:ange: Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 I have a 9 month old Weimaraner who was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD) at around 4 months. I am looking for other people on this board who have had dogs that was diagnosed with this illness. My poor baby girl is going through her third flare up at the moment and I am feeling so frustrated and desperate for her. The vet had prescribed her Metacam for the last 2 episodes (one of which she was in hospital with for almost a week) but this time around it has done nothing for her. She cries when we touch her - we have had to pick her up for wees. She hasn't eaten anything for 2 days, and her temperature has been sitting around 40.1, with runny poos as well. We've now just started Previcox, which from what I understand is used primarily for dogs with osteoarthritis. I also have heard from another forum that dogs with HOD have a shortened lifespan to around 6years.. I'm hoping someone will have a pupple out there older than 6 that had HOD... Any responses welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rivergem Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 So sorry to hear that I can't imagine how awful that would be to experience... I don't know if you have come across this website but I am working my way through the articles and there is one for HOD. Hope it helps... I hope your girl is back to full health real soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 (edited) Is she on Anti-biotics? Sounds as though she should be seeing a Specialist. That's where we send our Meningitis/AIHA/IMHA cases for stabilisation...as Charles Kuntz would attest to! Mel. Edited October 8, 2008 by Staff'n'Toller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
:ange: Posted October 8, 2008 Author Share Posted October 8, 2008 Is she on Anti-biotics? Sounds as though she should be seeing a Specialist. That's where we send our Meningitis/AIHA/IMHA cases for stabilisation...as Charles Kuntz would attest to! Mel. NO she isn't on antibiotics this time around.. The fever is caused from the pain with the inflammatory response.. She was last time on a broad spectrum. We are hoping this is her last flare of the HOD being 9 months.. and the only thing you can really do for it, is to effectively manage the pain for her. We are just not managing it quite so well this time. Thanks for the link Lab.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Kuntz Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 I am not aware of HOD causing a shortened life-span. In my experience, it is self-limiting and spontaneously resolves completely in most cases, with no residual effects. Good luck. Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weibritty Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 hi ange165 I do know exactly what you are going through as i went through a similar episode with my now 5 and 1/2 year old longhair weimaraner. she came down with it the first time at 18 weeks and then a relapse at 11 months of age. Both times she was treated with Rimadyl and responded well to that particular medication. Take heart, Ruby will get through this, it is just quite distressing to see your puppy so helpless and the screams of their pain bring you to tears. I hope I never have to go through this again. My only concern is that Ruby still has a temperature and isn't eating. I would be going back to the vets again. Also make sure you keep her fluids up to her so she doesn't get dehydrated. I haven't heard or read anywhere (with the limited information there is about this disease) that they have a limited life span. I was told to expect my girl to have a typical Wei lifespan and currently she is a very fit, happy, healthy, normal Wei and she's gone on to get her show, tracking and ET titles and I'm now doing some agility training with her so I expect her to be around for a little while longer. If you have any other questions, just ask..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest june.andnovas Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 Poor pup! Doesn't sound nice at all Wishing you both all the best for a healthy recovery. Is this similar to arthritis? If anyone knows would MSM help this pup at all? I was reading in a new book (Grow Your Pup With Bones) last night about growing large/giant breeds slowly to stop any trouble with their bones. and keeping their calcuim and protein intake to a limit. Too much does damage! May I ask what you feed her now and when she was growing up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fit for a King Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 I had a boy go through this at 6 months - I changed from puppy to adult food to lower calcium etc...he couldn't tolerate NSAIDS (ie Metacam, Rimadyl etc) so my vet used a set of shots of Cartrophen (an anti-arthritis drug) - kept him quiet for a couple of weeks and hey presto - was back to his puppy best. He turns 6 in December - has had no further problems, no sign of arthritis or lameness of any kind and I sure as hell expect he will be around for another 6 - 8 years..... Have you sought a second opinion if you don't think your vet is getting it right? My boy's diagnosis was via x-ray...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Poor baby. I can't really add anything other then it's probably a good idea to go and get a big syringe, 60ml, and syringe into her water, electrolytes and even food. What have you been feeding her when she was eating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
:ange: Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 really happy to hear of others who have HOD puppys and are going strong now still past 6 years.. I wasn't sure exactly how the HOD would shorten lifespan.. We used to feed her Advance large breed puppy but we've switched to the adult all breed. She was diagnosed with X-ray as well. The Previcox worked really well last night, but by this morning she is back to crying again.. it's a daily dose so I've just given her second and hopefully it has the same response it did last night. It's a shit of a condition to watch them suffer like this.. it really is. Today is day 4 of our flare and I honestly hope that it doesn't last much longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weibritty Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Stay positive ange165, you are doing all the right things for Ruby. It's just going to take a little time for her to get through this and get better and hopefully she is over the worst of it. I'm sure she will be running around like most Wei puppies getting back into Wei mischief soon..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsterpup Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Hi ange165, Sorry to hear about your pup HOD seems to affect a lot of weims, especially in the US (probably partly a function of the large numbers of weims there). I don't have any experience personally, but on the board I've linked below there were a number of weim owners who coped with HOD - some extreme cases. Not sure whether they are still current members, but you might get some (at least emotional) support from others who've been through it with their weims, and the long term members will know a lot about HOD in weims. Good luck, and I hope your poor pup is feeling better soon. link to board: http://groups.msn.com/Weimaraners/1.msnw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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