[Guest]

Hi everyone, I have 16 month old Basset named Beau, I adopted him just under one month ago. I had posted an entry regarding his heartworm.

I know need your advice/help again. I am upset with myself for not noticing this "condition" in him earlier, and even more upset that the several vets I took him did not notice either. His left front "elbow" seems to jetting out or turning farther than the other. When you look at him straight on when he is sittting it becomes very noticeable. My Aunt who has two bassets and three labs, she met him for the first time today and noticed it right off the bat. She suggested I go to an orthopedic specialist i know at Angel Memorial Hospital. He has a follow up appointment for his heartworm next week, and I will speak to vet about it then, and will most likely try to get an appointment with this specialist the following week. In the meantime, does anyone else out there have any advice, or been through this. I have started to a little research on the web, and find someting called "elbow dysplasia", which looks pretty serious. I forgot how to post his picture, but until i figure it out. There is a picture of him on my Heartworm post that shows it pretty well. Thanks again.

 

[Guest]

I should really proofread my posts first, terrible grammar and spelling!!
Not that it really matters but....

"I now need your advice..." not KNOW
and my Aunt knows this specialist not me.
and HE and HIS refers to my dog Beau.
Thanks again

 

[pinehawk]

as long as your dog is not in any pain save your money.these things happen some time even from the best breeders lines,just don't breed your dog and let it live a nice life with you.i just looked at the picture i would not even worry about it at all i have seen much worse on some dogs in the field trials and it doesn't stop them from running rabbits at all.

[ June 03, 2005, 05:02 PM: Message edited by: pinehawk ]

 

[biscuit]

Biscuit had the worst legs ever --- totally fiddle fronted, turned out, knuckled under, whatever.

Never caused him any problems.

I'm with Billy. Save your money for a bigger backyard.

 

[Soundtrack]

I agree, at least get more than one vet's opinion on this, I think many are surgery happy. If it is not bothering him, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the responses guys, I am so glad to have found this site, and hope to give back/contribute when I can. Owning, or being owned by my boy is the best thing that has ever happened to me. We live on a secluded beach and bay inlet, and we took out the kayak very early this morning, just us, he loved it.

 

[jacar2]

We adoped Samantha just recently. She was an abused stray. She has a severly deformed leg. Rescue came upon her a very long time ago when they found some pups under a bush. They tried to catch her but she was too fast for them (some were University of Washington athletes). A year later they were finally able to. This time she was pregnant with eleven pups. She gave birth one hour afterward. A deformed leg really doesn't seem to bother them. Don't rush to surgery. Samantha gets around pretty good. I'll probably start her on Glucosomine soon to hold off the onset of arthritis.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your advice jacar, how is Samantha doing now, better I hope.
We have an appointment with Dr. Trout at Angell Memorial in July just to take a look. Surgery is definitely something I do NOT want to go forward with. This vet is supposed to be tops in animal orthopedics, so I will keep my fingers crossed. I already feed him food with Glucosamine and Chondroitin, I kepp his weight down, and we have astarted a very good exercise program(he was an exercise restrcition because of Heartworm, just recently lifted and with a clean bill of health). We walk 45 mins in the morn and atleast 45 mins after work. We live on the beach and he goes into the salt water every chance he gets.
I am a little more concerned about the elbow lately because he has stumbled a couple times and did a face pant/slide on the ground, one time while he was walking down a rocky path to the beach, I felt horrible, he seemed a little stunned, but got right back up and continued.
He is only 16 months old, and I hope that this will not be a problem for him. He has had a pretty tough start in life so far, and I just want him to have a happy healthy long life.

 

[jacar2]

Samantha has put on weight now. She is up to what she should have been all along. She too stumbles on occasion. We'll soon start her on Glucosomine.

Our departed Scooter had severe arthritis. It finally took his life. For the last five years of his life our vet had him on 1200 mg of Glucosomine daily.

[ June 17, 2005, 01:01 AM: Message edited by: jacar2 ]

 

[pinehawk]

mine stumbles walking on flat ground and his front end is pretty damn good i think.a lot of Vets are real "operate happy",so be careful,some are not familiar with the breed and may act in hast.i let my Vet borrow a DVD that was put out on the Basset Hound Conformation by the Basset Hound Club of America.They both thanked me for letting them see it and said that they picked up a few things from it,that they were not aware of about the breed.