Thanks for all the hope this thread has given me.
I do think the problem is mild. He walks and runs perfectly, but can't do
stairs sometimes.
-Pete

In article ,
wrote:
NO way I could stand to destroy him. I also can't afford the operation, nor
the stress it would cause on the dog.

Well, look. I think people tend to be too quick to advise
to have a dog put down without knowing enough one way or the
other to make an informed decision. However, there's no
question that when you keep a dog alive when he's in a lot
of pain and when there's no hope for improvement, you're
doing the dog no favors whatsoever. You should consider
your veterinarian a partner in your decisions about your
dog's health and you should definitely be discussing this
with him.

Also, dog ownership is expensive and even without congenital
problems there can be extremely high veterinary expenses.
If you don't have a lot of savings, you might want to
consider opening a special savings account that you use only
for emergency veterinary expenses, in which you stick a few
bucks each month. Don't touch it except for emergencies.

I will go the glucosamine/MSM route.

Not cheap, either, and at best palliative. Talk to your vet
about exercise and other things you can do to make your dog
more comfortable.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Make it a Sony-free holiday.

wrote in
:

Thanks for all the hope this thread has given me.
I do think the problem is mild. He walks and runs perfectly, but can't
do stairs sometimes.
-Pete




OK then if you are going that route, how about shorter walks on leash?
Sure, the dog will want to run around but at least you will be
preventinh further damage. If the fella is 10/11 years old, slowing down
a bit is not a bad thing and the stairs might be do-able again for a
while.

You have to save the dog from himself and his instincts and desire to
play.

Sounds like you have a couple of good years left together if you do this
right, and no need to overdo it, just enjoy each others company.

Kathleen wrote:

Hip dysplasia is a congenital malformation of the hip joint.

Minor correction he hip dysplasia is hereditary (that is, it's transmitted
through the genes) but not congenital (which means present at birth). Puppies
with hip dysplasia are born with normal joints, but they develop abnormally -
in fact, the very term "dysplasia" means abnormal development. The fact that
it's a developmental condition is the reason that we can't xray puppies at
8 weeks old and know for sure if they'll be dysplastic or not.

People often get the terms "hereditary" and "congenital" confused, but a
particular condition can be one or the other or both. For instance, there
are a number of congenital abnormalities (such as absence of a limb or
deafness) that can be caused by environmental exposures in the uterus -
those are congenital, but not hereditary. Hip dysplasia is an example of
the opposite phenomenon.

Hope that clarifies.

Dianne

Thanks. I agree, we have many happy years ahead.
The vet just suggested joint meds.
-Pete

"diannes" wrote in message
...
Kathleen wrote:

Hip dysplasia is a congenital malformation of the hip joint.

Minor correction he hip dysplasia is hereditary (that is, it's
transmitted
through the genes) but not congenital (which means present at birth).
Puppies
with hip dysplasia are born with normal joints, but they develop
abnormally -
in fact, the very term "dysplasia" means abnormal development. The fact
that
it's a developmental condition is the reason that we can't xray puppies at
8 weeks old and know for sure if they'll be dysplastic or not.

People often get the terms "hereditary" and "congenital" confused, but a
particular condition can be one or the other or both. For instance, there
are a number of congenital abnormalities (such as absence of a limb or
deafness) that can be caused by environmental exposures in the uterus -
those are congenital, but not hereditary. Hip dysplasia is an example of
the opposite phenomenon.

Hope that clarifies.

Dianne


I have heard from more than one source that it is congenital.

wrote:



I have heard from more than one source that it is congenital.


You have heard wrong.

http://www.offa.org/monographweb.pdf has scientifically valid
information about hip dysplasia. It is not congenital. It is genetic and
inherited, but not present at birth.

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 17:46:32 -0600 Borzoi whittled these words:

OK then if you are going that route, how about shorter walks on leash?

Reduced exercise is not a good prescription. The KIND of exercise
matters. Pulling, harness work, and swimming are excellent low impact
methods to build muscle that supports the joint. Walking is low impact,
there is no need to reduce walks. Galloping, hard surfaces and jumping
should be minimized.

--
Diane Blackman
There is no moral victory in proclaiming to abhor violence
while preaching with violent words.
http://dog-play.com/ http://dogplayshops.com/