Help please...double hip replacement for 8 month old puppy.
Submitted by happy2be on August 20, 2011 - 2:10amMy mum has an 8 month old bulldog puppy. She is a funny little thing and had since she was a pup, sat and pulled her bum around. Then if she wants something, she just gets up and goes to see. It wasn't causing her discomfort but my mum mentioned it to the vet. He thought it was her knees. Then they took exraus and her hips are very bad. Apparently there isn't much of a socket for the leg bone to attach to.
Their vet sent the pictures off to a specialist for a second option and she replied she didn't think the damage she could see would be creating that much pain and suggested the problem may be nuerological or a nerve issue in her spine. She also suggested that hip replacements are extremely rare on bulldogs.
The vet disagreed and is suggesting the hip ops.
Does anyone have ideas, thoughts or suggestions?
Just a puppy
At 8 months your pup is still growing. It would seem to make more sense to wait until they are full grown before replacing joints. Perhaps, at this point, all parts of the joint are not growing equally but may catch up and fit together better in the future. Just my thoughts :) Hope all turns out well!
My bulldog vet told me to not worry about hips until after they
are at least 18 months. Make sure your vet is bulldog knowlegeable especially dealing with surgerys.
Buford was hurting around a year old- we made him comfortable
but did no surgery now at almost 4 years old he is fine and has no issues. He was just growing and adjusting. My bulldog vet said that their bodies usually adapt to the hips and that majority of bullies would be considered as having displasia by most vets. I do give him glucosomine and chrondrotin.
8 months.....
thats pretty young....i might have the vet check to see if its spina bifida....are you having any potty problems....their is another operation called pectoral muclse...they cut the pectoral muscle so the hip will seed back into the socket...but at 8 months....i would send them to tufts..or another vet shool for a second option...total hip replacement is very expensive....
sorry your pup is having this problem have you spoken to the "breeder"
Absolutely not.
They aren't even fully developed yet at that age.
My vet told me Sophie had to have a hip replacement when she was a year old. That was when she was only 3 months old. I put her on Glucosamine, 1000mg a day. She is 5.5 years old now and no hip issues at all.
Amy and Sophia
She needs to find a new vet...
Most bulldogs have horrible hips compared to other breeds. Our Chester has bad hips and they don't bother him at all, we just keep him off the furniture so he doesn't injure himself. And she's way too young to even think about a replacement. Amy is right, start her on glucosomine.
another thought
did you do any good spinal film....if not and the second vet thinks it spinal.....make sure you dont have hemi vertbrea....these are all things to consider....especially if she mostly scooting to get around....hemi vetbrea can casue a nerve pinch
More info.....and thanks
You are wonderful...thank you. I'm not convinced but mums vet is. I'm very very happy to have some other options to share with her. The vet says Jersey (the puppy) is lacking a hip cup for her ball on the end of the leg bone (sorry I don't know the technical terms) They are discussing whether they could even do a hip replacement due to lack of bone. It would cost $5000 per hip. The other suggestion is to remove the ball at the end of the bone and let the scar tissue form a hip joint. The vet is very confident it will work but I'm uneasy with such a drastic step on an 8 month old puppy.
We just had a rescue that needed a hip replacement....
We would not do it until she was older (almost 2) because they are still growing. Sometimes getting only one side will fix the problem sometimes not. Our Daisy just got her hip replaced about a month and half ago and she is doing great.
DITCH THE VET !!!
It sounds like this vet is clueless regarding bulldogs. You need to find a vet that has had lots of experience with bulldogs (ask a bulldog breeder to recommend a vet) before considering anything that drastic on a puppy.