Hi i am writing in for my daughters chocolate lab at 6 months old being a happy bouncy pup he developed a bit of a limp which was diagnosed as elbow displasure. She was told he needed an almost immediate operation as he would be in a lot of pain although apart from the occasional limp he seemed fine. She has now been told that after the operation he needs to be caged and not allowed to do anything for 6 weeks apart from one 5 min lead walk a day.This seems to be making him a bit stir crazy and we find we are constantly having to stop him doing anything as he gets exited he is a puppy. Also he will now need physio for life. Just wondering if anybody else has any thoughts on if the operation could have been delayed (he did have a limp but showed no signs of pain) until he had calmed down a bit little bit older We were told the operation would help him in later life but it does seem to have ruined his puppy life. Not sure if it was the right decision any advice welcome thanks.
Hi Joe and welcome. I personally haven't had any experience with elbow displasia (thank god), but lots of people on here have. Do read around in the health and puppy forums, there is a wealth of information just on this subject. I do understand it is very hard, but you must stick to the vets instructions and totally limit activity - this time will pass, and then you will have a healthy and happy dog.
Thanks Karen was worried vets have told her from now on his life is limited dont think it was explained properly before he had op seems to have lost out being a puppy
Hi @joe mcfarlane So sorry to hear of the bi-lateral ED diagnosis. My girl first limped at 5 months and we ended up having our op at 8 months old - exactly 3 years ago today in fact. If your pup us limping he is in pain - no shadow of a doubt, in fact it's often only by seeing the limp we know they are in pain as digs are extremely stoic. I have no doubt that the operation should not have been delayed - if there is a problem, and the dog is in pain we have a duty to get it dealt with asap. We were allowed 3 x 3 minutes on lead walking a day, so trips to the garden for toileting, with crate rest so I really do understand how hard it can be to keep a young pup occupied but lots of brain games really does help. Sorry I can't comment on the need for physio for the rest of his life but we have regular hydrotherapy as it us such a great way to increase exercise without putting pressure on the joints. I manage our girls activity level so not hours of exercise a day but two good off lead walks a day. If we have a longer walk one day, I reduce the exercise the next day. Jumping and running after balls, agility is not allowed but there are plenty of activities we can do inclyding zoomues and pkaying with doggie friends. I use a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement with some salmon oil daily on dinner and manage her weight to stay slim. It's virtually inevitable that osteoarthritis will affect the joints and early surgery will help to extend the time until that happens. We started a course of Cartrophen in September 2017 as my girl was becoming uncomfortable but my orthipaefic surgeon had expected that we would need a first course within a year - we managed 2.5 years. It may feel that your pup is missing out on his 'puppy' months but it is such a short time taken against 12 or 14 years of active life.
He's had the OP now, so no good can come out of second-guessing yourself. If you have doubts about the outcome or the after-care from his current surgeon, then it may be worth it to have a consult with another ortho specialist to set your mind at ease. It would add to the expenses, but may be well worth it in the long run so that you feel that he had the best care and don't beat yourself up with second-guesses. As to his recovery, it's still very early days. Absolutely stick to the five minutes a day protocol no matter how hard it is on you and on the puppy. Yes, it stinks for the moment, but giving him the best chance for recovery in the long term is what counts, not that he can't be active now. Is it a shame that he is not allowed to be a normal active 6 month old? Yes. But think in terms of a 14 year life span, and it is a drop in the bucket and well worth it. As to how it will turn out and whether he'll need physio for the rest of his life, try to take it one step/stage at a time. It may be worth getting a second opinion if your surgeon says he needs physio "forever" and that doesn't sit well with you. There are wide variations in standards of care for physio. Also remember that there are new developments in ortho treatments and surgeries all the time. Even if he needs physio now, five years from now he may not. My own experience was a dog with ED in one elbow and two torn cruciates. For the ED, I was told at 10 months old by my regular vet that if he didn't do the OP immediately, it would be considered animal abuse. Got a second opinion from my ortho surgeon who told me the surgery at that time was too experimental and that I'd be better off just waiting and seeing. I never got the OP and in fact my dog managed just fine - we were very lucky. For the torn cruciates, he had two TPLOs. Six months of recovery for one, he tore the second one a week before being taken off restricted activity after the first surgery, then six months of recovery for the second one. It was a very hard year. But I followed the no/low activity protocol to the letter and my dog had eight active, pain-free years - it was very much worth that one hard year. So bottom line - hang in there and try to take it one day at a time!
Thanks worried we dont have time to help him recover we have another dog and seeing one caged all day is saddening as soon as door is opened he wants to jump out and play with other but hes just exited and have to put him straight back in cage as he wont calm down hes only wanting to play now daughters worried about leaving him as she has to go back to work. Before op could leave dogs together for few hrs and they were fine tried leaving him for half hr and come home to him limping vet has given anti inflamitaries said he should be fine but broke daughters heart
For your pup to have the best chance of success following the op it is vital that he is kept calm and crated when left to prevent any opportunity to play/jump around. His elbows are healing following the op which is a slow process but maintaining the restrictions on exercise will provide him with a better result and therefore life.
My boy Finn had bilateral ED and had arthroscopy on both elbows in September. It was very hard at first as yes, they must rest. We did crate rest the first week or two then let him wander around the house (NO playing or running) as long as he kept quiet. We used mild sedatives and that helped a LOT. Don't be afraid to ask your vet for this, as it can be very beneficial if your dog is too energetic. I'd rather use drugs for a short time than risk them injuring the surgery site and causing more damage. Fortunately Finn was extremely patient and such a good sport. I threw my back out picking him up and down the steps haha. I also took him on car rides to help him get out of the house and alleviate boredom. We did 10 weeks of physical therapy at around month 3, and now at 6 months he is allowed to be a normal dog but I am elevating his running and playing in small increments (short stints at the park increasing the time slowly). Finn had setbacks as well. He was recovering well then had a bout of very bad limping but he got a shot and some anti-immflamatories and it subsided. It seems like such a long time but in the scheme of things he will be able to live a happier life without the constant pain. Getting surgery as early as possible in their life greatly increases the chances of success and limits their risk for severe arthritis later on down the road. You did the right thing! If he was limping he was DEFINITELY in pain.
