Wow I hope I can get that lucky!

Juliana: So sorry to hear about Cicero maybe having severe hd.
I know what your going through. I had my female OFA prelimed
yesterday she is 13 month old. My vet doesn't think she will
get a passing score but wouldn't rule out a fair grading. I am
just sick over this so I know where your comming from, my female
does not display any signs of lameness quite the contrary she is
an athletic high energy ball of fire!!! Anyway stay strong
and good luck.
Betty Reavis

Boy, I am really sorry to hear about your dog. Hopefully it is not what the Vet says it is. Get another option, when my 15 year old GSD could hardly walk anymore I took her to a vet down the street who try to give her some medication for her hips (no e-rays of anything.) I wouldn't to it and drove her to a vet friend of mine miles away. He told me that you never put a dog as old as her on that type of medication because it causes more problem in old dogs than the sore hips and would make what time she had left miserable. He told me the truth, she has lived way pass her time and her body was starting to shut down. He told me I would know when it was time. He told me the truth, which I knew but did not want to hear. This is what a good vet is, someone who does what is best for the dog, not his pocket book.

And by the way, If I pay for something, it is mine. If your vet won't release the x-rays to you directly, then I would ask him to return the money to you that you paid for them. Bad x-rays or not, you paid for them and they should be given to you directly if you ask for them. Unless your state has some law on the books stating other wise.

That was my thought about the x-rays. I was annoyed when the girl at the desk told me I couldn't have them. From what I've heard the girls at the desk are not real bright so I was thinking of circumventing the system by trying to get them from the 2nd vet after he gets them.

I am still trying to decide what I am going to do about the whole vet situation for the long term. The original vet that I was using I'm not too keen on him based on his promotion of Purina dog food. The 2 vets I am getting the x-rays from are a little farhter than I would like (1 hour away). I feel like If something goes wrong I want to be able to get to my vet relatively quick.

So if anyone has suggestions on a good vet in the Akron/Canton area I am open to suggestions!

And thanks for all your sympathy! He has an appt with the 2nd vet on April 4th

What state are you in? Maybe you should change your profile so it shows up under your name and let's people know where you are. It would be easier for others in your area to help you find a vet.....Best with your second appointment.

Thanks for ths suggestion didn't realize I missed that part. I'm in Ohio.

google holistic/natural vets in Ohio or any vet for that matter and see if there are any in your area. They usually have a web page for you to look at. You can call them and get a feel for them. If they are selling or promoting Purina, find another Vet. Some of their web pages will promote low use of vaccinines and raw food. You would probably be safe with them...you could also call and ask things like this and get a feel for them. Good Luck!

Well we went and had our second opinion yesterday. This vet confirmed what the last vet said severe hip dysplasia. I asked about the adequan shots but he said Cicero is beyond that at this point. He said he hasn't seen hips this bad on a dog this young in a long time. So basically it's a new hip (or 2) and probably sooner than later (he guessed within the year) but no way to tell for sure.

The only high point was that he said that Cicero was a very confident dog. That most dogs he sees at 10 months are more skittish and don't have the self confidence that he has. But that's about the only high point of our visit. Well and the fact that we may be able to get away with only doing 1 hip when the time comes.

Juliana, I'm sorry not to have seen this earlier in order to say what I am going to say next, and also sorry about the diagnosis.

OK: the x-rays. You have the right to access to the entire chart. The only thing that can be kept from you is something that would infringe on the privacy of someone else (not an issue here).

You paid for the x-rays. The vet will need and want to keep his/her own copy, but cannot deny you your copy.

I researched this a few years ago. I sincerely doubt that it has changed, but I hope that the medical professionals here will comment.




http://leerburg.com/hipart.htm

I don't mean to say that two vets were wrong, but I do mean to say that the diagnostic info is yours to ask anyone else you want to about.

 Quote: Asya Khesin

I am so sorry to hear Cicero might have HD. I had a very similar symptoms with my 10 month old Doberman. She started the lameness around her first heat cycle at 8.5 months. The first vet I went to did XRays and told me that she had terrible HD and would have to have both hips replaced by the time she is two. ... I had another local vet look at those xrays and he said they were terrible xrays and not diagnostic. He retook the xrays (also did knees, elbows, back and neck this time) and her hips looked ok, the left being a little worse than the right. I then sent the rads off to an orthopedist and a radiologist. Both told me her hips look good and she has no HD at all. ... I had an appointment today to see a specialist at the vet school but decided to hold off for now as it seems she healed completely on her own. She was getting adjusted by a chiropractor, getting laser acupuncture and taking fish oil and SynFlex. She is doing great and no longer has any symptoms from her injury/condition. .... Long story short, retake the xrays and get a second and even third opinion. Go to an orthopedic specialist if you can. Sometimes getting a correct diagnosis is the hardest part. If it is in fact HD, surgery may be an option at this age. It is called a TPO (triple pelvic osteotomy)and has a success rate of 90%. ... Hope this helps. Good luck!

Thanks Connie, I agree which is why I was determined to get them, luckily it was easy as the second vet just handed them to me. So I have them now but no way to post them for you guys to see as they are the actual x-ray's and not digital ones.

I did ask him if it was necessary to take another set of x-rays to confirm but he said no the ones taken by the other vet were good and very clear. He is the orthopedic vet at this clinic.

Is TPO the one where they saw off part of the joint and it like reforms its own joint sort of(sorry if I'm not describing it well). If that's the same one I asked this vet about it and he said it won't work for Cicero as he has already started to have changes and bone growth and what not in the joint already.