Week 10 post op

Sula and Raven playing

 Week 10 and 8 for Raven.  The end seems so close, but it's still a month away.  Raven now has free roam of the bedroom at night, and most of the house is open to him off-leash.  The only reason the gates are still up is to keep Raven and Sula apart so that they don't play with each other without supervision...although they sometimes sneak by opening the gate..or crawling through the cat-door.

 Thankfully, Raven is eating more consistently, although we still feel like there's something wrong with his stomach.  He's not really gaining weight due to his lack of appetite, and his coat looks dingy since he's not eating his omega oils.  Today he trotted alongside me around 2 acres, twice.  We're trying to get him back into shape since his muscles are underdeveloped.

 Sula had a rough week. Her incision site developed big purple and red boils near her stitches, which swelled so big that they covered the incision and kept it wet.  We took her to the vet and he did a course of three laser treatments on the site, and prescribed antibiotics.  We also sprinkled the wound with ionic silver and talc powder to dry it out and prevent further infection.  Within a few days the problem cleared up.

Both Sula and Raven can't wait to finally play freely. 

Week 9 post op

Raven and Sula in the car coming home from the vet

 Sula has mild hip dysplasia.  Of course the x-rays looked pretty good in comparison to Raven's before his surgery, but the problem wasn't just in the x-rays:  The Ortolani test revealed that she has laxity in her hips as well.  So I decided to do the JPS surgery instead of "waiting to see how her hips turn out". With our luck, waiting would turn out to be a huge mistake, and I'd punch myself in the face if she ended up needing TPO surgery because we decided to "wait". 

Sula flaunting her new battle wound on her belly

 It is such a difference as far as the amount of stress and trauma involved with this procedure.  She will only need to be on a leash/controlled environment for 3-4 weeks, and then hopefully her hips will grow to a better conformation on their own.  She's almost completely normal, other than wanting to lick her stitches. 

Raven waiting for his much-deserved freedom.

Raven's hips look amazing on the x-rays due to the TPO surgery, even better than Sula's, but they are still popping (of course the vet could not replicate it.)  Right now he's very happy with his frequent walks and larger amount of freedom in the house.  While in Alabama, Raven got to stay with us overnight in a hotel, and he had a very good time walking through the parking lot medians and even got to go on a woodland trail off the side of a road.  He was quite pleased.  This poor dog has had a miserable beginning, and such little things make him so happy.  And he even had the chance to bark at strangers at night.  Let me just say that even with a dog like Raven (bad hips and silly haircut), I had no fear of walking in a strange place at night. Still, he will not be allowed to be off leash outside until after Sula's surgery.  Anyway, this is week 9 and 7 for his hips.  Almost there!

Week 8 post op

Week 8 for the left hip, week 6 for the right.  Raven is a bit sore lately due to his level of activity.  He sometimes tries to do acrobatics that he forgets he shouldn't do, which seems to make him sore.  I don't know if this is from the bones in his hip hurting, or the damaged ligaments. It's discouraging to say the least.  His hips are still popping.  I've been reading more about TPO, and apparently it only corrects the conformation...it doesn't fix the loose ligaments.  Really hoping that his ligaments heal and tighten...otherwise, what was the point of the surgery if he still will need total hip replacement in a few years?

We are taking Sula and Raven to the vet on Monday, for Raven's checkup, and Sula's first x-rays.  Since she's just over 5 months old, I want to suggest JPS surgery instead of TPO.  It is minimally invasive, and the puppy can resume normal activity in a couple weeks.  The only issue is the puppy must be very young since it involves cauterizing the growth plates in one part of the hip, so hoping we can do this if we need to and that we haven't waited too long.  Sula has no glaring signs of HD right now, but she lazy-sits and has had a few popping incidents, and Raven didn't start showing signs until he was this age as well.  Again, hoping more than anything right now that she has normal hips, and that if not, that JPS will improve the problem.

 Based on Raven's situation, I'd be very reluctant to do TPO again with a dog who has major laxity in the joint, simply because it's so horribly painful and stressful for everyone, especially with a high-energy dog with such a need for mental and physical stimulation, and incredibly frustrating that the hips are STILL popping.  The only issue with total hip replacement at such a young age is that the cement would probably wear out in a few years, and he'd need to go under the knife again. The money at this point isn't our biggest concern because we bought insurance on these puppies as soon as we brought them home (the best decision we made).   It's been a lifesaver (a nearly $8,000 lifesaver).  We;re hoping to get the x-rays from the parents of these dogs to compare their hips, and to give us an idea of what to expect with Sula.

Week 7 post op

Raven and Sula sharing a bone

 This marks week 7 for the left hip, week 5 for the right.  This week has been slightly less stressful, mostly due to the lack of "new" problems.  We still are dealing with Raven's energy excess, and trying to keep him calm yet happy.  His daily walks (several times a day now) really help.  He looks up at me every few seconds with happiness in his eyes on his walks. The popping is still happening, though, but he seems to not even care.  He's feeling so good that he doesn't even think twice before trying to jump onto a couch or lunge at fireflies (although we still have him on a leash, so thankfully we've prevented these things from happening).  He's being so good despite all the restrictions, especially considering his young age.

Sula and Raven in the kitchen as we cook

 We've given him more freedom in the house, but we are constantly hovering, keeping him close.  When we go into a room, we gate off the doorways so he's still confined, but we've been letting him off the leash (as long as he's calm), which he loves.

He is eating more, although not his kibble.  He seems to only like raw lamb meat or canned food and tripe...basically the best stuff. Not sure if this is due to his stomach issues or his fine dining preferences.  Next weekend is Sula's appointment with the surgeon for x-rays to make sure her hips are alright.  I am hoping she doesn't have hip dysplasia....I do NOT want to go through this ever again! And I do NOT want her to have to go through it either.  I'm hiring a trainer for her next week to help with extra obedience, just in case she needs surgery and we have to stop all our important training.  Praying that she doesn't soon get her own blog....