A Lola update!

[divegirl]

Alot of green one out there who won't have a clue waht I'm on about..... but for those who are interested.....lol Lola seem to have a problem with one of her front legs.... 1. Anconeal process is irregular with sclerotic edge � May develop into un-united anconeal process. 2. Medial ulna articular surface are rounded, saucer shaped subchondral defect in medial aspect of right humeral condyle. Possibly a kissing lesion secondary to coronoid disease or OCD. 3. Joint incongruity. 4. Distal ulnas have retained cartilaginous core. Could be short ulna syndrome. That's for the educated among you....lol [lankeela...any opinions?] She is still a lively, beautiful Great Dane and this may mean that she will need an operation in about a years time...... :o[ In the mean time she is rested as much as possible....anyone ever tried to keep a 17 week old GD pup still? She is on Metacam daily and will finish a course of Cartrophen next week. We love her to pieces...and here's why....

[IMG]http://i13.tinypic.com/4y68t1h.jpg[/IMG]

She's my beautiful girl.... Lisa and Lola xxx

[divegirl]

Sorry about the spelling.....lol

[leelapops]

divegirl she is beautiful. Calm?! Pah-no chance!

What you've said in terms of her physical problems doesn't mean much to me, but it doesn't sound good. As long as she is still bouncing, she'll be good. Fingers crossed, no wonder you adore her :)

[lankeela]

Sounds to me like good old 'growing pains'. At 17 weeks I would not be thinking about any sort of surgery -as there is such a lot of growing still to do. Most dogs grow at different rates, often up on the leg then the body catches up, and often go through stages of lameness - my friends Rottie was like this on and off until she reached about a year old. I'd say let her exercise gently as normal without any long walks, as she will need to build up her strength in all her limbs and forced rest will not allow her to stretch and build up the muscles and ligaments which will put a strain on the limbs anyway.

Plenty of calcium supplements and good meat in her diet together with a basic good quality puppy food.

Personally I'd call it 'knobbly knees syndrome' and I'd not expect anything less from such a gangly youth!

Enjoy her and stop worrying and financing your vet's next BMW.

[garner]

Oh lisa she is lovely I bet you love her so much,and thats the main thing love and tlc can do so much.best wishes .

[lankeela]

Bit of info here:

http://www.gsdhelpline.com/elbows.htm

but I still think she is too young for this to be diagnosed.

[kita1]

Agree with lankeela. I sometimes think that if you look hard enough with dogs you are bound to find something!

Also some vets seem to look VERY hard at certain breeds, GSD's and Great Dane's are typical. Some vets seem to diagnose HD in every GSD pup that walks through their door!

If you are really concerned I would get in touch with a responsible breeder of Great Dane's (maybe one involved in breed rescue) and have a chat with them, many of them probably know more about it than most vets!

Enjoy your pup!

[jules77]

Dont want to alarm you, but I would certainly stop the Metacam and try something else if you feel she needs it.

[divegirl]

Hi, she is a babe isn't she!!!!

Thanks for the link lankeela....she has had x-rays and been seen by a Osteo Specialist, but that article has some interesting info [knew I could count on you.....everything I find blinds me with science!!!!!]. I have seen for myself the thickening on the joint[s]....but you are right ....no surgery for a long while.

Jules...could I ask what makes you say that about the Metacam? I am aware that it can reduce liver and kidney function and am looking at introducing a supplement [Nzyme I think] to counteract any harmful effects that the metacam may present.

Thanks to you all for your input.

Lisa and Lola xxx

[jules77]

have heard a lot of dogs having bad reactions to NSAID drugs, Metacam being one of them. Internal bleeding etc. My vet even told me himself he doesnt prescribe it for very long. I would stick to herbal medicines, especially with a dog so young

[Metz]

I know a breeder ,will ask her for you :o)

[jules77]

I know over a dozen breeders personally, and we had a conversation about Metacam around 18 months ago, we all knew people who had used it and all the dogs had reacted badly. I wont go into too much detail, I would just urge you to stop using it.

[divegirl]

You say you don't want to go into much detail and that ALL of the dogs treated with Metacam have reacted badly, that doesn't really help me much. Lola has been on this drug for about a month now, did all of the dogs affected show a reaction straight away or after a time of moderate use? What happened to the dogs? Symptoms!? Prognosis!?

TIA

Lisa x

[jules77]

Ok, you did ask - two friends dogs were found dead on the kitchen floor bleeding from every orifis (is that how you spell it!) - post mortem showed it to be reaction to metacam. - symptoms -
Decrease or increase in appetite
Vomiting
Change in bowel movements (such as diarrhea or black, tarry, or bloody stools)
Change in behavior (such as decreased or increased activity level, seizure, aggression, or lack of coordination)
Yellowing of gums, skin, or whites of the eyes (jaundice)
Change in drinking habits (frequency or amount consumed)
Change in urination habits (frequency, color, or smell)
Change in skin (redness, scabs, or scratching)
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to this medication can include facial swelling, hives and rash

http://www.persiancats.org/medicalalerts/
http://frankendog.wordpress.com/tag/uncategori zed/
http://www.rottweiler.net/forums/vets-corner/4 0110-metacam-side-effects.html
http://spadafori.typepad.com/woof/2005/04/rima dyl_deramax_1.html
http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=2033 7
this quotes the drug Rimadyl, a similar medication to Metacam
http://hometown.aol.com/sn1154/RIM2.html/

[divegirl]

Thank you for that Jules....now, at least I know what to look for if anything goes wrong..... :o[

Lisa xxx

[divegirl]

Mind you.....I would have to say that aside from your 'personal experience', the links you provide are somewhat inconclusive and mainly aimed at cats!

Lisa x

[jules77]

one is at cats. Its obviously completely up to you, I am only pointing out the side effects - if Mr.X up the road told you his dog had died with internal bleeding after using Metacam, would you not stop using it and advise others? There are lots of other medication you can use, and personally if I knew of only one person who had a bad experience I would not use it. (which was the case when the vet recommended using stronghold) I would be concerned about using Metacam or any other drug on a young dog anyway and the possible damage to its liver and would prefer to use a natural alternative. Apart from friends and word of mouth experiences, my mother in laws dog had to be put to sleep which is something I forgot to mention before, as it was some years ago, due to severe liver damage from Metacam, and she wasnt particularly old either.

[lankeela]

Most vets would only prescribe Metacam for a short period anyway, and it is recommended to reduce the dose as soon as practical. It does have its uses in severe cases, but I would try to find an alternative if more medication is needed.