Re: How's Boomer doing? GREAT!!

[Gina Heitz <brier@oregonsbest.com>]

At 08:10 PM 5/20/01 -0800, you
wrote:

Hi everyone,

I thought I would give you guys an update on Boomer and his progress after surgery. He's doing very well! Boom had the first of two TPO's (triple pelvic osteotomy) on Thursday the 17th and got to come home on Friday the 18th. I cried myself to sleep that night I was so worried for him, he's never been away from home overnight (I'm such a woosy)

Hi All,

I don't recall a post that came across that said that Boomer was not going to clear hips, so if one did and I am being brain dead I apologize...   Yes despite careful breeding with many dogs in Boomers pedigree with OFA excellent's and good ratings, Boomer was deemed dysplastic, and Deb chose to do a surgery to rebuild his hips called a TPO.  Boomer is mildly affected and was not in pain, there was no outward indication that his hips were not good, however this surgery will insure that his hips will continue to function at an even rate and not become unsalable.  There are pro's and cons to the surgery, some dogs do just great being medically managed while others later in life do not.  He may experience some arthritis as an older dog and some discomfort from the surgery but left untreated this might have happened sooner and be worse.  A TPO can only be done on a dog until about 14 mos of age so this was a decision Deb had to make post haste.  This surgery is done to avoid the unknown and is a very personal choice that each of us has to make for ourselves and our dogs with the guidance of the proper veterinarians.  In Deb and Boomers case they are fortunate to have a very qualified orthopedic surgeon who has the skill to do a TPO, the surgery it's self as Deb has described is quite invasive and is as well very expensive, about $2000.00 per hip.  The recovery and rehab is very labor intense and Boomer is very lucky to have Deb who understands through what she has gone through with her Sophie who is as well dysplastic and who was not screened early enough to have this particular surgery.  Sophie will at some point have to have a total hip replacement and knowing this Deb chose to be more aggressive with Boomer and his treatment. 

   Because Boomer was a candidate for showing and breeding Deb was following normal protocol by having his hips and elbows prelimed at about 12 mos of age.  It was the decision of three vets including Dr. Doug at Aloha that Boomer had shallow hips and he would not clear OFA, therefore removing him form being a prospective breeding prospect young and allowing Deb to make choices for his care for his future.  Now all that Boomer can'not do now, is show in conformation and make babies, he can go onto compete in obedience, tracking, even agility if Deb chooses to.  Receiving a diagnosis of HD is heart breaking however, it is not totally debilitating.  With the surgery, and proper diet, weight control and management Boomer is going to be just fine! 

This is something you all need to be aware of, hip and elbow dysplasia can happen to the best of us as well as other diseases.  Most of the inherited diseases are of a polygenic nature, poly meaning plural, meaning it takes many factors for these genes to line up and for the disease to be expressed, its luck of the draw, so to speak.  This does not mean that litter mates are surely affected, but as a breeder it is information that we must have and respect to proceed on with in an educated fashion.  While Boomer is not directly related to any of your dogs its's not to say that this could not happen to any one of us.  If any of you are concerned about your dogs and would like to screen them for dysplasia please contact me so that I can refer you to a proper vet, as noted before on this topic not all vets are good at technically positioning the dogs to get the best films for diagnostics.

Boomer,

We love you!!! 

Gina