Author Topic: it just seems kind of funny to me...  (Read 14384 times)

Offline Krystal_00

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it just seems kind of funny to me...
« on: March 22, 2007, 11:41:40 am »
Mack went in for his hip x-rays...he doesn't have any symptoms of anything but i just wanted to see how he is coming along in growing up....we took him to the vet and dropped him off...and I was in walmart when they called, about an hour later...i was thinking to tell me that he is done and what time we can come get him. But it was the vet calling me to say, and these are his exact words "I think you better start looking for a new dog" well needless to say i was  :o :o :o :o he told me that Mack has very very bad hip dysplasia and that we should probably put him down.

It seems funny to me that his case is so severe that he "needs to be put down"...he runs, walks, plays, jumps like a regular dog...he is not in pain, he has no lameness, no trouble standing up at all...how can this be? if it is so bad, would he be able to do all this stuff? He runs faster than any Bernard I've ever seen! Everyone actually calls him "Race" cause hes so quick :D The x-rays the vet showed us (ill try to explain lol the best i can)...you know the ball fits into the socket right...well his socket was empty and the ball was just floating somewhere above it....would be even be able to walk if it was like this? Im thinking "what is those are not his x-rays" I dont want to think bad about the vet....but i cant help it.

i'm just very confused and very upset...I am not NOT NOT going to put my baby down. If its surgery he needs than that is what he is going to get, if its meds or anything, thats what he is getting.
When the last fish has been caught and the last tree has been cut down...Only then will man realize that he cannot eat money.

Offline schelmischekitty

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2007, 11:46:36 am »
i would get another opinion.  honestly, i wouldn't want a vet who told me that knowing the life my dog leads!  he sounds very pessimistic!  as long as your baby is happy don't sweat it!  look at options, but don't fret the vet telling you to put him down, he obviously doesn't see how happy he is!  i would question the amount of work the vet has done with HD / ED though.  if he's new at that area, he may not realize it isn't as had as he thinks it is.
« Last Edit: March 22, 2007, 11:47:18 am by schelmischekitty »
steffanie in atlanta

aiden (4), tristan (2), & maya (born sept. 17th)
axle-140ish-lb akita (4)
peanut-5lb, 11 months chihuahua
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mama23+pyrs2

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2007, 11:56:04 am »
That is really upsetting. :'( I don't have any experience with this and hope to God I never will but if I were faced with it, I'd have no reservations with getting a second or even third opinion. Have you felt confident in your vet prior? Even so, I get another Xray, with another Dr and I'd prefer to stay in the office while it was being done.

I hope it's wrong, best of luck either way. I wouldn't be putting my dog down that was seemingly normal. Also what a HORRIBLE thing to say to you when they call with that kind of news. That would be enough to warrant me switching vets, but that's just me.

Offline Krystal_00

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2007, 12:00:16 pm »
thanks guys:)


well we just moved here, so its the first time we have been to this vet...but we wil not be going back. my cousin actually just told me that this was the same vet that treated her dog for a pellet gun wound....while 6 WEEKS later the vet realized that not only had the dog been shot but he had been hit by a car as well. >:(

I will be taking him to a different vet...for one more set of x-rays....hes happy and not in pain so puttin him down is not an option for me....when and if the time comes that he is in pain...we will look at that, but only as a last resort :(
When the last fish has been caught and the last tree has been cut down...Only then will man realize that he cannot eat money.

Offline schelmischekitty

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2007, 12:01:17 pm »
maybe you should bring the x-ray that vet took and ask a new vet, also.  that way he can explain what the other guy MAY be (or may NOT have) seen?
steffanie in atlanta

aiden (4), tristan (2), & maya (born sept. 17th)
axle-140ish-lb akita (4)
peanut-5lb, 11 months chihuahua
[img width= height= alt=Image Hosted by ImageShack.us]http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3339/alltogethernowme6.jpg[/img]

Icerotti

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2007, 12:07:16 pm »
That is very disturbing. I have to agree with the others you need to get a second opinion. I lost my first male rotti to HD. He had to be put down with it..it was horrible. He showed great discomfort with it and his ball was still about 1/4 in the socket. His gate was off. He started to cry getting up and down. He would no longer jump. He was really suffering. After a long consulatation between the vet that was going to do the first surgery and the breeder we all decided it would be best that Hogan need not suffer anymore :'(
We had xrays done at our vet here and went to a specialist in Toronto. I am glad we went to the second opinion and we actually had a third vet who was going to do the first surgery.
It seems that Mack would display some symptoms if it were as bad as that vet was saying. I hope everything works out fine.

Offline Krystal_00

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2007, 12:10:56 pm »
im just wondering how his x-rays can be so bad..yet hes got none of the things you mentioned with your rottie...arg!!

the vet didnt give me the x-rays, he sent them to OFA...that cost me 70 bucks and now i come to find that OFA only scores dogs that are over 2 yrs old?! what?!

I'm just so confused.



and another thing...the vet had never even heard of a health guarantee on a dog..i told him was it was and his response was "hmm cool!"
When the last fish has been caught and the last tree has been cut down...Only then will man realize that he cannot eat money.

mama23+pyrs2

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2007, 12:14:09 pm »
im just wondering how his x-rays can be so bad..yet hes got none of the things you mentioned with your rottie...arg!!

the vet didnt give me the x-rays, he sent them to OFA...that cost me 70 bucks and now i come to find that OFA only scores dogs that are over 2 yrs old?! what?!

I'm just so confused.



and another thing...the vet had never even heard of a health guarantee on a dog..i told him was it was and his response was "hmm cool!"

i'm glad you're finding another vet, the more you talk about him the more i dislike him. >:( i would think you could get those films since you paid for them and they are yours, i'd see about that. have you thought of contacting your breeder about this anyway? how old is mack?

Offline Krystal_00

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2007, 12:20:06 pm »
i did contact her yes...she was mad! she wanted his name and his number so she could call him and ask him why he thinks my dog should be put down. She also wants me to get my digital cam and take a pic of the xrays...i told her i would, not even thinking that they had been sent to OFA already...i have to email her and let her know...she has been great about this whole thing..
When the last fish has been caught and the last tree has been cut down...Only then will man realize that he cannot eat money.

mama23+pyrs2

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2007, 12:22:43 pm »
This is from Wikipedia..

"Dysplastic hip anatomy
In a hip suffering from dysplasia, two things are commonly abnormal. First, the caput is not deeply and tightly held by the acetabulum. Instead of being a snug fit, it is a loose fit, or a partial fit. Secondly, the caput or acetabulum are not smooth and round, but are misshapen, causing abnormal wear and tear or friction within the joint as it moves.

The body reacts to this in several ways. First, the joint itself is continually repairing itself and laying down new cartilage. However cartilage repair is a relatively slow process (the most rapid bodily repairs are often in systems with a blood flow, which cartilage lacks).

So the joint may suffer degradation due to the abnormal wear and tear, or may not support the body weight as intended. The joint becomes inflamed and a cycle of cartilage damage, inflammation and pain commences. This is a self-fueling process, in that the more the joint becomes damaged, the less able it is to resist further damage. The inflammation causes further damage. The bones of the joint may also develop osteoarthritis, visible on an X-ray as small outcrops of bone, which further degrade the joint.

The underlying deformity of the joint may get worse over time, or may remain static. A dog may have good X-rays and yet be in pain, or may have very poor X-rays and apparently almost no problems. The hip condition is only one factor to determine the extent to which dysplasia is causing pain or affecting the quality of life. In mild to moderate dysplasia it is often the secondary effects of abnormal wear and tear or arthritis, rather than dysplasia itself, which is the direct causes of visible problems."


mama23+pyrs2

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2007, 12:25:26 pm »
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_dysplasia,_canine

That has a lot of info especially under symptoms and diagnosis.

Offline Krystal_00

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2007, 12:35:59 pm »
thank you!!


another thing (im remembering all this now...getting madder and madder!!) he said was "If i can try and keep Mack this size the rest of his life it would be good."

Now i'd like to know how I'm supposed to keep a year-old Saint that is 132 lbs....the same size for the rest of his life?



im getting mad all over again!! there is a vet here in town that i hear is impossible to get into but he is supposed to be the best so i am going to call and plead my case...
When the last fish has been caught and the last tree has been cut down...Only then will man realize that he cannot eat money.

mama23+pyrs2

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2007, 12:39:16 pm »
man oh man and I thought MY vet was an idiot! (well I still think she is) but this man just sounds very uneducated. it's very scary there are Dr.s out there like that we put our animals in the hands of.

I hope you can get into the other one! I'm in the process of trying to find a good vet also. :-\
« Last Edit: March 22, 2007, 12:39:36 pm by mama23+pyrs2 »

Offline Krystal_00

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2007, 12:43:17 pm »
i wonder if its too late to call and ask if the x-rays have been sent to OFA....and get them back, and my 70 bucks.
When the last fish has been caught and the last tree has been cut down...Only then will man realize that he cannot eat money.

mama23+pyrs2

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Re: it just seems kind of funny to me...
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2007, 01:09:39 pm »
i wonder if its too late to call and ask if the x-rays have been sent to OFA....and get them back, and my 70 bucks.

can't hurt to call and ask. i didn't know they automatically sent them to OFA anyway. i read that's usually done at 24 mos and older..