Some not so Happy News from Team Andy...

[PrinceAndyFlores]

Andy was diagnosed today with Hip Dysplasia. We are meeting a surgeon in the morning to see if he is still a canidate for the TPO..? surgery. This is our first encounter with Hip Dysplasia and were wondering if anyone else has anyone dealing with this. Has anyone ever been through any of the surguries involved? Did there dog ever return to their normal selfs? Any opinions anyone has would be greatly appreciated, as I am sure you can imagine this is a very rough day for us. I am so sad for Andy. My poor little puppy. I just want him to be able to enjoy his life. Not have to be in pain. He is only 13 months old. He is still just a baby.....

[Emmie1020]

WHAT!!!!! Gosh, I am sooooo Sorry to Hear the Bad News....:(

[renegade]

I haven't had to deal with it personally, but Ren's sister had tpo on both her hips and is now competing in agility again...

[PrinceAndyFlores]

ell keep your fingers and paws crossed that Andy will be able to have a full recovery....
Here is what he looks like after his day at the vet today. Poor Baby...
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa301/OTFlores_2005/DSCF1647.jpg
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa301/OTFlores_2005/DSCF1649.jpg

[MickeyD'sMom]

Oh Tasha I am so very sorry to hear this. Lisa with Ida and Tonka (Lisa I a Vet Tech) went through this and Ida is back to jumping! She would be a great resource for you. Send her a PM and I know she will give you loads of information. Again, we are so very sorry for Prince Andy. Hang in there girlfriend!
Hugs!

[PrinceAndyFlores]

Does anyone know anything about Dr.Robert Rooks of the VCA All Care Animal Center in Fountain Valley, CA? That is the surgeon we are meeting with in the morning...

[tlhesq]

I'm so sorry. It just goes to show you that even if your dog is purebred, papered, or a mutt from the pound dysplasia can happen in nearly any dog. Because Andy is young, I would suspect he will tolerate the surgery well and will make a magnificient recovery. I wonder if surgery is even necessary. He could just have the beginning stages of dysplasia. It may just mean a strong diet, making sure to keep him at his ideal weight (even an extra couple of pounds can do havoc on a dog's hips/joints) and the right supplements (some people will say that glucosamine/chondroitin doesn't do anything for the joints but I figure it can't hurt).

VCA is a chain clinic and I suspect the surgeon is a roaming surgeon (meaning he isn't assigned to any one facility but makes periodic appointments at various clinics). I do not know him personally, but you should ask Lisa Heitmiller. She's works at Yorba Linda Animal Hospital (http://yorbaregionalvets.com/ - I've been to a lot of vet clinics with all of the rescue dogs and this is one of the most impressive one I've been to!!) and has likely either heard of him or worked with him. She would also be a good resource to talk to, candidly, about options.

Keep us posted. Many hugs and kisses to Andy.

[trtexas]

Tasha, Octavio and Andy,

Our thoughts and prayers are with Andy for a speedy recovery. You can call UC Davis in Davis, CA. They might be able to give you more information.


http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/vmth/services/services.html

[daftershock]

Tasha,,

My GSD that you saw in Vegas had a TPO... She was Bi lateral Dysplasia... Dr Rooke did her surgery. Call me he is AWESOME!!!!! http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r49/daftershock/PIC00072.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r49/daftershock/IMG_0691.jpg

[daftershock]

Dr Rooke owned All Care before it turned into VCA. Jill is his right hand girl. She is amazing. Bree has 6 plates and I think 22 screws. Bree has had a great performance career. REHAB is the key.

[Stanley]

Stanley has Hip Dysplasia and we are currently managing the discomfort with low impact exercise, lots of swimming, watching the scales, and frequent visits to an animal Chiropractor. I also give him a joint supplement called ArthriSoothe-Gold. Based on his current x-rays he seems to be doing OK and I have noticed he is not as grumpy since I started this routine.

An option I may consider in the near future is stem cell injections. Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy is cutting edge and has been getting a lot of attention, not to mention the procedure is not as intensive as rebuilding an entire joint.

Surgery is a last resort option for me. I feel we are years away and perhaps may never need the procedure. The decision will be made when all other options have been used with no benefits.

Take care and hope to see Andy jumping big in March.

[Karina Horowitz]

We have dealt with elbow dysplasia in our chocolate lab and our vet also recommended surgery. He was just 3 when we found it but had already developed lots of arthritis in that front leg. We ended up finding a great surgeon here in Phoenix, AZ that suggested some environmental and behavioral changes first, before going the surgical route. We have instituted those changes and he seems to be living pain free and happy again- able to do all the things he used to! So as of now, no surgery needed. Here is a list of some things we did:

1. Put him on a diet- our surgeon suggested that he stay UNDERweight so there was less pressure on the joint. We decreased his regular food but added green beans- he loves them and they have fiber to make him feel full.

2. More swimming and less hiking/running until we felt the pain was managed.

3. We use Rimadyl to control the arthritis pain which works wonder although we do have to get his blood checked periodically to check his liver.

No matter what, we understand how difficult it can be to learn something like this about part of your family and we just wanted you to know that we were thinking of you.

Feel Better Soon, Andy!
Karina, Taylor & Kody

[ssejrnv]

Tasha,
So sorry to hear about Andy. I hope all goes well with his surgery. My little JRT, emma, had to have FHO surgery when she was little but compete successfully in several different performance sports. We will be keeping Andy in our thoughts and prayers
JJ and crew

[PrinceAndyFlores]

Thank for the responses!
We are working real hard on fundraising.
We are trying to put together a HomeRun Derby... We just need to get some prizes donated...
We are also going to see if we can pull off scoring a Condors jersey signed. (The Condors are an ECHL hockey team here in Bakersfield) If we score that we will auction it off.
We are working on a BBQ and Scooter Rally as well.
The yard sale looks like it is going to be huge. People are donating things to us to sell, so keep your fingers and paws crossed. We will be moving the yard sale to different neighborhoods each weekend until all is sold.
We are working as hard as we can to raise this money.
We will also be meeting with another surgeon on Thursday morning in Irvine, CA on the recommendation of a friend of ours. This surgeon is suppose to rock. We will keep all updated on what we learn. We plan on which ever direction we go to have surgery in the next 2 weeks, preferably next week. So everyone keep us in your prayers. We are going to continue to push forward. Some how some way we will get this money.