Willow's hips- an update

[smallscreamy]

I just thought I would let you know where we are up to with Willow's dodgy hips!! As some of you know, we were concerned about Willow's hips from a fairly young age and she had a hip x ray done when she was spayed. The vet said her hips weren't great but they were not the worst he had ever seen.

Anyway, Willow's bunny hopping is a bit odd - she seems to favour her right leg as she bunny hops with her right leg forward of her left leg. Anyway, I have been noticing that she doesn't seem to put her right leg down quite as well as the left when she is running so she has been back to the vets and had her hips re x rayed now that she is 14 months old. The results were not that great. The vet says that her right hip is worse than her left. He also says that there is some scuffing on her right back leg nails suggesting that she isn't quite lifting her leg properly when running. There is also more muscle on the left side than the right suggesting she has been favouring her leg for a while. Again my vet has said that they are not the worst hips he has ever seen but they are definitely not the best either.

Willow went to see a specialist on Monday who confirmed that Willow does have hip dyspasia. On a good note, she is not going to need hip replacement surgery as they are hoping to manage it in other ways. The specialist says that Willow has muscle wastage in both hips and has stiffness and pain too. For the next 8 weeks, Willow is not allowed any off lead exercise and is to have three 10-15 minutes walks a day instead of an hour on the field and in the woods! She is also to start hydrotherapy twice a week to try to build up her hip muscles - the idea being that if we can build her muscles up enough, it will help to support her hips and she should hopefully go on to have a good life. Arthritus was also mentioned but I am guessing that this is for later life and not for now. We are going back to see the specialist again in December. For the moment, she will be staying on painkillers too.

[Caryll]

Wow, poor Willow. No off lead walks is gonna break her heart!

Still, if it's for the best....

[wildmoor]

poor willow

[Chrystie22]

Aww poor Willow, no proper run for 8 weeks is going to be hard work but as Caryll said it's for the best. Sending licks to Willow and big hugs to you Yvonne xx

[GSDOWNER]

Poor Willow

This thread could of been written by me !, when George was dianoised I was given the same advice as you have been given, and I followed the vets advice to a tee !!!!!!! however in Georges case I made his discomfort worse by wrapping him up in cotton wool

I felt sorry for George, being restricted to min walks, and like willow he was a young dog with endless amount of energy to burn off, so I went against the vets advice in the end and I let george do what he wanted to do, I let him run free of lead because he knew when he had done enough, he was a water dog and spent loads of time in lakes, pools, and he loved the sea,

Let your dog be a dog regardless of the handicap cos he will tell you when he has done too much, enjoy him I know how you are feeling atm and it may seem all the plans you wanted to do have now to be put on hold ...........I regret the time I wrapped george up because he missed out on so so much, however I am so glad I decided one day to let him run of lead and never looked back because even tho he had HD I managed it, to give George his life xxxxxxx Willows future with the right drug management can be and will be painfree xx

[hippychickuk]

awww poor willow

[super D]

Oh bless Willow xxx