2 posts tagged “hip dysplasia”
So this weekend was a pretty eventful one in the life of Hattie. That would be moi. Matt and Jenn decided that Annabelle and I were going to drive out to the lake with them and go for a swim. I had no idea what they were talking about. I've never seen one of these lake things before and I've never heard the word swim. Annabelle, on the other hand, was beside herself in excitement, so I went along. I put my faith in my sister-mama that this must be something good.
This is what she looked like all the way there. If only the picture could show her tail wagging (right in my face) at a thousand miles an hour!
So, we get to the lake and I'll have to say it was pretty neat. I've never seen so much water in my life. Next thing I know, Matt and Jenn put these really cool jacket things on Annie and me. I was so happy that mine was orange. It's my favorite color. Still, I didn't get it. What were these things?
Well, this is where I ended up next. Jenn picked me up and started walking with me towards the huge mass of water. Then, before I knew it, we were in the water. She kept walking out further and further. Where in the world were we going? I was so confused. As the water got deeper, my legs started doing something weird. It was like I was digging a hole in the air. It looked really silly, and everyone was laughing at me, but I couldn't stop doing it!
Just when I thought it couldn't get anymore exciting, Jenn let go of me! Then my legs started doing that digging thing again. This time it was under the water and it made much more sense. My legs were helping me move...and I was moving as fast as I could right back to dry land! Annie was very proud of me. I think I blushed a little.
Until then, stay dry.
Bark, Bark.
Happy Hump Day, everyone. Or should I say "hip" day, because that's what I want to tell you about today. Yep, my hips. You may recall from earlier, that I took a road trip with my person, Matt, down to College Station. We drove down to the A&M Vet clinic so that they could have a look at me, and figure out what to do about my severe hip dysplasia. You see, my mom, Sadie, had this disease and it is hereditary. It's really important that if you know your dog has HD, not to breed them. Sadie's people weren't very responsible people, so here I am today, having to deal with the consequences. Luckily, I have some really good people in my life and they are going to get me all straightened out!
So, it turns out that the best option for me is going to be a procedure called Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO). This means that the ball portion of my hip joint will be shaved off. OUCH!!! But, it will be worth it, because I won't have pain anymore from my bones rubbing together the wrong way. It's going to be a hard recovery though. I will have to be crated for at least two weeks and I'll have to do special exercises that will be painful. No fun! Full recovery can take up to a whole year. I'm going to have to work really hard to get back to normal so I can use my leg again. I think it's a good thing that I am so young. I'm sure older dogs like Bubba would have a much longer recovery time.
I'm going to have this done on June 25th which is about a month from now, so I am starting to get a little nervous. After my surgery, Annabelle, my sister-mama, has promised to keep up with my blog for me. She is going to report on my recovery and take lots of pictures. I think this will be good, because it will help other dogs out there with HD to know what to expect.
Bark Bark.