# Infamous Hip Dysplasia



## Evette

Hi,

I have a german shepard, 7 months old. He has bad hip dysplasia and he finds it very hard to get up and run. He is an indoor dog, but I do make sure he gets walked everyday until he has had enough.

Every time he is in pain (he yelps when it’s hurting too much) I massage his back legs and rub his back. I do this even without him asking as it puts him to sleep within 5 seconds. He sleeps in the house and I get up every 2 – 3 hours to check on him and rub his legs. The vet said his hips are really bad. I also work from home so I get to look after him and keep an eye on him the whole time which is great.

He is on Camprieve, Sasha’s Blend, Glucosamine + Chondroitin, multi vitamin and small amounts of Tumeric (helps with inflammation) and homeopathic remedies. He has only been on the meds for 1 month. He has a raw diet, raw meat, with cooked rice and soaked pellets with my other dogs.

The medication is helping a bit and the supplements apparently take 3 months to kick it. 

Does anyone have any experience with this level of HD and when to start expecting results? How long is enough suffering for a dog?

I never thought that this condition could be so heart wrenching and emotional as I want my dog to be happy and pain free.

Any feedback, experiences shared and advice would be greatly appreciated. I have 4 german shepards (from one litter ) and he is the only one with this problem.


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## cliffson1

I would seriously consider putting him down. He is not living a quality life going through all of this. I would talk to my vet to determine the degree of the severity, but if it is severe or worse and he is in this much pain now...its not fair to the dog. Ask your vet if it is reasonable to expect him to live a pain free life. If he was 7 years, that's one thing, but to go through an entire life with this pain, is not being done for the dog.


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## Evette

Thank you for your reply, I have to agree with you, I think I will book a vets app on Monday and get a second opinion. My vet did say to give him a chance. She refused to put him down when I asked her if that is the best option for Gabe. She said to wait and see. We only have one vet on the Island so I can't get a second opinion. But you are right, its not fair to the dog and will discuss again with the vet - Thank you.


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## onyx'girl

Have you looked into FHO that may be something to consider instead of his suffering on.... If your vet can do the procedure?


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## Jax08

Is surgery an option? If so, what is the prognosis post surgery?

If he is in constant pain, and surgery for the HD is not an option for him, I would let him go like Cliff said.


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## Evette

I live on a small Island and the vet can not do the operation. Flying him to Australia for the op will be very hard. Customs will make it impossible for Gabe, I have considered this. Gabe seems to be in pain when he has been laying down for too long. But yesterday he bolted out of the house, ran around the house and covered our 2 acre property as if nothing was wrong. He has his moments, but I can't tell if he is always in pain. 

I Once tried to get a tick of off his paw and he yelped, it made me wonder whether his pain thresh hold is quite low and that is why he might be so vocal. When the vet normally takes blood from him he yelps as if though he is being abused. So it does make me wonder in how much pain he really is? Its hard to tell.

What is a FHO btw?


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## BowWowMeow

Supplements should take 3 WEEKS, not 3 months to kick in. The trick is getting the right combo going with the right exercise combo. 

Can you get acupuncture where you live or laser therapy? 

My dog Massie had severe bilateral HD at under a year. She lived to be just under 12 years old. I did replace one hip (only) when she was 5 years old. 

Here's what I would do:

Walk him 3 times a day. Gradually increase the distance. Swim him every day (if possible). 

Triple dose of a really good joint supplement (I use Springtime Inc. stuff, others use others with good results)

Work up to 2500mg/day of powdered C. I use Ester C but I think that's a problem for puppies. 

Add something like hyaluronic acid or another joint supplement with different ingredients. I found that combining two really helped. 

Fish oil capsules. 

At night I give the supplement called "Get Up and Go" by Only Natural Pet. It makes a huge difference. 

ARe you using the homeopathic remedy Zeel or Traumeel? Or Arnica or what? Those work instantly, no building up in the body. 

What are you feeding?


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## CMeredith

I'm with others that say putting him to sleep may be a reasonable option if the vet doesn't think he can live a pain free life. It's going to get worse - not better. 

However, you should ask about other drugs that may help. Our 11 year old Golden Retriever developed arthritis that became somewhat incapacitating until we put her on a COX-2 inhibitor called Rimadyl (Carprofen) that's also indicated for HD according to the literature. This a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory that made all the difference in the world. It made the difference between her being able to get up and down the stairs or being too sore to move. It definitely made the last 2 years of her life manageable. We ordered it online (though I think we needed a prescription). 

FHO = Femoral Hip Ostectomy. It's a last resort surgical procedure. Though it's mostly used in smaller dogs. 

Best of luck.


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## onyx'girl

FHO is sucessful for many dogs, GSD's included when hip replacement is too expensive. I wouldn't hesitate to give it a shot.


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## Evette

Hi, I feed him raw meat, with cooked rice and soaked pellets, I also give him Omega's, and small amount of Olive oil. I give him 3000mg of Vit C a day. Ok, I will increase his joint supplement and mix like you said that is a good idea, 

Haven't heard of hyaluronic acid, but will google it and get it. 

No acupuncture. Gabe would also not tolerate it, he screams like child when the vet injects him or take blood.

I like your advice about Zeel, Traumeel, Arnica and Get up and Go, will google that too and order it. It helps knowing that you have seen results with it, because I felt like I was aiming hopelessly at supplements.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! Much appreciated.


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## Evette

I will call my vet tomorrow and ask about the FHO options, thank you for that.


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## onyx'girl

google is a great tool... read up before you consult your vet so you know as much as possible to absorb it all. I hope that option is doable for you and Gabe.


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## Evette

Hi Jane, thank you, yes, I have 25 tabs open on the internet researching at the moment


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## BowWowMeow

Evette said:


> Hi, I feed him raw meat, with cooked rice and soaked pellets, I also give him Omega's, and small amount of Olive oil. I give him 3000mg of Vit C a day. Ok, I will increase his joint supplement and mix like you said that is a good idea,
> 
> Haven't heard of hyaluronic acid, but will google it and get it.
> 
> No acupuncture. Gabe would also not tolerate it, he screams like child when the vet injects him or take blood.
> 
> I like your advice about Zeel, Traumeel, Arnica and Get up and Go, will google that too and order it. It helps knowing that you have seen results with it, because I felt like I was aiming hopelessly at supplements.
> 
> Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! Much appreciated.


You want Zeel OR Traumeel OR Arnica.  

Acupuncture is nothing like getting a shot. The needles are small and light and (usually) painless. There is also laser therapy. 

But definitely look into the FHO. 

I have another supplement to recommend but I can't think of it right now...I will post it when it pops into my head!


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## vicky2200

I would not recommend putting this dog to sleep! This dog is only 7 months old and this is a FIXABLE problem. If you cannot afford to get him the treatment he needs then find a rescue that will take him!


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## Evette

thank you I would appreciate it if you could let me know what the other supplement is. I tried to order the products that you mentioned, but its almost impossible to get the stuff shipped here. I will have to deliver it in Australia to a friend and then she can ship it to me, I am slowly but surely working my way around this. I also contacted a vet to see if he is willing to fly over to Vanuatu to do the FHO. The vet here does not have that experience. Will find out about the Acupuncture. Thank you


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## Evette

Thank you Vicky, at the moment I am doing everything I can with the little resources I have here on the Island. My gut is telling me to keep trying with Gabe, I feel that I will get him through this. I will change my supplements as I think the ones that I am using is not working. At the moment, money is not the problem, its the limited resources but I am working my way around it.


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## Liesje

vicky2200 said:


> I would not recommend putting this dog to sleep! This dog is only 7 months old and this is a FIXABLE problem. If you cannot afford to get him the treatment he needs then find a rescue that will take him!


It sounds like the OP lives on a remote island where these surgeries are not done. Who knows if they have a GSD rescue let alone one that would take over the cost of the surgery (flying the dog to another country) and post-op care? I'm not saying the dog should be put down right away or isn't worth it, but it sounds to me like the OP is doing the best she can with the_ resources available_.


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## NancyJ

For the turmeric, does he get the pills. I have learned that turmeric contains a number of NATURAL cox-2 inhibitors (same stuff as in NSAIDS) but the spice is very low and the capsules have much more. A teammate of mine gives her dog 1000mg a day of the capsules. Also A good omega-3 fish oil is very helpful for inflammation. Do you have copies of the x-rays?

Does he get ENOUGH calcium in the diet? I know we normally worry about them getting too much but is he getting bones with the raw meat?

I do agree with the others--if he is suffering it is not a life worth living. It is a shame you cannot work out the FHO surgery where you are as it may be what would do the job for him. South Pacific Islands? Sounds like an excellent vacation opportunity for a vet from the states.........come over, do a surgery, spend a few weeks in paradise.


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## onyx'girl

Cheaper to fly in one vet, than fly out & back with a dog in a crate! Good idea Nancy!!! And maybe that vet can teach the island vet the procedure for the next hip.....


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## Evette

Wow, 1000 mg of tumeric, didn’t realise you can give the dog so much, I am giving Gabe a teaspoon full everyday of the spice that I buy at the supermarket. 

I can get a copy of the xrays that is not a problem. I already emailed a vet in Australia to hear what the options are performing FHO.

Our water supply is from a nearby underground cave that has so much calcium in it that we use a water softner to prevent the pipes from blocking up, I give Gabe water that comes out of the water softner so the calcium is still quite high and he gets a multi vitamin everyday along with his other supplements.

He gets bones everyday sometimes twice a day and he eats proper lean raw mince (that same that I would eat) with low fat in it. 

Gabe seems to be having a good day today, he’s following me around and he’s walk is not hundged. I give him random treats so that he would follow me around and get that bit of extra exercise.

Yes, Vanuatu is amazing, it really is a tropical paradise, it does come at a price though, especially in these type of circumstances.


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## CMeredith

It sounds to me like you're doing all of the responsible things. You're investigating additional drugs and supplements and looking into surgical options. But if those fail, I think it's also reasonable to consider putting him down without guilt.

There will always be people who say that you have a responsibility to do even more. But it really comes down to a fundamental philosophy on life. Personally, I wouldn't want to live a life of pain and limited capacity. Others want to live as long as medical science will allow it. I think both sides are valid perspectives. Do what you think is right after taking all REASONABLE measures. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for deciding that you've both gone through enough if it gets to that point. 

On the other hand, the right drugs can make a lot of pain completely tolerable. NSAIDS are a great first step.


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## BowWowMeow

Can you provide a link for the joint supplement you're using right now as well as for the C you're using right now? 

What other joint supplements are available?

Try to find something with ingredients like this: Genesis Resources Joint Support Plus Dog Supplement

The other supplement I was using was Advanced Cetyl-M Joint Action Formula.

Also, Zeel has been shown to be just as effective as NSAIDs. It's homeopathic and has no side effects. 

Please, post whatever plan you put together.


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## Evette

Hi,

I am using Sasha’s Blend (for bone and joints) I was lucky enough to learn that my local vet sells this (Gabe has been on it for 4 weeks now) I have doubled the dosage Sashas Blend Powder 250g by Sashas Blend | Free Shipping | Canada | CanadaOnly

My vet recommended Carprieve (I get the tablets directly from her, he’s been on that for 2 months now) Carprieve Norocarp Tablet 50mg - £0.40

I also use Joint Restore Natures way (only started this 5 days ago and started giving him more of this supplement as the vet also recommended this) I am working him up and will double the dose by next week Joint Restore Glucosamine + Chondroitin | Nature's Way

Fish Oil

Sugarless Vitamin C http://www.epharmacy.com.au/cartedit.asp?justadded=47377&returnURL=home.asp

One teaspoon of tumeric (just the normal spice)

Multi Vitamin from Aristopet: Aristopet Multi-Vitamin & Mineral Supplement for Dogs 150g | VetShopAustralia

My biggest problem is not being able to get my hands on proper products as no one ships packages this way. I will be going to New Zealand in April and I can get few things shipped there to pick up when I arrive. The local post office here has lost soooo many of my packages!

I also made a flower essence for Gabe which has changed his mood tremendously since yesterday so I am very happy about that.

For time being I am going to keep Gabe on the above until I can get my hands on more advanced formulas. I even asked the pharmacy here if they could order a few extra formulas for me whilst they place their next order from Australia, unfortunately they said no. So many companies have also said that they will not ship packages to us because our country is not on their list. 

My local vet will be back from holidays in a months time so I will see if I can arrange with her to allow another vet (that I will hopefully fly in to Vanuatu from Australia) to use her facilities and then also hopefully give other pet owners a chance to get the same op on their pets done. As bad as its now, I think a lot of good might come from it.


I also emailed a vet in Australia that sells Zeel, so fingers crossed that he will post it via DHL shipment, thats the only way to get stuff here lol!


But for now, with what I have, this is my one and only plan. 

Thank you for your support!


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## NancyJ

I would wonder about the wisdom of giving turmeric AND a drug which is a cox-2 inhibitor; there can be too much of a good thing. [I just looked up caprofen]

I assume the vet is going to do blood panels every 6 months and knows about the turmeric. But I realize when you are in such a rough situation you have to think of immediate relief. 

The problem with turmeric is that I really do not know of specific dosing and it is probably highly variable. 1000mg is just two normal adult human capsules. 

I did, however, switch my old dogs over to metacam after they were on it for post surgical pain relief for different other things and I saw a tremendous improvement in other areas (they were very high energy before but the medicine made a transformation of puppy proportions/Grim has spondylosis and Cyra severe HD but neither dog seemed particularly troubled) ....I chose metacam because you can adjust the dose to the lowest effective but discontinued the turmeric for those dogs and they are getting routine bloodwork so I can discontinue if we start to see problems.

Side note on Turmeric
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/curcumin/
_{Linus Pauling institute-As a chemist and as a pacifist, Linus Pauling is my hero! He won both a Nobel peace price for physics (and possibly would have beaten Watson and Cricks on DNA but he was "blacklisted" and not allowed to go to England -- in any event his elucidation of the structure of proteins using x-ray diffraction was a buidling block in the discovery of the structure of DNA / AND he won a Nobel Peace Price for his efforts to stop above ground nuclear testing. }_


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## Evette

Hi Nancy thank you for your feedback, I will research this more. I had Gabe's liver and Kidneys tested the other day to make sure that its not suffering because of his medication and it was 100% and his blood seemed fine from what the vet could tell.

Here is another catch though, all blood work that needs to be analyzed in detail has to be send to New Zealand and by the time it gets there they can't do a proper read on the blood so you never get an accurate answer anyway. But good thing you told me about that, I had no idea.

I am going to look up metacam. I give Gabe small amounts of Tumeric (spice i buy in market not the capsules though) I give him 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon per day.

Thank you


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## NancyJ

I think metacam and rimadyl act very much the same and have the same inherent dangers - but I was sold on the metacam because of the ability to adjust the dose (it is a liquid and comes in a bottle with a syringe and you give with food -- actually any NSAID should be given with food)....There is a cheaper generic human version of metacam but I was read and confirmed that the human dose is not adjustable, dissolves differently, and has caused some perforated ulcers where there have been no cases of this with the veterinary formulation.


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## Branko

Please DO NOT put Gabe down. Give him a chance!

My boy started having trouble at 7 months. Took him to the vet and he was on prevocox for a week, he was better and I thought all was well. Few months later he was limping, yelping again with his leg. I had xrays done, it was HD... I thought it was the end of the world! I was so upset 

The vet put him back on prevocox and joint supplement (Adroitin -M). A little over a month he was doing better and i decide to take him off the prevocox . 

I decided to try some other joint supplements to see if they would help more. VETRI-CMO has worked the best for him. he is also on Nupro joint supplement. No more crying, yelping. I think he doing really good. He is 2 years old now. I dont know whats gonna happen later in his life put I glad I have him now and he is doing well.



It soulds like your on the right track. Reading all your can and trying supplement. You need to look up " juvenile Hip Dysplasia" here is one link

ACVS - Hip Dysplasia in Dogs


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## Evette

Hi Bronko 

No, Gabe is staying. I spoke to the vet just now and asked him if this is a case where Gabe should be put down and he said no. Even though the HD is bad its also not the worst. We are now putting him on Metacam and will see how that goes. I will just keep up his other supplements and take it from there. 

Good to know that your dog had a happy outcome, I feel more motivated now!


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## BowWowMeow

Again, scientific studies have proven that ZEEL is just as effective as NSAIDs without any risks. Sorry, but I worry about putting such a young pup on NSAIDs.


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## Evette

Hi Ruth,

I agree with you, I am only going to give Gabe the new medication until I can get my hands on the Zeel, this is only a one month maximam treatment. I have emailed countless online shops asking them if they could the Zeel to my country but no one has responded. I am very limited with what I have. If I don't get any Zeel sent this way then luckily I will be in New Zealand in April and I will stock up on Zeel there. Metacam is the only relief I can give him now. Good thing though Gabe has only been on NSAIDs for 1.5 months and will only need to be on it for one more month until I can get Zeel or Arnica. I had Gabes liver and kidneys tested the other day to make sure he was still ok and he was 100% healthy, so I am keeping eagle eye on that.

I will keep trying with the Zeel. Can you please let me know where you get it from so that I can contact the company? I googled a few websites and some in Australia, but no one has gotten back to me.

thank you,


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## Jax08

BowWowMeow said:


> Again, scientific studies have proven that ZEEL is just as effective as NSAIDs without any risks. Sorry, but I worry about putting such a young pup on NSAIDs.


Zeel or Traumeel?


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## NancyJ

Yes, my suggestion for the metacam as the best NSAID for the short term is because you CAN meter the dose down slowly, hopefully as the other things kick in an help.


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## Evette

that would be Zeel, I just read amazing reviews about this product and going to order it.


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## Evette

Sorry forgot to add the website for Zeel (this is just one of many) Homeopathy for Health


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## BowWowMeow

Zeel is for arthritis and Traumeel is for trauma. I keep Traumeel and Arnica in my house at all times!


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## Gwenhwyfair

Zeel has clinical evidence that it is almost as effective as carprofen....but not quite as effective. Definately worth trying as you DO avoid the side affects.

_"Our results indicated that the HCP Zeel® was beneficial in alleviating chronic orthopedic pain in dogs although it was not as effective as carprofen."_

Study Linked Here: Evaluating Complementary Therapies for Canine Osteoarthritis?Part II: A Homeopathic Combination Preparation (Zeel®)

To the OP you may also want to look at Duralactin it to has shown to be clinically effective anti inflammatory and provides pain relief. It interrupts the inflammation cycle at a different point of the process at a cellular level and as such may be more conducive to healing too. Link here with technical info. Duralactin® for Canines.

Also be careful with the vitamin C, some clinical indications that it may actually worsen osteoarthritis. Apparently some studies found that in humans vitamin C helped rheumatoid arthritis which is an auto-immune disease where as osteoarthritis as seen in HD is not. 

Info here: Vitamin C and Arthritis: Opposite Findings for Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Also please check around the health forum as there are some threads there with more information. I know you are remotely located and hope that you can obtain meds/supplements which are clinically proven to be helpful!

My dog was recently diagnosed with HD and it can be managed, I have learned.


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## NancyJ

Gwenhwyfair said:


> Also be careful with the vitamin C, some clinical indications that it may actually worsen osteoarthritis. Apparently some studies found that in humans vitamin C helped rheumatoid arthritis which is an auto-immune disease where as osteoarthritis as seen in HD is not.
> 
> Info here: Vitamin C and Arthritis: Opposite Findings for Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
> 
> Also please check around the health forum as there are some threads there with more information. I know you are remotely located and hope that you can obtain meds/supplements which are clinically proven to be helpful!
> 
> My dog was recently diagnosed with HD and it can be managed, I have learned.


The ortho vet we took Cyra to on her diagnosis was none to keen on vitamin C supplements...he said it led to too much bone remodeling. I have not read the article but thought he might be onto something.


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## Gwenhwyfair

Thanks for that info. I'm backing down Ilda's vit C dose.

I know we all want to help our dogs so much....but still have to be careful.

I'm sticking to supplements which have clinical studies to back them up.

Thank goodness there are a lot of things like Zeel, Duralactin, Dasuquin which are safe and effective!!





jocoyn said:


> The ortho vet we took Cyra to on her diagnosis was none to keen on vitamin C supplements...he said it led to too much bone remodeling. I have not read the article but thought he might be onto something.


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## Evette

Thank you for the Duralactin link. That Vitamin C research is very interesting! I might lower Gabe's Vit C in take then just to be sure. 

Gabe is now on Metacam (off the Carprieve now) until my Zeel package arrives from Australia and then see how I go from there. After 4 days of just laying down and yelping he ran for the first time today chasing the neighbours down up and down the fence. I felt so happy and relieved when I saw that. I saw an considerable change in his movements after starting the Fish oil tablets! Really happy with that.

Happy dog, happy owner!


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## BowWowMeow

I would recommend looking at studies that are done on dogs since their diseases processes are different and they synthesize C differently. 

Here's a good, comprehensive summary: Ester-C: Miracle Cure for Hip Dysplasia???


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## Gwenhwyfair

Thanks for the link.

The only thing I would caution against is calling anything a 'miracle cure'.

I've only run across one story of a dog where the boney structure of the hip normalized with supplementation. 

The best we can do is manage it to reduce the inflammation and concommitant arthritis, sans surgery.

Here's another article about Vitamin C (Ester-C), written by a vet which indicates positive results. I'm also going to put this information in my HD/Arthritis support thread in the health forum. (btw there's some discussion out there that HD may be induced by improper diets more so then genetic factors....)

http://www.arthrix.com/phil_brown.htm


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## BowWowMeow

I don't agree with the "Miracle Cure" wording either but my own experience has been that it's made a HUGE difference with Rafi and with several of my other dogs as well.


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## Evette

Gabe had an awful reaction to the Metacam! He couldn't get up anymore, wouldn't eat, wouldn't respond when I called him or sat right by his face and talked to him. There was no sign of any life in his eyes. I even gave him a smaller dose than what vet suggeted, gave him 0.7 ml instead of 1.5ml. I stopped the metacam immediately and he was back to normal the next day. I am giving him a break from the meds and then back on Carprieve on Monday. Not a good experience. I guess the meds works for different dogs and others it does not. Has anyone else had this kind of experience with these non steriod meds? I know all dogs are different but this incident really scared me!

I am massaging Gabe now and researched acupuncture points and started do practice that on Gabe myself (not with the needles, just by applying gentle pressure and using an acupuncture pen) i found a wonderful chart on Dog Acupressure (not Acupuncture) Resources - Lucky Dog Health


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## NancyJ

I am sorry on the metacam since it worked so well for me. I do think dogs reactions are different. All these NSAIDs are very similar with the main thing about Metacam being the ability to lower the dose so easily.


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## NancyJ

Gwenhwyfair said:


> Thanks for the link.
> 
> The only thing I would caution against is calling anything a 'miracle cure'.
> 
> I've only run across one story of a dog where the boney structure of the hip normalized with supplementation.
> 
> The best we can do is manage it to reduce the inflammation and concommitant arthritis, sans surgery.
> 
> Here's another article about Vitamin C (Ester-C), written by a vet which indicates positive results. I'm also going to put this information in my HD/Arthritis support thread in the health forum. (btw there's some discussion out there that HD may be induced by improper diets more so then genetic factors....)
> 
> Arthrix.com - Information


I definitely want to be open minded about vitamin C and dysplasia - but that article is on a product web page advertising k9 arthritis products...


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## Gwenhwyfair

I noticed that too. I give more weight to articles written by vets overall and this is written by a vet. Having said that....you just never know what someone's agenda may be.... 

I linked pro and con vit C articles in my HD arthritis support thread.





jocoyn said:


> I definitely want to be open minded about vitamin C and dysplasia - but that article is on a product web page advertising k9 arthritis products...


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## Gwenhwyfair

So sorry for your bad experience with metacam. I have Ilda on Meloxicam as needed for pain. She's done fine with it. 

I too have been working on the accupressure and massage!

I started a general support thread for HD/Arthritis and ortho issues. On my first post at the bottom you'll find a link to videos with demonstrations of massage and accupressure to specifically help dogs with H.D. You may find these visual guides helpful too. 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...ip-dysplasia-arthitis-ortho-support-info.html








Evette said:


> Gabe had an awful reaction to the Metacam! He couldn't get up anymore, wouldn't eat, wouldn't respond when I called him or sat right by his face and talked to him. There was no sign of any life in his eyes. I even gave him a smaller dose than what vet suggeted, gave him 0.7 ml instead of 1.5ml. I stopped the metacam immediately and he was back to normal the next day. I am giving him a break from the meds and then back on Carprieve on Monday. Not a good experience. I guess the meds works for different dogs and others it does not. Has anyone else had this kind of experience with these non steriod meds? I know all dogs are different but this incident really scared me!
> 
> I am massaging Gabe now and researched acupuncture points and started do practice that on Gabe myself (not with the needles, just by applying gentle pressure and using an acupuncture pen) i found a wonderful chart on Dog Acupressure (not Acupuncture) Resources - Lucky Dog Health


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## Dakotasmom23

Can you get Previcoxx? I had a rottweiler with severe hip dysplasia. We did the FHO srugery on one of his hips at 9 months old, I did acupuncture, we lived in Hawaii at the time, so I took him swimming every single day. Around age 7 the other hip started bothering him so we put him on Previcoxx. What a difference! I swear, that drug was a miracle for him. Can you take him swimming frequently? That will really help build up muscle in the legs without stressing the joints.


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## Evette

Hi, I thought that I would share an update on Gabe’s progress. Gabe is doing fantastic! He initiated a walk outside of the garden yesterday and he pulled me all the way, I just followed him until he turned around himself to go home. He went for a walk for the first time in 4 weeks. I was doing the happy dance all the way!

He does not yelp when he gets up anymore. The first sign was the Gabe starting catching flies in the air again, which to us means that he is starting to become the gold Gabe again.

I found a chinese acupuncture on the island and will take Gabe to him tomorrow. He didn’t speak very well English, so I don’t know if he got the bit that its for a dog :-D Regardless, I will stand at his office until he helps Gabe. 

Taking Gabe to the beach for the first time today.

Thank you for everyone’s advice, it really helped a lot!!


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## oldironguts

After reading some of these posts I feel lucky for my 4th Shepherd, Dieter. I lost 2 pretty boys Jagen and Pfeffer to bloat, two in a row at 6yrs each. Dieter has severe hip dysplasia since limping at 6 mo. X-rays showed both hips affected with the right leg completely out of socket. This is a very strong dog, he takes no meds (as he shows no pain symtoms, but is limited to walks in the woods. We take care to clear the yard of critters before he is let out, otherwise he's off like a rocket and comes back limping. The vet credits his muscle tone,and not being overweight even at 10.5 years old and 95 lbs, he is lean and musculer. I walk him daily rain or shine and theres no lethargy or limping. My luck with Shepherds has not been good and they were all top bred and expensive, so big money spent is no sureity of getting a healthy dog. I believe overall they have been overbred at thier (and our) expense....The Best To All Caring For The Best Dogs On Earth...That's Why They Can Be Some Of The Best..... WAR DOGS


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