I brought Rogan on the 14th July 2007, he was just 8 weeks old and i had fallen in love with him immediatly, he was a great puppy, loved his toys, food and walks. It all went wrong at about 4 months old, i noticed my baby had bald patches. After numerous visits and tests at the vets i was told that Rogan had demodex mange, he was prescibed advocate drops which after 2 months of using they were not working. The only other option was Aludex baths which is quite a toxic shampoo, hence why he had to go to the vets every week to be bathed in it. Rogan had a bath every week for 8 weeks, thankfully after the 8 weeks he had a skin biopsy which showed the mange had gone!! (what a relief!!) During the 8 weeks rogans elbow came up in a big lump and he started to limp, back to the vets!! My vet Anna drained the elbow as it was full of fluid, this fluid was sent away to be tested, the tests came back clear thank godness! That obviously didnt explain the limp though so Anna said she wanted to xray the elbow. Yet again i had to leave my boy at the vets on his own. When i returned to pick him up i was given the devasting news that he had elbow dysplasia, my poor boy at only 9months old had already been through so much. We were referred to a specialist.
The day we went to Davies vets i was so nervous but also hopeful that they could put him right, we met the vet David, he checked Rogan over thouroughly and asked me heaps if questions. He then asked us to go outside so he could watch Rogan walking outside. I really wasnt prepared for what he told me next. Rogan also had bad hips, he was limping on both but the right side was worst. Davis wanted to keep Rogan in for more xrays so once again i had to leave him in a strange place.
I anxiously waited at home for the phone call which i recieved at about 1pm, David said Rogan had come through the sedation ok but he had ben fitting so i couldnt pick him up until 3pm. I felt sick knowing he was in a strange place and was having fits. Anyway after a long 2 hour wait i was back at the specialists, David called me into his office and he had the xrays to show me. It just got worse, Rogan also had severe biolateral hip dysplasia, meaning both hips where very bad! It took along time to sink in, David went over the options, one being a complete hip replacment although there was a risk of infection here because of all the skin problems he has suffered. The other was just to monitor him, give him pain relief and restricted exercise. We left the vets with David requesting we return in 6 weeks to re assess Rogan.
I cried the whole way home!
We spent the next 6 weeks restricting his exercise, watching his weight and dosing him up on pain relief and glucosamine. A long 6 weeks past and we returned to the specialists, once again Rogan was examined and David watched him walking around, it was clear to us both that there was no improvment. Rogan still had a bad limp on his front right leg and also both hind legs, we discussd the options, to me a total hip replacment posed to much risk of infection to Rogan as he had suffered many skin infections. We decided it was worth trying to make his elbow more comfortable by doing keyhole surgery to remove any loose pieces of bone. A week later rogan was in the vets for the day for his surgery, another worrying day for me ahead!!
The day we went to Davies vets i was so nervous but also hopeful that they could put him right, we met the vet David, he checked Rogan over thouroughly and asked me heaps if questions. He then asked us to go outside so he could watch Rogan walking outside. I really wasnt prepared for what he told me next. Rogan also had bad hips, he was limping on both but the right side was worst. Davis wanted to keep Rogan in for more xrays so once again i had to leave him in a strange place.
I anxiously waited at home for the phone call which i recieved at about 1pm, David said Rogan had come through the sedation ok but he had ben fitting so i couldnt pick him up until 3pm. I felt sick knowing he was in a strange place and was having fits. Anyway after a long 2 hour wait i was back at the specialists, David called me into his office and he had the xrays to show me. It just got worse, Rogan also had severe biolateral hip dysplasia, meaning both hips where very bad! It took along time to sink in, David went over the options, one being a complete hip replacment although there was a risk of infection here because of all the skin problems he has suffered. The other was just to monitor him, give him pain relief and restricted exercise. We left the vets with David requesting we return in 6 weeks to re assess Rogan.
I cried the whole way home!
We spent the next 6 weeks restricting his exercise, watching his weight and dosing him up on pain relief and glucosamine. A long 6 weeks past and we returned to the specialists, once again Rogan was examined and David watched him walking around, it was clear to us both that there was no improvment. Rogan still had a bad limp on his front right leg and also both hind legs, we discussd the options, to me a total hip replacment posed to much risk of infection to Rogan as he had suffered many skin infections. We decided it was worth trying to make his elbow more comfortable by doing keyhole surgery to remove any loose pieces of bone. A week later rogan was in the vets for the day for his surgery, another worrying day for me ahead!!
It got to 2pm and i hadnt heard anything so like a worried mummy i phoned to see what was going on, they had several emergencies in and he hadnt been down yet, i was told to call back at 5pm! 5pm came and i was straight on the phone only to be told he had only just gone down and wouldnt be home today, he would have to stay in over night. At about half 7 that night David phoned me to say they had completed Rogans Op unfortunatly it was OCD the less common form of dysplasia and the form that is least likely to be put right. I was told to pick Rogan up in the morning and to keep him quiet for 3 weeks, then we could gradually start exercise again. He said we should see an improvment with the 6 weks if it had been a sucess. That was 8 weeks ago now and my prescious baby is still limping. All we can do now is keep him pain free and happy, the day he is any pain or not the happy boy i know then i may have to make that awful desiscion to call it a day.
I would just say to anyone who decides to buyt a DDB or a similar breed please please make sure you only but from a reputable breeder and one that hip and elbow scores their dogs. I have had no support from Rogans so called breeders and i know they have since gone on and had another litter from Rogans parents even though Displasia is generally hereditery.
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