7 mo. old Basset with Elbow Displasia

[baxterthebasset]

Help! My beloved Basset Hound is 7 months old and lately he hasn't been able to get up very well from a laying down position. He acts like an arthritic dog, but he's just a puppy. We took him into the vet yesterday and after $300 worth of x-rays, the vet determined he needs surgery to correct elbow displasia in both of his elbows. I am really upset and the appointment was really confusing!
I have a few questions for you:
Isn't there any other alternative to surgery to help him?
How is healing/recovery time going to go? How long, etc.?
Will this 100% help him?
Will it come back?
Also, we are a young financially srtuggling couple and can't pay for a $6000 surgery...
Any ideas for fundraisers, etc.?
Has anyone had this done before? How much did it cost?
Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[Mordy]

i have a friend who has two (unrelated) dogs that needed elbow dysplasia surgery. if you PM me your email address, i will pass it on to her so she can contact you and answer your questions.

 

[bubbatd]

Hip surgery isn't that much .....check at Vet schools. Such a shame... I'm sorry !

 

[baxterthebasset]

I don't think we have a vet school in Alaska, but thanks for the suggestion. Baxter's elbows have gotten considerably worse in the last 2 days, he literally can't even get up on his own now. It's tought seeing a little puppy not be able to play. I think we'll probably have to get him the surgery ASAP. However, I would still love advice if someone else has gone through this before. Thanks

 

[Mordy]

baxter, see my post above. my friend isn't a member on this forum, but she is willing to share her experience with anyone who wants/needs it.

 

[baxterthebasset]

This is my first "chat" and I am not sure what PM is... sorry, but my email is [email protected]
Thanks

 

[yoko]

i don't know if it works very well but i've seen people sell their dogs things like a toy and stuff on ebay and kinda go to forum and websites tos pread the word. they'll type up why they're trying to raise money... my friend did that when her dog needed to be fixed and her car had just broken down and she hurt herself. this nice guy bought a squeaky toy for $65 which was how much it was to get her dog fixed. because the person they rent from said they had to get rid of the dog or get it fixed within a certain amount of time

 

[Mordy]

This is my first "chat" and I am not sure what PM is... sorry, but my email is [email protected]
Thanks

i will pass it on.

 

[doberkim]

im speaking here with the understanding that there are a few things that make up elbow dysplasia - its not just one disease process - theres ununited anconeal processes, OCD (osteochrondosis dessicans) , and fragmented coranoid.

Isn't there any other alternative to surgery to help him?

unfortunately, besides pain management with drugs, there isnt much else to be done. this is an orthopedic problem and starting at such a young age, your dogs problem will only get worse unfortunately you can attempt to manage the pain, but nothing besides surgery is really going to correct/remove the problem.

How is healing/recovery time going to go? How long, etc.?

this is something you need to speak to the vet about. it depend son what is wrong, and what procedure he will have. some can have endoscopic removal of a bone fragment and have the fibrin in the joint cleaned out, others require full out surgery. its impossible to say how long it will take to heal - expect at least 6 weeks of keeping the dog very quiet.

Will this 100% help him?

again, without knowing what exactly makes up his ED< its impossible to say- but most likely, no, not 100%. many dogs have great responses with some procedures, but as they age the arthritis will then set in. but they can often have many years of fairly good health, or at least more manageable pain. if your dog can barely walk now, you have t consider quality of life - if you dont do surgery, what else is there for the dog?

Will it come back?

again, like i said above - depends on what is wrong. if there is a fracture that is repaired, or the chip is removed, then it shouldnt come back, however OCD can often come back. however, even if something is removed and doesnt come back, if its left too long arthritis can set in quite severely.



im sorry you are going through this!

 

[baxterthebasset]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all your help. We have our first surgery consultation on Monday and I am hoping to get a lot of questions answered there. I am just hoping for the best.