how long does he have ?

[Ariaditya]

After seeking opinion from three doctors.( which all came with same answers) all said that my boy got severe HD in both hips..even the most senior and trusted doctor ( which I've been waiting for him to came back from his 4 weeks trip to overseas) said he's got severe HD ( my boy is 9 months now) and he prefer NOT to give my boy injections.. and only glucosamine ( which I already been giving him for the last 1,5 months now..) and Rimadyl ( which I couldn't find it anywhere in my country) what I'm asking is..did mostly dog with HD would get worsen each day until he reached a stage or a condition which would make him crippled/ cannot walk at all ? or might he get away with it and walk all his life ? because to perform surgery the doctor would wait for the worst condition ( not able to walk/stand) and I'm still wondering how long is that ? Because I did not know if I have the budget for surgery...so I'm hoping that I can start saving money from now ..

[Tank's Grandma]

It's hard to say. In this country, sadly for ou, we have options I guess that you don't. My dog Tank had severe dysplasia and I was able to do a surgery called TPO for him which corrected the dysplasia in on of his hips, and he is doing extremely well. He also takes the best glucosamine supplements I can get for him, Cosequin DS and I make sure he gets exercise.
Is it possible for you to take your dog swimming? This is very good exercise for HD. Also, don't let him get heavy. Extra weight is very hard on the joints.
Good luck.

[rottielover2004]

can you not speak to your vet about a payment plan. If his hips are that bad, I would not wait on it, if all suggested surgery

[BostonRott]

Typically here, they do not wait until the dog is completely crippled. By that point, so much arthritis has already developed that it would seem cruel to do anything except put the dog down.

If all they can offer you is glucosamine and pain medication, then I'm guessing you'll have a year or two at best. It is unfortunate that you don't have more options available in your country.

As hard as it is, you need to keep his well-being in mind and recognize that when he gets too painful, it will be time to let go.

[brunie's mom]

Do search here for "hip dysplasia" and a search on google for canine hip dysplasia. There are other things you can do to help your dog.

My Bruno was also diagnosed at 9 months with severe HD...though I knew something was wrong before that. He was not a good candidate for surgery , because he was such a poorly bred, oversized dog...at 9 months he weighed 110 lbs Both hips were so bad( arthritis already showing)...the vet did not think he could even manage trying to fix one side and the aftercare would have been so hard.
We decided to treat him with a good diet, supplements, weight managment, Adaquen injections, gentle exercise, pain medication,etc. and hoped we could keep him comfy for a few years.

He did fairly well till about 5 years of age....but he was such a huge dog (about 30'' at the shoulder) and weighed 147 lbs (you could see ribs at that weight)...his hips could no longer take it. He had difficulty getting up to go outside to have a pee and we could see the pain medication was not working anymore. We knew it was time to let him go.

I suggest you do what you can afford, what you are comfortable with and what will keep your dog happy and comfortable. Getting him on a good quality glucosamine/chondroitin/msm is good, salmon oil is good also. A top of the line diet also helps (BARF would be the best)...but if you cannot do that then a good quality dog food with fresh meat added would be good also.

Swimming is a great exercise...as are short frequent walks.

Let your breeder know that your pup has been diagnosed with HD, hopefully they will take these dogs out of their breeding program.

Gina

[Ariaditya]

thanks for all your answers..I`ll do my best for my boy .. yesterday ..one of my friend offered me to "trade" the dog with the one which got better condition..( healthy hips) ..but I refused the idea ,felt not right .. besides he is very loyal and friendly..and always tried to please me and my family.
It`s like doing an act of treason against him ...I would not do that.. beside the doctor was also impressed about his "will and spirit" despite his condition right now.. he`s not showing any kind of lameness ( remembering his condition) and we noticed the signs only when he gets up.. and through x - ray..but still it`s very sad to see him "struggle" to get up just to greet me or my family....really ..even when we told him to keep staying "down".. he just kept getting up ..no matter how "horrible" the scene he made ..and it breaks our heart knowing that someday he would not be able to get up and greet us..no matter how hard he try ..
* sigh

[spoiledbabies3]

I am so sorry that you are having to deal with such sadness. HD is a horrible disease. Please know that many here understand the emotional rollercoaster you are experiencing. I hope you find the help you need. Unfortunately, I do not have much experience with the disease as my 10 yo boy only has a slight condition. Many good thoughts and prayers from our household to yours. Keeping paws crossed that your boy gets the help he needs.

[Ariaditya]

thank you for the support..it just ..he`s my first rottie..and I really have many expectations for him ( surely being healthy is the most important)..he`s very smart and active..and I`m planning to train him for dog sport/ agility ..but now..I only can hope that at least he could walk during his life ..! how ironic ..and now after I "reduced" his activity ..he tends to go destructive ( bored maybe) I still walk him every day for 30-45 minutes..I didn`t play - catch ( fetching) anymore with him..( which was his favourite and he`s good at it too ...)it`s kind a sad to be in the " don`t do that"- "can`t do this" situation..especially when you`re young at age..it`s like banning a 5/6 years old children to play / have fun .. now I even yell at him when he`s running kind a fast ( he`s still capable of running).. once again thanks for your advices..

[SonnyRott]

Please don't yell at him for running....he doesn't understand.

If he is 9 months old and having that much pain and difficulty getting up and you can't afford or do not have access to a good orthopedic surgeon, then I would suggest putting him on pain meds for a while, supplementing him with Cosequin DS, swimming him, and going on slow walks and if he is not responding in a month or so then I would have to make the tough decision and put him to sleep.

HD this bad, this young does not get any better. Surgery can help if they are a good candidate for it, but without surgery, it is a very painful, debilitating way to live. The sad part about watching it is that the dog's heart is intact and they want so very much to be active but they are so limited. It is not fair to a young dog. Also surgery does not always work to free the dog from pain.

I feel for you (I've been there), as we had to put our childhood, beautiful Alaskan Malamute down because of it. She was just suffering too much.

And the Rottweiler I have now has HD.

[Tank's Grandma]

One thing my ortho surgeon told us when discussing Tank, and dogs with HD in general, is that the time while they are growing, this 9-12 month period, can be a period of pain for them, because in addition to the HD, the tendons are also stretching and pulling, and that some dogs with HD,will then enter a period of less, or even no pain for a few years, before again, because of the wear on the joints, and the degeneration, the pain becomes an issue again. The supplementation is important, because it helps lubricate the joint, but it must be done on a daily basis, as it does not build up in the dogs body and stay there if the supplements are not given.