Buster is 8 months now and this week he was diagnosed with ED in his left elbow, he has been limping on and off for a couple of months but it got worse after the summer, 3 weeks ago i took him to the vet who watched his trot poked and pulled and Buster was so good he didn't make a sound he was just trying to lick the vet all over he put him on Rimadyl (i think thats what they were called) but i kept hearing a clicking noise, and restricted excercise, then last Friday back to the vets although the limp had improved a lot it unfortunately was still there, the vets changed his antiinflamatory which the clicking noise has improved a lot and has given some glucosome tablets, the vet had him in on Tuesday for x rays which he then found he does have EB and HD but he's not worried about the hip he thinks with the restriced excerise that will improve when his bones harden. The vet said if Buster is still limping in 3 weeks then he will get him in to see whats going on with his elbow. I have so many emotions going on, one minute i'm upbeat thinking yes we can do this, next minute so upset, That this is even happening to him, it would be so great if he could understand that he needs to rest his legs as much as possible, but it seems to me that he is jumping around even more and it's so upsetting thinking he is doing more damage to his elbow, when i come in from work he's flying around the settee i try getting him off and getting on the floor with him, with little effect it's like he has this enormous amount of energy and he needs to get rid of it, i do understand but i'm so worried about his elbow, every day he's having a mad one round the house which we are stopping as soon as we can get him to stop. I am trying to read what i can so i know long term it's going to get better but the vet told me he could be restricted till he is 12 - 14 months old and i know it's early days and i hope it does get easier, i just can't see it at the moment. How do you keep a dog calm when he wants to play and move around all of the time. If amyone has any suggestions on what to do with him keeping him in one place would be much appreciated.
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia I am so sorry to read of Busters problem, poor lad and poor you too . Some of our members have had to deal with similar situation to yours, having to restrict young dogs , and whilst I cant advise you , I`m sure they will do when they read your post x
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia Hello there So sorry you have had this news - I know how you feel right now. My boy ruptured his cruciate at 8 months, and the following few months were not at all what I had in mind for him. But we got through it, and came out the other side. Lots of dogs with ED do lead happy healthy lives - I'm sure some people who have such dogs will be along soon, and you'll find the stories comforting. In terms of practicalities: I'd say you need to get him crate trained if he isn't already. You do have to find a way that your boy is not jumping on furniture etc if your vet has told you that's not on. For most boisterous young labs, that means: in a crate; on a lead; or in a room without furniture. I know on a lead in the house and garden sounds difficult, but both you and the dog will get used to it. That's what I did for 8 months. They were long ones, but it did work. Here are some ideas that I wrote down for people before - hope some are helpful to you. [quote author=JulieT link=topic=7855.msg110148#msg110148 date=1410898390] In terms of keeping your dog occupied on restricted exercise, this is what I did: Write down everything you can do with and for your dog - eg 10 minute on lead sniffs round the garden, packing up meals in frozen kongs, clicker training, allowed safe chews, teaching tricks, massages, find kibble in boxes, tearing up paperback books, teeth cleaning training. Write everything down. Then stock up on what you need - kongs, save packaging etc. Then look at your schedule and work out how many activities you can fit into a day, and spread them out as much as possible - or grouped around the times when your dog is least likely to settle and go to sleep. Then stick to that routine. In between activities, if the dog won't settle put her in a crate or pen, if that's necessary - it certainly is for us - and they just have to learn that means quiet time. [/quote] [quote author=JulieT link=topic=4350.msg52625#msg52625 date=1391691150] This is Charlie's routine: 6am Out to the garden on a lead for a pee, playtime and cuddles, physio exercises 7.30am 25 – 30 min lead walk After walk: settle down in his pen with a 8in1 chew Mid morning: clicker train any new physio exercises Noon: Physio exercises then 15 – 20 min lead walk Mid afternoon: Playtime 4pm 25 – 30 min lead walk After walk - settle down in pen with a small rice – or similar - chew 6pm Physio exercises, then 10 – 15 min lead walk Frozen Kongs after the 6pm walk Cuddles and back and leg massages mid evening, more frozen kongs 10pm 5 – 10 min lead walk When Charlie isn't doing any of the above he is in his pen, or in the kitchen if someone is working in there. If I let him have the run of the house, he would drive me mad with his constant nagging, chewing and general refusal to settle. In terms of time fillers, I can't claim credit for them - I think every one of these has been suggested on the forum and I've just collected the ones that work for us: 8in1 filled rawhide (small - only one a day) Anco roots Pizzles Frozen kongs Hard packaging with kibble inside An entire newspapers scrunched up in one big pass the parcel with a bit of kibble in each sheet Frozen rice hedgehogs filled with soaked kibble Kong goodie bones (I fill these with sea wraps - sticks of sweet potato wrap in fish skin) Kong wobblers Kibble hidden between the balls of a trixie cube The best quiet game is he has to lie very still (if he moves, we don't play) and catch a soft ball (we use the trixie cube balls) and give it back to me. He loves it, and will play it for ages. [/quote]
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia There is also a book that might help (I haven't read it myself though http://www.amazon.co.uk/walks-worries-Maintaining-wellbeing-restricted/dp/1845846052
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia No practical experience here, just sending sympathy. I know that other forum members have dogs with ED that manage very well with the condition, so try to think positive. Julie has given you some great info on how she managed, with a little readjustment and careful planning hopefully you all will cope as well.
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia Thankyou Katie and Julie, Buster is crate trained and it is only the last couple of days i have actually put him in there, after he's gone flying round the house, yesterday i was working from home so i put him on there twice only for an hour at a time as i'm worried he will will start to hate being in the crate, he is bounding round the settee when i get in from work, it would be easier and easier on my heart and his leg if he just stood still or laid on the floor so i could make a huge fuss of him. I guess i just need to find a routine that works for us i will definately use your routine Julie, i know he will come out the other side but at the moment i'm thinking he's not the dog i wanted ( he is absolutely perfect in every way apart from the elbow) in terms of walking,playing, everything we all want to do with our dogs. I do love the bones of him though.
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia Hi there and sorry about poor Buster's elbow. There's a good article about ED on the Fitzpatrick Referrals website here - http://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/our-services/surgery/conditions/fore-limb/canine-elbow-dysplasia - it tells you about what it is and how it's treated. My dog, Lady, developed the symptoms of ED in both legs and was operated on when she was 2 1/2 years old. She showed the intermittent limps just after her 2nd birthday and and subsequent investigation confirmed it was ED. I can say now that at 5 years old she's completely free of the limp and leads a pretty much normal active life. I think a bit of luck is involved and the outcome depends on severity and how soon it's diagnosed etc . If the article looks like it covers Buster's problems and you'd like to know more about my experience with Lady, ping me a message and I'll give you the whole saga. I'm sure others with ED experience will be along soon too.
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia [quote author=Helen link=topic=8207.msg115960#msg115960 date=1412955243] but at the moment i'm thinking he's not the dog i wanted ( he is absolutely perfect in every way apart from the elbow) in terms of walking,playing, everything we all want to do with our dogs. I do love the bones of him though. [/quote] I know this feeling . But, honestly, you will get through it - lots of dogs with ED live pretty much unrestricted lives. David might be along soon, Lady had an operation for ED and she goes shooting now... Charlie has healed well from his (really very major) surgery and has almost no restrictions. The precautions we do take - supplements, enough swimming in his routine, no hoolies with rough or heavy dogs, no jumping in or out of cars - have just become automatic, we don't notice them. (Sorry, David was posting at the same time - good).
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia Can't add much to what those who have already been through it have said but I do want to highly recommended the routine and schedule that JulieT suggested. I had to put my 6 month pup on rest a few weeks ago and it helped us A LOT! Granted it was only a short period of rest by comparison but having a plan to follow helped us all avoid going crazy. Good luck.
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia I have absolutely no experience with HD or ED, but just wanted to say my thoughts are with you and I hope Buster improves over the next few months x
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia Thankyou all for your kind words. Hopefully the limp will be gone when we go back to the vets on the 20th. We are having carpet fitted downstairs today so i'm hoping that will help even it's a little bit. Right time to find a routine to keep my little boy occupied. Have a good weekend everyone.
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia Sending Best Wishes Helen... Keep in touch with us,even those of us that don't have experience of the condition can give you a little lift if you feel like you need it x
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia Sorry to hear this. But hopefully with the right treatment and some adjustments he will be able to live a perfectly normal life.
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia I would look at the link David gave to Fitzpatrick. If you haven't already done so. He is an expert, to say the least. I am sorry to hear your unfortunate news though, what a nightmare.
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia And an aspect I didn't emphasise is that a successful outcome is very much influenced by getting treatment early. If the cartilage in the elbow joints becomes damaged then it's too late for a surgical intervention to fix the problem and unfortunately the outcome can be early onset arthritis. The prognosis for Lady was crippling arthritis before she reached 6 years old. Sorry for the rather bleak downside, but thought I should mention it so you could discuss with your vet on the next visit. Lady's symptoms were an intermittent unexplained limp. She had a several courses of anti-inflamatory and seemed magically cured then a couple of weeks later the limp was back. It was caused by a weakness in one of the bone surfaces in her elbow joint getting micro-fractures that caused the limp. These healed and the limp went away, then reformed and the limp was back. These would have led to arthritis. They were quite clearly visible on the arthroscope images taken by Fitzpatrick. The criteria for a successful outcome was largely undamaged cartilage surfaces and a minimum 1mm of cartilage thickness remaining. lady met the criteria - just. She's absolutely fine now and I'm so glad we got good advice and I followed it. I'd strongly recommend asking your vet a few more questions about the condition and the options at your next visit.
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia Hi Helen. Lilly who is now 4 and 1/2 and diagnosed with severe bilateral hip dysplasia at under a year old. Initially our vet thought it was an elbow giving her intrrmittent problems. We also were referred to a specialist orthopaedic vet (who correctly diagnosed the hips!). I have to say that getting that specialist advise ASAP is vital for you and your dog and treatment planning. I know it can be daunting and sound expensive. ....but time iS all important for certain elbow conditions so I wouldn't be hanging about. And I think you need the definitive answers. I agree totally with David. And I would push for a specialist as soon as possible. x
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia Hi Helen, I'm sorry you have had this news about Buster, you have received lots of great advsie from people that have experienced this so hopefully that makes you feel a little better. Best of luck. Helen xx
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia Thankfully the vet we are now seeing @ our local practice is specialised in orthopaedics, as we were already with the practise we didn't need a referral - i read the link you sent David still trying to get my head round it but at least now i do have some questions i need to ask rather than my usual what kind of play can i do with him , the vet did say that if he is still limping next time then he will get him in to see whats going on with the elbow, i do think that the vet will want him in and i think i would as well just so we definately know what we are dealing with. I seem to spend my whole time watching Busters walk to see if i can see any improvement, i've come in from work today and he's met me at the door i've crouched down to stop him jumping but oh no he didn't have a toy in his mouth to greet me so he went dashing of into the lounge to get a toy and it took a second to realise that he didn't limp but then he got a bit excited and dashed of again before i realised what he was doing and it was back. Got to love my boy. I do appreciate the advice and kind words you lovely people have given me.
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia I love it when they charge off and come back bringing a present for you. ;D
Re: Buster has elbow displaysia [quote author=David link=topic=8207.msg116475#msg116475 date=1413213398] I love it when they charge off and come back bringing a present for you. ;D [/quote] oh yes....Lilly's specialty is a slipper but she will find any footwear item if unavailable ;D Do you have carpets Helen? If not, might be worth Investing in some non-slipping mats. Reduces the slipping and sliding effect. Julie has an eclectic collection ;D
