Yesterday I became engrossed (yet again) in reading and responding to posts on Dogster`s health forum. I love the mix of zany and knowledgeable that serves as advice on this forum. One person posts a problem or just vents about their dog’s condition. The subsequent ten or twenty posts are usually caring, compassionate versions of advice.
Although some very misleading information is often provided, I love this forum and support its approach entirely—it’s like having your friends over for coffee to talk about the dog. The culture at Dogster is educated and no one expects veterinary advice, just an understanding ear.
During my surf, I located a thread labeled, URGENT. In it, a dog lover agonized over a housemate’s dog. The lab mix (as I recall) had been hit by a car, suffering what she assumed to be a hip dislocation. Because the dog was still able to amble around on its own three legs, the housemate had refused to seek veterinary care for the dog.
These are the cases that haunt me—all the pets badly maimed and suffering in silence that I will never see because of human irresponsibility. I try not to think of it as evil. I have to assume these owners are just ignorant or truly destitute (in which case responsibility would dictate they at least take the dog to humane services).
There are three options for hip dislocation (coxofemoral hip luxation) in dogs that don’t involve a trip to humane services or euthanasia. I presented them in my Dogster reply as follows (expanded somewhat for this audience):
1-Do nothing: Your dog may walk and make it around the house OK, but he’ll never run and play without experiencing serious pain. Silence (lack of whining) is NOT evidence of a pain-free life. Eventually, a fibrous connection may form between the leg bone and the pelvis that will allow your dog to bear weight on the limb. This feels like arthritis-plus. It is indisputably painful—all the time.
2-Take him to a surgeon: You will likely pay $1500 to $2500 to have the hip properly repaired, if that’s possible at this point. Time is of the essence in hip dislocations as with most orthopedic injuries. Definitive repair, where the ball and socket joint are restored to their original condition, is usually possible within a few days. After that, the dog’s body will start to repair itself by attempting to form a false joint that will stabilize the area. This attempt at healing brings lots of fibrous tissue into the area, which makes proper reconstruction of the joint very difficult. A drastic salvage procedure, such as hip replacement, is often needed if enough time has elapsed. That’s $3500 to $5000—ouch!
3-Take him to a vet and have his leg amputated: Amputation is by far the best solution for an otherwise healthy dog whose owners have no funds for a veterinary surgeon. Three-legged dogs do very well and usually live long, pain-free lives. An amputation usually costs about $750 to $1000 but many hospitals can do a bare bones approach for less. Don’t expect a payment plan if you don’t have an established relationship with a veterinarian.
It sickens me to know this dog sustained a severe injury two weeks ago and has yet to receive any medical attention. In a perfect world, his owners would be tried for animal cruelty. In ours, dogs are property unless you actively hurt it in an unusually cruel way. Most people are still too ignorant to know that passive neglect of a hip dislocation is a horribly cruel sin of omission.
Dogster`s typically sympathetic crowd was of the same mind. Even those with empathy on overdrive were out for blood.
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It is sad that people ignore problems like the one described in this story. Whatever the reason, its not enough to leave a dog to wander around in pain as this one is. Hopefully, all will turn out for the best, although the best as of right now, if it is a hip dislocation, doesn't sound very good.
Have a good Labour Day weekend. Hopefully all the animals will be well taken care of this weekend.
Shannon
Shannon September 1st, 2006 04:58:00 PM
As we used to say when I was running the Pet Care Forum on AOL: "Get off the 'Net and see a vet!"
I get letters like these every day. What do they think I'm going to say? "I wave my magic wand in your direction and your pet is healed!" :::sigh::::
Gina September 1st, 2006 10:29:00 PM
You will find alot of that on Dogster, why people post in a forum about health care for thier dog or cat and do not take advise, without getting hateful is beyond me. Today I saw another post about greenies, the post made no sense to me, being that the dog had a cough, I'd seen you had posted very good information only to have it edited by a moderator. The OP had gotten nasty with another poster and after the poster was e-mailed by the OP (very hatefully I might add) the thread was threaten to be closed.
I tend to stay away from such posts, being some people on that site only want to listen to what they just want to hear. Bottom line is if your animal is sick or in pain, consult a vet. They don't go thru school for the amount of time that they do, just for the fun of it. If you cannot afford vet costs there are other outlets you can take, my vet will do payments. My daughter is RVT and with 4 dogs and 6 cats, her working at the clinic helps alot with the care and costs of procudures.
Peggy Sloan September 8th, 2006 05:37:00 PM
Maybe if vet care wasn't so damn expensive, animals wouldn't have to *suffer*. Even pet ins. is friggin expensive. If "responsible" owners are made up of people who can afford these services when trauma occurs, then pet-owning would be prohibitive for most of us. Don't want to see an animal suffer? Then don't charge $2,000 for surgery. Our last dog died of natural causes at the *beginning* of surgery and we still had to pay $1,000. The last vet we tried bragged b/c he had been in business for so long that his bldg was paid for and it was all profit for him. So screw you vets who charge so damn much while continuing on with your *holier than thou* crap.
Frog Pants August 1st, 2007 12:39:00 AM
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the mean (average) salary for a veterinarian is about $75,000.
The salary for a graduate is any where from 30,000-37,500. After years of work your salary will increase a great deal, any where from 65,000-128,000 a year.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_money_does_a_ve...
Frog Pants August 1st, 2007 01:22:00 AM
"Natural causes" and "surgery" don't quite go together, but I'll let that one slide...
As to how much we make, you're right. As to how much we make relative to our student loan debt and level of education...you're ignorant. The salary of a veterinarian is seriously tempered by the huge debt we must take on to stay in school for 8+ years. Even when debt isn't an issue, our salaries are way out of line with those of other professions with similar levels of education.
And if you can't afford the high cost of a pet, no one's forcing you to have one. It's not our job to subsidize your choices.
Finally, just because you had a bad experience with a vet, don't assume you can vent your stress on this site. We have a thoughtful, caring community here and I urge you to respect that.
Dr. Patty Khuly August 1st, 2007 11:15:00 AM
My dog was hit this morning and I immediately took her to the vet. Her right hip is dislocated. She is young and I want her to be able to use her the leg and run again without pain. The vet has said the only option is to cut the ball from her femur. I have read that closed reduction should be attempted first. She is a mid-sized pit bull mix (about 50lbs). Has anyone had this done to their dog and has it been successful?
Sad dog mom March 5th, 2009 12:48:04 PM
My mixed breed has the same problem (19.8kg). The closed reduction was failed and I have arranged an operation (removinbg the femoral head) for her two days later. Want to do it quick, otherwise all the fibrous tissue set in, maybe more difficult by then?!
Truffle March 6th, 2009 06:59:17 PM
Today, for no apparent reason, while returning from a nice peaceful slow walk in my suburban neighborhood, my dog, Figaro, stopped walking and started whining. I checked him over and saw his right rear leg was folded under his body. I immediately took him to the vet and they x rayed his leg and hip and showed me that his hip was dislocated. He is now in a hospital and will have surgery to correct this problem. So far, it looks like the total cost will be around $3,000. But to have Figaro back, playing and feeling good and pain free - priceless.
Violet April 16th, 2009 07:19:47 PM
So I want to be clear on this because I took in a Pitbull (50 lbs) that is estimated to be between 1-2 years of age. I know she has a dislocated hip, but because I found her on the streets we don't know how long her leg has been dislocated. She seems to be able to walk on it at times and doesn't cry about pain.
I want to make sure that amputation is the preferred way to go since I could barely afford the $600 bill that diagnosed her.
I have a hard time imagining that losing a leg is preferred over keeping her with the leg she has now. I didn't think she was in pain because she does not act like it. But again, she is a pit and the vet said that they are tough.
Opinions?
V April 17th, 2009 01:22:06 PM
I agree with Frog Pants. I have met my share of unscrupulous vets. To correct the hip dislocation takes a Vet no more than an hour. i think they can do with charging less and it would still be great compensation. How about charging a cool grand for 30 to 40 minutes of work. I wish someone paid me that. Even the most experienced corporate lawyers in NYC don't bill more than $700 an hour and those that do are incredible experienced partners, and those are very few. I think there is a middle ground. Vets need to be less greedy, provide good care (and not make up frivolous issues), and they will enjoy a better reputation and earn more as more people will be able to afford the care.
Andrew April 22nd, 2009 07:16:11 PM
Figaro had his surgery (femoral head ostectomy)and is recovering beautifully. Today, he started using his leg a little more and a full recovery is expected. Total cost for this was $3,500. Of course, I live in NY and everything is more expensive here. I want to respond to the person with the lame pitbull. My vet told me that I could avoid surgery and just leave Figaro lame, using 3 legs. However, he also told me that the femoral head was in his pelvis pressing on muscles and ligaments and that it is very painful for the dog. Figaro did not show any signs of pain, but I know from experience, that dogs are very stoic and hide pain very well. That is why I opted for the surgery. Whatever you decide, I wish you and your dog well.
Violet April 24th, 2009 01:04:39 PM
My 3 year old male Aussie was run over by a truck in our driveway on Monday. Took him to the vet. Dislocated hip. She did a closed reduction and the dog is currently in an ehmer sling and seems to be doing really well. What is the prognosis for this staying put? She said she got the hip back in place and it stayed right away. And that his hips are good and he is young and healthy and she feels that this should work without further surgery. Any opinions?
Lisa July 31st, 2009 08:11:44 AM
My 17 yr old beagle suffer hip dislocation last night. We took him immediately to the emergency vet. They suggested trying closed reduction - which we did. He comes home from the vet this afternoon in a sling. The vet said the odds are 50-50 that this will work. They said the sling for 2 weeks. Will longer in the sling increase the chances that the closed reduction will work? He is an elderly 'puppy' with other health issues. If the closed reduction is not successful, at 17 is the pain of the surgery fair to him? I'm so torn over what I want, what I can afford and what is right for him.
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Mr.cool October 11th, 2009 03:49:55 AM
Thanks for the information
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