HD DIAGNOSIS VS EPILEPSY

[DonnaJo]

Hi Karen,

Hip Dysplasia and Epilepsy are two different things. Eplilepsy is a seizure disorder and Hip Dysplasia is a joint defect which is heritary.

For complete info on Hip Dysplasia try this link: http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypert...part2/faq.html

My 18 month old Rottie has Elbow Dysplasia and I have managed to control (or should I say slow down)the destruction of this disease through diet, natural herbal remedies and controled exercise programs.

Depending on the severity of hip dysplasia (if this is what your dog has)it may be controled with drugs or herbs.

[Nancy Estes]

HD is hip dysplasia and has nothing to do with epilepsy. HD can be diagnosed by x-ray. A dog with HD does not usually fall and lose control of its bowels & bladder. Epileptic seizures can and do cause this. There is no simple test for epilepsy and the causes of most cases of epilepsy are not known. Many vets prefer to wait and see if the dog has another seizure/seizures before putting them on medication. The diagnosis of epilepsy is often the result of eliminating other possible causes of seizures (such as lead poisoning). Treatment is usually anti-convulsants (phenobarbitol or primadone) and/or a mineral salt, the name of which escapes me at the moment. Many dogs have one or two seizures and never have another. However, for a dog that has violent seizures and/or frequent seizures it is a potentially deadly condition.

Nancy

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von Dorow Rottweilers
doggo1@apex2000.net

[Ramsey'sMom]

Thank you so much for responding Nancy and DonnaJo. I am so afraid that Ramsey will have another spell. It was so overwhelming for me to see him deficating and wobbling around unable to walk. I have had Ramsey for a year and a half, however he is five. He was rescued as a pup. His owner was fantastic and taught him to behave extremely well. When I saw him so helpless I was afraid to approach him. As a child I had a dog that bit me when he was in a confused state. I am definately going to get Ramsey to a vet now that he is back on track and able to get into the car on his own. I pray he heals and never has to strugle like he did yesterday morning. Thank you so much for your response. I will keep you abreast. A collegue recently purchased a rott pup and has given me the name of Vet that is good with rotts. This is such a blessing, too.

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[Ramsey'sMom]

I have read several complaints about Rotts having their hind legs go from underneath them. It has been stated that during that episode the dog has no bowel control ect, and marches high with the front feet. My question is what is HD? And what are the symptoms...worst case vs mild case.
(I know epilepsy is a term that is used for things that can not be explained. No offense but it is easily over used.)

The reason I pose this question is that my dog has something and I really can not afford to spend money on a bunch of test and surgical procedures. The little money I have would be best spent on meds.. ie glucosamanine/chondroiton/vitamin c and rimadyl. Is there a problem administering these things to a dog (like asperin) on a daily basis?

Please help before I go broke.
Karen In VA

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