drgildy

I truly feel sorry for you. You just get to know and love the dog and then this happens. The problem is that this not going to get better with time. so darn me for saying this but you should maybe consider saving a lot of heartache and have it put down. Get another from a kennel that will give a guarantee. Good luck with whatever you decide.

uplandchessies

I' m afraid I have to disagree with having the dog put down -- especially a " good" hunting dog. If the dog is showing no signs of discomfort now, who' s to say -- for sure, that the dog will show signs in the future? Each dog is different! It would be a shame to " lose" a dog that " might" go through it' s entire life with no ill-effects whatsoever.

drgildy

It is definitely your prerogative to disagree but you and I know that dogs are very tough animals. They are bred to hunt (in the case of sporting breeds) and will do so without complaint even when they are in pain. Having said that wait till the day comes when they are anxiously awaiting the time to go and you have to help them in the truck because they can' t jump in. Then you get to the slough and they can' t get into the boat so you lift them. Then you knock a bird down and they can' t jump in the water so they throw themselves in then bring the duck back and scream in agony when you have to help them over the gunnel. Then they sit and wait for the next duck. I went through this many years ago and believe me it is easier to cut your losses and take them to a vet and do what they decide. It is never easy to do the right thing and have them put down. This is my opinion. Labs and Chessies are probably the toughest dogs of the sporting breeds and don' t show pain easily. I had a lab bitch that tore an entire teat off going through a barb wire fence and never made a sound. I had another Lab which lost the pads off both front paws when she came in with a duck and froze the pads on the gunnel of the boat when she came in, No complaints from her either. Dogs will die doing what they are bred for regardless of the pain they are in. Sorry I' m so long winded.

uplandchessies

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.

CJW

I have to agree with uplandchessies. As illini said it all depends on the dog. Maybe the pup will show signs in 1 yr., 5 yr. or maybe never, who knows. So why do something that is completely unnecessary???

Yes, dogs might die regardless of the pain they are in doing what they love. Or they may tear off a teet or lose the pads on their feet(hey, that rhymes). But those are things that they can bounce back from, and are just things that happen in the field(i.e.WORK HAZARDS). They are also not things that a dog owner can see happening before hand, and not put a dog through because they know it is going to hurt the dog. Basically they are not at all related to " HD" .

So until the dog is too uncomfortable and you know that it is only right to put the dog down, save yourself what could be alot of unnecessary heartache. If the surgery can be done right and it could help, do it, just more power to ' ya.

I' d do it for my black lab!!!

CJW

drgildy

I know, I know I' m a heartless, old, sob but I have seen enough pain and sufferring so that is still my opinion. I would also neuter the dog as to prevent this defect from being passed on. Sorry if I offended you.

CJW

I never said you were a heartless old sob, but the point we are trying to make is why put the pup down not knowing if it is ever going to be affected by this unfortunate problem???

CJW

Illini

Actually, all of the aforementioned ideas have at one time or another gone through my head. Including the option of putting her down - so no one should feel ashamed or anything else for suggesting that as an option. I appreciate the kind words and thoughts.

We are going to get an opinion regarding treatment from a othopedic surgeon, get a real handle on options and costs and make a decision within the next week.

Frankly, this sucks. I wouldn' t wish this on anyone or their dog.

short-range

I have a Newfoundland, not exactly a hunting dog but she was really birdy when young and I thought about putting her to a little work. She developed severe dysplasia and any hunting has gone out the window. Even I could see her hip was messed up on the X-ray before the vet came into the room.

We waited until she was 24 months and had the worst hip replaced (THR). She now carries that leg underneath her almost like you would expect a 3 legged dog. She only uses the other leg for balance. She is a wonderful dog and will try to go all day if I was to ask it, but she would be so miserable that night and the next day. I would suggest you no longer have a field dog, but if waterfowl is your desire your dog would probably be just fine after the THR. Ours will swim very well now. She did not have the power and confidence to swim much before the surgery.

Check out the Vet schools and see what prices they have to offer. They are MUCH cheaper than private practice. We had ours done at the University of Missouri in Columbia. It was a hassle to drive there from Omaha, but it was worth it. I don' t remember what it cost us in 2001 (I think around $1600), but if we used the guarantee and returned the dog to the breader (after living with her for 1.5yrs) we might get the same problem again, or a psycho dog when this one was already so good.....

I don' t blame the breeder because we had dogs from her that were just fine. Our next Newfie will come from OFA stock and I will pay the extra price. When I get my hunting dog (not sure what yet), I also plan to pay more for the extra certifications in their history. It was hell to go through and I don' t plan to do it again if I can help it.

Sorry about the looong post.