Dr Gildy,

Yes, I agree that dogs are very tough and will often hunt through pain. Fortunately, I have never had to go through what you describe. However, all I was saying is that jumping ahead of the gun -- putting a dog down that is showing no discomfort, " may" be a mistake. While a dog with minor HD may yelp from daylight to dark -- and probably should be " put-down" , one with severe HD may show no discomfert at all and live a quality life. Each particular dog is different and putting the latter down -- IMHO, would be a waste.