Lilly "runt-runt"

Just when I thought this week would be a little less hectic - we get a bomb dropped on us - As most of you know our little Lilly had a hip issue almost two weeks ago - an issue I blammed my mom's dog Digger for up until yesterday !! Tuesday afternoon both the girls went to my regular vet to get there stitches out from being spayed....which they have healed amazingly from. Lilly's limp and leg issue has not gotten any better in my opinion and we revisited that issue with my vet on Tues. This time we spent a while on Lilly's leg - this limp and x-ray review was undiagnosable by my vet, but they assured me its much worse then just being jossled around by a larger dog, there is a def. problem, bigger then we think. No breaks, no tears, but her blood supply to that leg is not good and if we didn't get an MRI or see an orthopedic surgeon she could possibly loose her back hind leg. WELL of course that is all I heard the vet say - MY dog was loosing her leg. I freaked !!!! WTF !?!?!? Not on my watch will a 7month old pup go thru that...no way ! I cried the entire drive home - and once I got that out of my system I became SUPER PUG MOMMA - I reserached and called everyone and anyone....to this is the outcome:

Jeff and I got an appointment on Wed. morning with an orthopedic surgeon in Whitehall, PA - Dr. Carlos Hodges at Valley Referral Vet Hospital - I went into work at 5am on Wed. morning, stopped by my vet to pick up xrays and Lilly's file, was home by 9am to pack up the runt-runt and off to the specialist. We had some luck come up - no need for an MRI (nice...) BUT we have good and bad news....GOOD NEWS - is the Dr. knows exactly what the problem is, BAD NEWS is she will need to undergo surgery to have it corrected. At least we have a direction !! TG!

The situation is this: Lilly was born with a disease called Legg-Calve-Perthes it is a form of degeneration of the hip joint, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease occurs in small dogs and is due to damage of blood supply to the femoral head. This disease causes the femoral head to collapse and pain results, with limping, and loss of use to that leg. Usually onset by a trauma to the area, most owners think it is a result from an injury - but that is normally how it becomes detected.

Our only option is for her to have surgery on that leg. The surgery being performed is called FHO - Femoral Head Ostectomy - in this procedure, the damaged rough-edged head of the femur is removed. The remaining part of the femur forms a false joint with the muscles, ligaments and tendons in the area. Even though this false joint is not as good as a real joint, a significant reduction in pain is the usual outcome. While almost any size of dog can undergo this procedure, it is much more effective in smaller dogs. Obese animals and those with significant loss of muscle do not usually fare as well.
FHO is a fairly simple procedure, yet pets that have this surgery may return to almost normal function. The false joint that results is considerably smoother and allows for walking, running and playing. However, the new false joint is not a normal joint. It may exhibit decreased hip extension; the dog’s gait is different, but the joint is pain free.

We have HOPE and I have total confidence in Dr. Hodges, he was amazing and has performed this surgery hundreds of times. Recovery is long - 2 weeks of crated bed-rest and then 2-3months of light use to the leg - but she is looking at a full recovery to her leg and should be back to normal by June !! Surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday - March 24th - Keep your fingers crossed and Keep my Lilly in your prayers.