slings every hour or so to the toilet outside and could not leave them alone in a room unless caged which we refused to do during the day so in effect our lives have been on hold now since Dec 4th with 24 hr care. The pups were v distressed with the ordeal, Beaux couldnt stand for nearly 4 days as only one leg worked and this leg is the leg that needs a total hip replacement so you can imagine her agony. my husnand has also ended up sleeping on the sofa for over 3 weeks :-\with them so they dont howl all night and keep our son awake this was the only way we got any sleep - generally about 4-5 hrs a night. All in all the reality for us was that this is intense care, we have 2 pups not 1 so the dangers are v real with them play fighting, chewing each others stitches and trying to get 3 dogs outside on your own with slings is impossible when they cannot walk.

The journey has been a really tough one for the girls, they have suffered and were v anxious when they came home, being separated from one another for the first time and also us was terrible. We cannot explain to them what has happeneed and why we had to do it so they dont understand so the guilt was bad initially as i felt terrible for what they had gone through. Xmas was a write off as we couldnt leave the house or have visitors really as the dogs love to jump up and this is not possible with their injuries, they have to be kept quiet. We also parked work for over 3 weeks in Dec to care for the girls.

As regards recovery - this is the GOOD news!!!! We remain amazed at how quickly they have recovered from the operations, dogs are incredible, within 2 weeks they were both walking up to 10-15 mins around the garden at a time, a month on they are allowed up to 20 min walks 3 times a day on leads and the only issue we can see now is that poor Beaus bad hip is actually out of its socket constantly now, she was rushed in on xmas eve with it out and everytime they put it back it just came out, the hip is so badly formed it wont stay in the socket so bring on 23 Jan when they both have the final hip replacement on the worst hip.

In summary the girls have recovered incredibly well, we avoided caging them all day and parked our lives to be with them but it has been worth it - Bella is back to normal no more bunny hopping and really no pain now - she really is alot better already and I know her pain levels are less than before the op. Beaux has take longer to recover obv due tot he ED severity and it is likely she will need a complete elbow replacement further down the line, her hip is dislocated currently and this is agony so I can only pray that the hip replacement sorts this out for good!

We have no regrets, the xrays showed our HD and ED was in all 4 legs ansd so severe there was no chance of life and within 4 weeks our girls are running around (on lead still) the woods with us for 20 min walks, within another 4 weeks they would have been allowed off lead and will hopefully lead a pain free life. We have no guarantees that they wont get arthritis Beaux prob will but what we do know is that we have bought them a chance of several happy years and it was worth it.

Sadly we cannot tell them why they have to go through the next op and it will be v difficult to go back to sleepless nights, cones, slings, cages and stitches as our toddler doesnt really understand why the dogs are getting all this attention - but these girls have recovered incredibly well and our fears were worse than the reality of the op - within 2 weeks or so both dogs were fairly mobile and once the cones came off and stiches were out life improved dramtically ...

Since logging on today Ive seen several posts on HD - so I hope this helps you, I wont lie its not good news but you MUST get your dogs tested, this condition is suffered by many dogs in secret for years of excruciating pain before their owners realise (or dont|) a simple examination will show if xrays are needed.

Ive tried to be honest about how difficult this journey was, you do have to be v committed as it is a v difficult emotional and physically hard journey for the owners as well as the pups, having 2 makes it far harder logistically also but the recovery was not as bad or as long as I expected.

We are about to think about how we tackle the breeder, as to date we have just not had time to think about it ...

Once again thx to everyone for their messages, I will repost the next journey fo rthe toal hip replacement and will also let you know when it will all be televised as Channel 4 did follow the girls journey and filmed the surgery and the dogs being reunited afterwards - all v emotional - I cry alot throughout

!!!

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Lynette, how fabulous to hear from you and to get the wonderful news that all the surgery has been a huge success. You and your husband are champions and you have my complete admiration.

I'm sure that the next round of surgery will go just as well and the good thing is that the rest of the girls' limbs will be functional and able to do a better job of supporting the recovering limbs. I wish you all the very best as you go into the next round of treatment. Before long your girls will be running about like spring lambs

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Lynette, thank you so much for taking the time to post. It's great to hear how well your girls have recovered. I really hope the next stage goes just as well. Your toddler will soon have two playmates to get into trouble with

Wishing you all the very, very best!

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Hi Lynette, well what a journey you have all had and your girls, but amazingly they have done better than you could ever have hoped. I wish you well with the next phase of operations and hope they recover as well as they have this time. You and your husband are absolutely amazing and have shown true love and dedication to you puppies.

I wish you and your pups all the luck in the world as goodness knows you most certainly deserve it. Good luck with tackling the breeder, when you get time but they mustn't be allowed to get away with this and for the sake of any planned litters and unsuspecting people buying them. I hope the other puppies from your girls litter are OK, but you may never know.

I look forward to hearing from you when you can.

Best wishes
Helen and lots of licks to your girls from Hattie & Charlie xxx

 

Re: OCD diagnosis for our 2 pups with possible hip replacement ...

Wow!
Hats of to you Lynette.
This is really good news, sounds like you have worked bloomin' hard to get through this.
Feel quite emotional just reading this, I can't possibly imagine how you coped.
Your girls are so lucky to have you and your family.
xx