Need advise for pup with bad hips

[gparcels]

A friend of mine purchased a Boerboel from a breeder in the US. one of the very few I can find since this is a rare breed, the pup is now 6mos old and has started limping and from the x-rays it shows the dog has no ball sockets where the femur would normally fit into, its just flat bone. After speaking to the breeder they would only offer my friend another pup, no help with vet bills or anything else just send the dog back...I don't know how anyone could say that about a dog they bred if they really cared about their breed. Also to add insult to injury the Hospital in PA just rambled off a fugure of 8000 to do both hips no other options would be discussed. I'm trying to help to see if anyone else has delt with a situation like this and where to go from here, anyone know of any orthopedic surgens preferrably on the east coast for second opinions. Thanks in advance.

[Karyn]

My Neemo (GSD) has the exact same problem. Her femurs are held in place by muscle and yes, the $8,000 price tag was much too dear for me. I had the same choice - return her but I knew they would kill her and she was only 5 months old. She is 7 years old now and her hips are wobbly but she does not appear to be in pain - and she still runs after Roxy (boxer) in short sprints and I give her glucosimine (sp?). She has problems with stairs (weakness) but she really doesn't have to deal with stairs unless she wants to. I have to watch her weight which is hard because she really cannot get the exercise she would normally get and she is a food thief. She is the most loving of all my dogs. She will live out her life for however long that is as comfortably as I can keep her. 7 years is not bad - she will be 8 in June.

[Carol Burke]

I also have a 7yr old (Rott) with terrible hips AND elbows. I have kept her comfortable on Glucosomine Chondroitin, Alfalfa, Vit C, MSM and just recently, Rymadil(a very low dose). Her exercise consists of swimming which is a great muscle builder without stress. She seems happy, plays occasionally and RUNS into the house when called from outside.

Her femurs are not completely flat, but close and her elbows are even worse. I do keep her thin and she will live out her life as a couch potatoe. When I can no longer keep her comfortable she will go to the bridge with dignity

[lblax]

having bad hips is totally differant than not having ball sockets at all. and if the limping and the pain are starting at such a young age it probably will progress very fast i have known2 dogs this way and it is tough!!! as far as the breeder goes they are honering their guarrantee it sounds like and most only do replace the pup i dont think you could or should expect a breeder to help with bill that are many times the price of the dog. i would think the dog would have to be fully grown before the replacemants and probably would have endured lots of severe pain before that and since it has absolutly no sockets now, the outcome of the surgury will probably be questionable any way. i know it is tough and im glad thatdont have to make your descision. but if i had to i would request they breeder to replace the pup and let you keep this one( since they will put it to sleep anyway) and enjoy it and make it comfortable as long as you can. i think a reputable breeder would agree to this

[Karyn]

There is a dog Lemon Law in NJ which was sponsored by Senator D'Agostino. Check it out, it may be of help in this case.

[moretzj]

I have an 18-month female rescue rottweiler. At 9 months was diagnosed with the similar symptoms you describe. No rear hip sockets and head of the femur bones rubbing flat spots were the hip sockets should be and on the femur head. Termed double severe hip dysplesia! As bad as a case of hip dysplesia as our vet has seen. She said only one other case was close a Bernese Mountain Dog had a double FHO performed on it several years before and was doing very well. I assume the price tag your quoting is for 2 total hip replacements. It just was not possible for us to do that we were quoted $3500 for each hip. We opted for a FHO instead which was the other option we were given by the surgeon. If you haven't heard of it they basically remove the head of the femur bone, which stops the bones rubbing together. Sounds like a very medieval procedure when you first have it explained to you. You might wan to ask about it? In my case it cost $1500, which we were able to swing. The left side was the worst and we decided to do it first. Much to my surprise she walked out of the office a day after the surgery. The total recovery time took like 2 months or so. It has been so successful for us that to date we haven't had to do the second hip yet. It causes her no pain so we are letting it alone until it bothers her. The surgeon we had do the operation seems convinced that he will not have to do the other one at all. He told us in his experence that younger dogs adjust to this type of surgery much better. I hope he is right the recover is slow but she managed it well. Good luck how ever you go. I mention this only because it was another option that so far has worked out well for us....

Very strange to me that they say there are no other options?