Our poor Molly.. i think i may faint

[TheLost]

My wife noticed Molly was limping on and off yesterday so she took her to the vet this morning.

I've got two texts on my phone.. i had to google the meaning of both..

"Medial Luxating Patella"
"Triple Pelvic Osteotomy"

My wife is still meeting with the Dr so i haven't got the full details. But im basically numb and in shock.

Molly is 7months old and hasn't shown any signs of either knee or Hip problems until yesterday. Every time she's been to the vet she has always had a clean bill of health (other then a small case of demodex).

Because there was no history of dysplasia in her family we don't have that covered on her insurance.

My wife was quoted a price of $4k for each hip? does that sound correct? The insurance should cover the knee (i think) but we are looking at a total of over $10k worth of surgery.

I am in total shock.


My poor molly

 

[izstigspunks]

Ouch! So sorry your Molly's going through this ... and you and your wife as well. It must be the season of hip dysplasia around here.

If you have any questions about it, one of our mods [MENTION=860]sheshistory[/MENTION] has been through hip and knee issues with her boys. She'll be more than happy to answer any of your questions. Her youngest, Truman, had to go through hip surgery when he was a very young pup. He's about 2 now, and as rambunctious as ever.

 

[Twice]

oh wow. I'm sorry that you have to go through this. Abby has luxating elbows but surgery isn't an option for her. We've decided to wait until she is (what they consider) fully grown then we are ordering leg braces for her for stability. She also has hip dysplasia and we're hoping chiropractic can help with that.

 

[NigelsMom]

prayers for Molly - I'm so sorry to hear this. Any way for a second opinion?

 

[Alice Kable]

I am so sorry to hear this. Out of 6 Bulldogs we have not had any hip problems (knock on wood) and lately I've been hearing of more Bulldogs with it. That is a major expence, not affordable to most families. I'd talk to the breeder about it.

 

[Carol Pelley Heath]

Hi
Sorry to hear about Molly. My daughter's Bully was diagonised with Hip dysplasia after I changed her food to a cheaper brand. My mistake. I did some research on hip dysplasia in Bullies and learned that bullies naturally have loose hips. I changed dog food back to food that has Glucosamine and Chondroitin and it solved the problem with her hips. Then she developed bladder stones and after surgery her vet put her on Science Diet C/D. After a few weeks, she was limping again and after visiting with the vet again, she is now on Cosequin DS. She is now not limping and feels good.

I would certainly get a second opinion and ask your vet about putting her on Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplement to see if it helps. It's sure cheaper than surgery. This has been our experience with hip problems in our bullies.

 

[Libra926]

Definitely talk to the breeder. I'm wondering if there is a contract covering this issue? I'm hoping you can get a second opinion before you make any decisions.

 

[LaurenA]

I'm so sorry you are going through this! I haven't had to deal with this (knocking on wood), but hope that maybe a second opinion will bring better news!

 

[gunnyboy]

Sorry to hear about Molly. I agree with @ Carol Pelly Heath, I would get a second opinion or two

 

[TheLost]

We are defiantly going to get a 2nd opinion... The vet didn't give my wife any other options other then the surgery. She runs and plays with our other dog fine (my wife said she's been running around the back yard chasing birds since she got home).

The price our vet quoted was over $10k for the hip surgery alone (~$4k for each side + anesthesia + recovery).. That seems very high from my quick glance on the web.

I'm over the shock and now just plain mad: 1) our vet gave her a thorough check when we first got her and gave her a clean bill of health. we even made sure he checked for any hip problems. 2) we picked our breeder carefully, but the vet said there must have been some history of it in the past.

We could really use some guidance here.. What questions should i ask the orthopedic specialist? What options are available other then the TSO's (Triple Pelvic Osteotomy)? Anybody know how to read an xray (my wife just sent me mollys)? Her knee is the only sign we've had of any issues (problem #2 Medial Luxating Patella).. Anybody know anything about that?

 

[Carol Pelley Heath]

My suggestion is to talk to your breeder and also do a search on the net. My experience with our bullies is that a lot of vets are not really familiar with the breed. I have visited extensively with our large animal vet about our bullies and he admits that he doesn't know to much about them and he suggested to me that I take the time and do some of my own research which I have have shared with him. We use another vet clinic for Spottie and Alpo and I have seen several vets in that clinic. After trial an error, I now use 3 vets in this large practice and they all work together with me and Spottie and Alpo. They also listen to my concerns and they also explain things to me and also explain the x-rays that we have had taken. Just remember, if your vet is explaining something to you, and you don't understand what they are telling you, is to just ask them explain it to you in english that you can understand and don't be afraid to ask questions.
Bullies are very expensive to own, so don't let our vet push you into surgeries or other things that might be able to wait and could be cleared up with just some simple change at home.

 

[Davidh]

So sorry to hear the bad news. We rescued a male bully Cash and he had Medial Luxating Patella. We had the surgery done about a year ago and he is doing fine now.

 

[Twice]

We could really use some guidance here.. What questions should i ask the orthopedic specialist? What options are available other then the TSO's (Triple Pelvic Osteotomy)?

This might be unethical on my part, but when I go see a specialist I act like I know absolutely nothing. I would say something like "we noticed him walking funny so we thought he should see an ortho" and leave it at that. I wouldn't mention any other previous diagnosis. Let him tell you what is wrong, that's what hes getting paid to do.

I just googled this triple pelvic osteotomy and it looks a whole lot like my spinal fusion. The pain from that was (and still sometimes is) outrageous! Abby can't have surgery for her hips but if she could, I don't know that I would. I'm reading that an alternative is a hip replacement or something called FHO. Supplements can also be useful in delaying arthritis. I am getting her braces for her elbows, they also make them for knees

nuVet swears that chiropractic can help her with both her elbows and her hips so we're givng that a shot.

 

[JeannieCO]

Oh I'm so sorry to hear this news. I know this has to be a very difficult time you all. I too would get a second opinion and I like the suggestion made by [MENTION=4225]Twice[/MENTION]. to you all.

 

[sheshistory]

Hold the phone here!

First, there should not be a charge for each side for the Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO). That is the first red flag. The surgery involves breaking and manipulating the pelvis, so one surgery would include both sides since the pelvis carries both of the hip sockets.

Second, that is obviously a MAJOR surgery. My bulldog Truman was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia at 10 weeks and had one hip out of socket completely but we did not have to go right to the TPO because that is the most invasive and complicated treatment for hip dyslasia available to bulldogs (they are NOT candidates for hip replacement) and often, depending on severity, other treatments are available and work well.

I am also surprised to hear this suggestion at 7 months of age since Molly is NOT done growing yet and bulldog hips often grown tighter with age!

I recommend reading this: THIS, which is an article I wrote on hip dysplasia in English Bulldogs. It includes x rays of Truman's hips and a photo of him in the comments showing what severe hip dysplasia looks like in bulldog.

Definitely get a second opinion! Was this a regular vet that you took your bully to or a specialist? At this point, don't even bother with another regular vet, get to an orthopedic surgeon - the only ones fully qualified to diagnose and perform any kind of hip surgery.

I would also contact the breeder. At the very least, they need to know they are breeding dogs with loose hips.

There are a lot of variables in this situation here but try not to panic and get Molly to an orthopedic specialist who knows EXACTLY what to look for and how to manipulate Molly's joints to get a good diagnosis. Also, it might seem ironic, but it is a good thing you are catching this now, before Molly's joints potentially become arthritic - and there is no reversing that.

I have been where you are and I have a lot of experience with bulldogs and orthopedic issues so please tag me if you have more questions!

xoxox to Molly!