Bug's Hip Dysplasia - Update #2: The Bugzercisor

D-day is scheduled!! I'm dog/condo sitting for a friend a week in July, so scheduled the surgery at the very beginning of that week. The details seem to be fitting together perfectly - the condo we're at has a same-level patio for dog potty trips (no stairs!) and little, polite dogs (no behemoths *cough* ROMAN*cough* to knock a sore Bug down).

I had planned on getting a referral when back in Cleveland for PT/rehab because, with an FHO, early and intense rehab is critical to a getting functional false joint. This is because scar tissue is forming the joint - if range of motion exercises aren't done during recovery, it will be limited. Doing a lot of reading on FHOs, the consensus seemed to be that "hydrotherapy treadmill" is what's usually done by veterinarians to rehab dogs (a treadmill filled with water to add resistance and encourage more range of motion), but swimming is almost ideal. So I did some researching and found that a pool deep enough for Bug to swim in was surprisingly cheap at walmart!

Bug's Hip Dysplasia - Update #1: X-rays

I took Bug to the vet today (after much confusion with the receptionist over FHO vs. OFA and ortho vs. repro specialties).** We had good x-rays done under sedation and compared it to ones from last July to see the progression. The BEST news is her right hip looks great still! Her left is showing some pretty serious arthritic changes, but she's a perfect candidate for a Femoral Head Osteotomy (FHO).

Go home, Bug, you're drunk! The sedatives
lasted a bit longer than it took to take x-rays ;)

An FHO is where they remove the top of the femur that's supposed to rotate within the pelvis, because none of it is shaped right and it's currently just grinding bone-on-bone (OUCH!). This creates a "false joint" of muscle after healing, removing the source of pain and inflammation from the dog. Some range of motion is lost, but no more pain! Some reasons she made a perfect candidate:

• she's a small or medium sized dog (less than 45 lbs)
• she's an active dog that stays leaner, unlikely to get overweight and overstress her "good" hip
• she doesn't need it done bilaterally - one hip is good as is, so only rehabbing one side is necessary

There's a few other surgeries that treat hip dysplasia, but Bug isn't really a good candidate for them - triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO) is done for puppies that have signs of hip dysplasia but do not yet have arthritic changes to the joint. This surgery re-orients the pelvis, so the angle of the hip socket is better. A total hip replacement (THR) is exactly what it sounds like - bionic puppy hip! However, it's extremely expensive. They recommend THR for larger dogs that would be too big/heavy for an FHO to be as successful.

Now for what you've been waiting for -- the x-rays!

This is from a year ago (Bug was almost 2). There are some arthritic changes and you
can see the left hip (right side of the image) doesn't sit in the socket entirely.

Image from today, two weeks shy of exactly one year later. Bug's right hip
(left on the image) looks good still, but there's a decent progression of arthritis in the
 left hip - the femoral head is no longer smooth and correctly shaped, but
bumpy and rough from grinding in the joint. 

Although it's sad to see how much the arthritis has progressed in a year, I'm glad to have one more expert agree that an FHO is a good plan for Bug. She's still a young dog so I can pretty easily make her life less painful. We've scheduled the "big day" for a month from now while Bug and I are in Columbus watching a friend's dogs. Follow along for pictures/video and updates of Bug's process and recovery!

There's exactly one day left for the Bug shirts fund raiser! https://www.bonfirefunds.com/see-bug-run We sold TWENTY SHIRTS!! A HUGE thank you to everyone for helping my little dog! The fund was successful, so start looking for yours to come in the mail mid-July (right when Bug is going in for surgery!)

**OFA is a registry for pure-bred dogs to prove a veterinarian has x-rayed and examined hips and elbows for genetic orthopaedic problems. I have no clue why they thought I'd want my spayed, mixed breed to get an OFA exam, but.... eh?

Bug also got to do some paddle boarding before the vet appointment today, so today wasn't all bad!

Photography of Adventure

I'd like to have a page dedicated to my photography (more so than just blog posts with nice pictures.) I'm going to tag all posts in this category "portfolio."

On the trail with Karin Coyne, Abigail Curtis and Caleb. Zaleski State Forest, Ohio. 

A winter sunset with Bug in Columbus, Ohio. 

Sulley, Gina, Caleb, and Bug await the start of an adventure. Zaleski Backpacking Trail,  Ohio. 

A cute pause in hiking with Abigail Curtis and Sulley, Bug photobombing. 

Henry McNabb and Bug share lunch on the trail. Chuck Keiper Trail, PA. 

Sulley hesitates to walk through an icy stream, Karin Coyne, Abigail Curtis and dogs Caleb, Gina and Bug look on. Shawnee State Forest, OH.

Abigail and her dog balance across a stream. Shawnee State Forest, OH. 

Sulley and Bug enjoying a gallop on an Ohio hiking trail. 

Bull moose resting in high grasses. Rocky Mountain National Park, CO.

Brad Duncan fishes for Rainbow Trout in a high mountain lake. Zirkel range, CO.

The site of a recent forest fire on a dreary, rainy day. Friendship Park near Douglas, WY.

Gina hunts for critters near Bur Oak Lake, OH.

A sunset in surprisingly beautiful Ohio. Bur Oak Lake.

Sunset over the mountains in the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps camp. Rocky Mountain National Park, CO.

A typical evening with the youth corps trail crew. Rocky Mountain National Park, CO. 

Corinne Abbiss carries in her SUP board off the Pacific in Busan, South Korea. 

Opportunity and Responsibility

I know, horrible form. Still a very awesome photo. 

I just got the job of my dreams -- I hope! Today I quit at Marzetti (my temp contactor job). I hated it - it was boring, it was tedious, and even when I did have work to do, it just seemed pointless. Dealing with the numbers, data and paperwork going along with designing new sauces, flavors, and whatever else, just didn't click for me. I was honest with my boss that I didn't enjoy the work of an administrative assistant, but I left today feeling awkward all around. How do you deal with a position that "everyone was nice," but you end up hating everything about it? The environment just isn't right for you? But anyway, the new job! I'll be working as a groom at a Ryan Wood's event barn that's wintering in Aiken, SC. I move right after Christmas. I accepted the job Monday and finally heard back confirming the offer and housing. I'll be feeding, mucking, grooming, exercising, all the things horse! The job has one caveat - the housing didn't allow pets. Could someone watch my dog?

Bug is good at "sad."  Bug is also good at mud.

Crushing as this was, I still accepted and plan to keep Bug at my parents' for the 3 month term of the winter grooming position (I'm hoping to continue work when everyone moves up to PA, but we'll see if everything goes well.) But why is it so aggravating to have job offers/housing situations that don't allow dogs? I've only had Bug a year, and she's "bad," why can't I just rehome her or leave her with a friend?

Responsibility.

Pet ownership isn't just for fun, for those days at the park throwing tennis balls and running in the grass. It's also walks at 2am because that's when there's no other dogs or people around because your dog gets scared; it's taking a smaller/more expensive/whatever apartment because no one trusts that your dog won't destroy anything...

I feel responsible for Bug, it's my job to ensure her safety and happiness -- I don't think she does well at my parents' because she doesn't like their dog. It's stressful for everyone and she spends all her time in a crate when she's not outdoors. I hate that, it doesn't seem fair to her. On top of her, I'll also have to leave my cats and the big "Cat," my horse, Hellcat. All just adding to the burden my parents are taking on so I can have this opportunity. I hope I can make the most of it.

This is the opportunity I've been waiting for and I'm banking on being able to fit Bug in very soon. She's a "bad" dog, it's not that I couldn't give her to someone if I thought she'd be better off, but I just can't find somewhere that she'll do well (or a person putting up with her) and not getting more stressed, reactive, and "bad." I also feel that it's my responsibility to deal with her bad habits, her food/vet bills, etc. I hate that my parents are taking on a responsibility - time, commitment, money (love, too!) that should be mine.

So after this Christmas, my mom and I will pack the Subie and leave Ohio, my boyfriend, and now my Bug as I go off on a new adventure, hopefully finding a way to bring the things I love with me soon.

Keep an eye on this blog, hopefully I'll find time to update everyone and maybe drag out the dSLR once in a while.