Mossie

I have been very keenly following this thread (thank you to all the contributors) and decided to try the Orijen. Received my 7kg bag of the Orijen Adult from Pookinuk within 48hours of ordering . This is the very last kibble I will try for my Lucas before reverting to an all raw diet - have run out of options - presently Eagle Pack Duck/Oatmeal breakfast and raw dinner. Both my dogs eat everything, one without any issues (Mastiff) and the other with ongoing stool issues (Pharaoh) requiring I exercise extreme caution. Also noted the 'wind' issues others have experienced - with two 30kg dogs sleeping indoors I will have to prepare an evacuation plan just in case!

Thank you very much for all the advice. I did forget to mention that my girl has been receiving cartrophen injections monthly, daily glucosamine/chondroitin, fish oil and cartrin (concentrated liquid cartilage) - all introduced as soon as she was diagnosed. She is as lean as I can have her and I supplement her Royal Canin regularly with all the goodies people have been suggesting on these forums i.e. raw bones, yoghurt, grated apple, rolled oats soaked overnight, grated carrot and broccoli stems, etc. I have already left a message with her vet regarding the gold beads and Ester C - and there is a bottle of Metacam on standby as well. You have given me hope that perhaps - fingers and toes crossed - this is a temporary healing phase?!?!?!

I would love to hear from other members whose dog/s have undergone elbow arthroscopy. My beautiful girl was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia - fragmentation of the medial coronoid process (FCP) at approx 10mths old. She subsequently underwent a double elbow arthroscopy to remove the chips. She was doing great until now - nearly 6 months later - she is limping again I am so sad for her! Back to the vet we went only to be told that there is definitely pain in both elbows and pain killers/anti-inflammatories are the only option. Off to the surgeon we went as well only to be told that she would have this permanently. This was not supposed to happen - she is supposed to be pain free!!!! Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a SAFE medication I can give my lovely lady on a long-term basis to offer some relief? Metacam was what I used post-op but do not want to use this long-term.

I had the same suspicion of being overcharged by my local vet. If there are other vets in your area it may be worth you doing a ring-around and getting some prices. I had three dogs on Metacam for several months due to orthopaedic issues. When it came time to get my next 100ml bottle I called four vets in my area. I found that there was a $40 difference between the cheapest and most expensive quote for exactly the same product. Obviously I ordered it from the cheapest vet - and have now switched to that vet for all their medicinal needs!

Hi Willow It may need to be a case of trial and error - as what works for some will not work for others. I started my beautiful Raffy on Cartrophen when he was 12 years old due to the onset of arthritis. Sasha's blend, joint guard and all the prepared foods with joint support formulas, besides being very expensive, caused upset stomach and triggered irritable bowel. After seeing a natural therapies vet, I added human grade glucosamine/chondroitin, fish oil and cartrin (concentrated liquid cartilage). Raffy lived very comfortably and pain free to a mature 17+ years of age. I now have an 18 month old rescue who has undergone a double elbow arthroscopy, and after consultating with the natural therapies vet once again, is also doing very well on exactly the same therapy - cartrophen injections monthly, along with daily glucosamine/chondroitin, fish oil and cartrin. All the best to you both!

Hi Mel The vet referred Lucas to Chris Preston who works out of his Mt Waverly practice, here in Melbourne. Chris' business card says "Specialist Small Animal Surgeon". If there is anyone one else you can recommend I would be very happy to book a consultation with them for a second opinion. Many thanks

I had no idea what costs were involved until I actually met with the surgeon to discuss treatment options for both of my new fur babies. I hope you are sitting down! The double elbow arthroscopy to remove the chips lodged in each of Tasha's elbows cost $2500 - that was for the surgery alone - the initial consult/x-rays with the vet were extra, as was the first consultation with the surgeon and the Metacam (anti-inflammatory) following surgery. Lucas' total hip replacement, for one hip only, will cost approx. $5500 - that also is for the surgery alone and does not include the initial consult/x-rays, first consultation with surgeon nor any additional treatment required after the surgery to aid rehabilitation. In addition to this both Lucas and Tasha will require dietary supplements and most likely cartrophen for the remainder of their lives (Lucas being 2 years now and Tasha is 12 months). With regards to arthritis, there are many natural supplements available that are very effective in managing arthritis in both doggies and humans. I have found that there is some trial and error involved as what works for some does not work for all and occasionally some of the ingredients do not agree with some doggy tummies.

Hello Trisven13 I have been frantically reading posts on this forum for assistance and advice on how to best help Lucas and came across your post. Would you be able to provide me with a copy of the report from Lucas's x-rays from December 2006. Since adopting Lucas in mid-2007, I have visited the vet several times as Lucas seemed to have trouble rising after resting and walked differently to any of my previous fur babies. I am sad to advise that following x-rays in October 2007, Lucas has been found to have hip displasia - like his sibling - and our vet has described his hips as 'just awful' - possibly the worst she has seen in her career. The right ball is not in the socket at all and both hips have arthritis. She also believes that he will have had this condition from birth - otherwise his hips are even worse than originally diagnosed. I have entrusted his care to Chris Preston and have an appointment next week for Lucas' hip surgery. Chris will have to decide what surgery to perform on which hip first - this will be difficult as both are in a very poor state. Lucas is the most beautiful boy - I feel privileged to have him in my care - but am saddened that his previous x-rays were not brought to my attention as one of the surgery options in no longer available to him due to his age (nearly 2 years now). Tasha, the pup I adopted at the same time as Lucas, has also had her share of problems. This beautiful little girl underwent elbow arthroscopy to remove chips in both her elbows on 23rd November 2007 - Chris Preston also performed this surgery. Elbows have recovered well and we are now investigating the limp in the back right leg afer initial x-rays did not reveal any abnormality. She is just gorgeous and still gradually coming out of her shell. Not sure what she went through before she was rescued but it must have been horrible - she is most fearful of men and very cautious when meeting other dogs. I will try to attach some photos of my beautiful babies for you (fingers crossed - this is my first post ever so not sure if it will work).