Hi All My name is Kate and am new to this site. I have a puppy (Walter) who's 7 months old. When he was about 5 months old I noticed he seemed a bit wobbly on his back end and keeping his back legs together when he was running. I took him to the vets and they told me his seemed a bit sore on his left hip and gave him some anti inflammatory drops and told me to lead walk him for a couple of weeks then contact them again. After this period he was still no better so had an x-ray last week and they confirmed he had hip dysplasia They sent the x-rays to a company who specialises in this and they have come back and said it's not good at all and he needs a full hip replacement, the cost being between 6.5 - 7k. I obviously cannot afford this and my insurance company will only cover me for 2k. I am heartbroken and can't believe my poor pup is going through this. He's still racing around and eating fine etc, has anyone experienced this and had a positive outcome. Any advice would be much appreciated, I just don't know what to do as they are telling me he needs it in the next couple of months. Thanks in advance
What a shock at this age. I had a Belgian shep. mix who had terrible hip x-rays at about the same age. At the time however, there were no hip replacements for dogs. Samantha lived happily to age 13. She basically self-limited - not a ton of running around - but enjoyed her walks and her favorite game, tug of war with a stick. I have trouble remembering what medicine she took, probably an anti-inflammatory or gabapentin. We gave her breaks from the meds and used as needed. This doesn't mean your pup will have the same outcome but as your vet will tell you (or should do), an x-ray is a picture and meaningful only when considered with the clinical situation, i.e. your pup is running around and doing well. Obviously speak to your vet but I might see how he gets on and not worry until you have to. Samantha limited her running around like a nut but you may want help your pup, perhaps by long walks instead of off leash running or maybe less off leash. It's important for all dogs to stay trim so watch the diet but don't get crazy. If you could find a vet that specializes in rehabilitation, which is like a human physical therapist, perhaps this vet could help with strengthening the surrounding muscles to make the best of his anatomy. Welcome to the forum and please let us know how you get on.
