[biscuit]

I tend to be opposed to surgery, except in life or death matters. So I tend to agree with Dean on this.

Be mindful that dysplasia does not have to ruin a dog's life. Lady's dysplasia is fairly advanced. Thanks to Rimadyl, she's now a crazy lady (?) dog again and easily keeps up with Yogi who may be middle aged, but plays rough and crazy like a puppy.

Although I'm not sure of Lady's age (she was given to me a couple years ago by a former neighbor who was going to dump her), she is an older girl. The way things are going, I anticipate she will stay very active for a very long time.

The important things are to manage pain and keep the pup active, so they maintain good, strong muscles.

Definitely talk to a good surgeon. I'd also try to find a good shepherd or labrador forum, as those breeds seem much more prone to dysplasia and you'd probably find more people who have chosen surgery or not.

 

[biscuit]

No problems with the Rimadyl at all. In fact, I have yet to hear of anyone who has had problems with it and, from what I have read, most of the problems there were were in labradors, which suggests some kind of breed specific sensitivity.

The people I know using Rimadyl have had similar experiences to mine --- that is, it's been like a miracle drug. Lady plays like a puppy, running around like a maniac and doing this crazy throwing herself on the ground game she and Yogi have. She's so much happier, she smiles all the time and just LOOKS good.

It's also important to know the number of dogs who had problems was statistically very small --- very small. Aspirin, it seems, is a more dangerous drug.

I would also try the flaxseed oil, but only a good one. It really does seem to make a difference. I use it, too --- I have a messed up hip because I got hit by a car when I was a kid. I developed horrid bursitis in it a few years ago, but have had zero problems since I started taking flaxseed oil.

One of the most impt pieces of advice my vet gave me about dysplasia is you do NOT want them to go down --- because once they do, it's very gard for them to recuperate. So, whatever you can do now to keep your pup painfree and active as possible is going to benefit her in the long run. The muscles seem to make up where the bones fail, so the point is to build up that muscle and let it do its job.

 

[biscuit]

Here is some info on dysplasia and different treatments from VetInfo.

Hip Dysplasia

The info is a bit out of date, but seems to be meaty enough that itmight help you make a decision about this. VetInfo is pretty reliable, unlike a lot of the stuff on the internets.

He also has a section on surgical options for dysplasia which might be helpful for you.

If you're seriously considering it, though, I'd sure find some people who've gone that route and see what they have to say.