May 03, 2011
I have to put my 6-month old dog asleep today because of bad hips. How can I avoid this again?
Full Question:
Tonight I will drive to the vet to put my 6 month old Akita pup to sleep. She started to limp, and this past weekend she was in so much pain she would not get up. The veterinarian said that in both legs Summer has severe hip dysplasia and as a result, the knees are now severely damaged. We have contacted the breeder, who stated that all of their dogs have been x-rayed except Summer's mother. All their dogs came from a champion breeder down in Tennessee. They feel awful, but are willing to give us another puppy (from one of their other dogs), or refund our money. Problem is that their dogs have such GREAT temperament.I'm not sure I would trust going to another breeder, because of the temperament issue. I have 2 kids at home (2 & 5) and have had a Doberman we owned attack my 2 year old. Summer, even in all of her pain, never snapped at my children. What should we do? How can we avoid this type of tragedy again?
Respectfully,
Carol
Ed's Answer:
The only way to avoid this again is to buy an adult dog that has already been x-rayed. You have a good breeder - stick with them I assume that your vet made these calls after looking at a hip x-ray. No one (not me or any vet) can make a call like this without an x-ray. This is also the age a dog will get Pano - (read the article on my web site).
100% (2 out of 2)
respondents found this answer helpful
Can't find what you're looking for?
100% (2 out of 2)
respondents found this answer helpful
