visit MyDogManny.com for more information
Manny is a west highland white terrier (commonly known as a westie) and was born on August 1, 2006. Like most westies, Manny is highly energetic, athletic and intelligent.
For the first seven months of Manny’s life, everything appeared normal for a growing puppy. But suddenly Manny’s hind right leg started giving him trouble and he was quickly diagnosed with Legg-Perthes Disease and required significant surgery.
While the prognosis for Manny is very good – there was very little information available to us regarding Legg-Perthes disease, the surgery, and the recovery period. By chronicling Manny’s experiences (and ours) via this blog, I hope to help other dog owners in there battle with this spreading disease.
MyDogManny - Dealing with Legg-Perthes Disease 
218 comments
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May 7, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Elissa
Hi, sorry to have to leave a comment, I don’t see a e-mail address. I think my Jack Russell Terrier (Molly) might have this disease. I haven’t taken her to see the vet yet, but the symptoms are what she is experiencing. Do you mind if I ask how much the surgery cost? Thank you.
May 7, 2007 at 8:14 pm
silverspooner
I am glad to assist – I would definitely recommend taking Molly to the vet as they will need to take two sets of X-ray’s – two weeks apart – to tell if there is deterioration in the hip. And you’ll want to do that sooner than later so that – should surgery be necessary – you can do it sooner than later.
Insurance should be able to help cover it and the clinic / surgeon can give a detailed estimate. Depending on the clinic and severity – it could range between $1,500 – $5,000 (my estimates – definitely check with the clinic as they must give a detailed estimate before!).
August 28, 2007 at 8:12 pm
Kym Chatfield
My poor dog Scruffy, a full bred Yorkshire Terrier, has been diagnosed with this disease, bilaterally (both hips!). He is 8 months old and the problem appeared first in the right hip. He had the surgery on his right hip first 10 days ago. However he will not put the right leg down at all. He had really not used the right leg prior to surgery for about a month, unless he had to. In fact, when the little dude pees, he is literally up in a handstand. He will need to have the other hip operated on soon (vet says 1 month apart) but right now my concern is that this dog has no strength in the right leg AND the muscle is completely weak. I noticed you did therapy after the surgery. Is this common? Do you have any suggestions on how to get the right leg down so he will use it? It is so frustrating. His hind half of the body seems to be 1/2 the size of the front half and I am concerned this surgery is just too late due to so much muscle loss.
November 5, 2013 at 12:08 am
Marisa
Hello, Kym- thanks for this site- I am so happy to hear of Scruffy’s recovery! After a very recent diagnosis of LCP on my little Charlie, I am so happy to see these stories of quick recoveries and no further pain-nothing worse than seeing and hearing he’s in pain, and not able to do anything for him. My Chorkie (chihauha/ yorkie) started having leg pain at 5 months old. Vet did xrays and diagnosed a luxating patella and torn ACL. We did the surgery to repair this. Then, he just wasn’t healing properly, and I took him back, as now he was favouring the other leg. Another diagnosis of luxating patella and another surgery. This poor little guy, he’s 11 months old, and literally half of his life he has been in pain, and recovering from surgery. Well, after going in, again!, with complaints that he didn’t seem to be healing 3 weeks after surgery, and my ask to please look at his hips, (by now he is walking on his hands like your Scruffy and/or using 3 legs) the vet diagnosed severe arthritis and suggested we put Charlie down. Could not do it!! I asked for his records and xrays and went for a second opinion. Our new vet very quickly, after a personal exam, and reviewing file and xrays has diagnosed LCP. And now that I have heard of it and have looked it up, all signs have pointed to this all along! I am furious with my old vet, who I feel has caused poor Charlie to be in pain for months, and to allow this LCP to get worse because it wasn’t diagnosed, and has taken me for thousands of dollars, put me through alot of heartache. How could he have not known this! We have surgery scheduled for removal of the femur ball and I just know, after reading all these testimonials, that Charlie will be up and running again soon! Thanks for the encouragement! I love my little guy!
November 5, 2013 at 1:30 am
Marisa
OK, after reading further…. I realize that it is you, Ryan, who set this site up a few years ago. Well done!, and my apologies 🙂
February 22, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Sherry
A very welcome site! We are presently confirming a Legg Perthes diagnosis in our 10 month old Westie. How is Manny doing now? What was his activity level prior to surgery? Thank you.
April 11, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Chris
My 7 month old Jack Russell Terrier “Xena” just had the surgery. It cost $870. The Xrays before were about $270. We only needed one set since her hip was obviously deteriorated. She is 4 days post op and eating, drinking and walking very well on three legs. She uses her affected leg to balance at times. She is even somehow jumping up on the couch which I am trying to discourage. She has not had any problems with going outside to do her urinating or bowel movements. My vet thinks it was hip dysplasia but I think it may be Legg-Calvé-Perthes.
She was jumping and running and playing prior to taking her to the vet but I did notice she would lift her leg when running after the ball for 1 1/2-2 hours so I brought her in to find out what was happening. Initially the vet thought she may have sprained her knee and just gave her non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine. After 2 weeks I brought her back since she was still lifting her leg and now limping. She never wimpered at all even now after the surgery she is in good spirits.
Have you had any success with the breeder?
April 15, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Chris
Well my Vet has assured me Xena did not have Legg-Calvé-Perthes. The Vet said there was no necrosis. This is good news!
September 13, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Jane
Hi all,
My parnter in Turkey has been advised to have their dog who is 5months old put to sleep. The who has seen others the same said it is Legg-calve-perthes.
This dog looks deformed on all four legs, it is not just a rear leg problem. The dog can walk 3 metres and then has to stop. His legs have never looked right but as he is growing it has become a real problem. I think he may have something else possibly worse like R Athritus. Did anyone get a problem with four legs affected?
January 4, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Lindsay
hey everyone. My 1-year-old shih tzu, Jack, is in the process of being diagnosed with Legg Pertes Disease. He started crying the day after xmas, but only when his hind legs are extended. He only seems to have it in his right leg, luckily. However, he can walk and run fine, he only cries when its extended at all. Is that typical? Also, since its genetic has anyone tried to contact the breeder for medical reimbursement? I plan to do that and was wondering if anyone had any luck.
Thanks for your help and good luck w/ your dogs!
December 19, 2009 at 2:01 am
Kym Chatfield
If it is Legges Perthes disease and your dog is operated on by a reliable vet, the dog will be fine! Give him opportunities to run around and build the muscles back up over the hip area. My dog had both hips operated on and now 2 years later, he runs like a wild stallion in my 1/2 acre backyard.
June 22, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Maggie
Kym – God bless you. Thank you so much for posting on here. We just found out our 8-month old Westie has bilateral Legg-Perthes and are just heartbroken. We are going to take her to an orthopedic vet, but we weren’t sure how humane it would be to put her through two hip replacements and what kind of quality of life she would have afterward. Reading that your little doggie is running around, and enjoying life just made my day. I would love to talk to you about this further if you’d be willing. My e-mail address is maggiecottom@gmail.com. Thanks so much again for your comments!
August 1, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Anik
(I hope you understand my writting, I am French and have a bit of a hard time with English)
Hi,
My Westie, Nelly’ is curently at the Vet for 7 days for an operation on her right leg. She is 8 months old and we will have spent a total of 1400$ to try and make her better. I am worried because it has been 5 days and the vet told me today that she is still not using her leg. I am so worried, she is arorable and sutch a good dog… Can anyone help me by telling me if it is normal that after 5 days she is still not using her leg and also how did the operation work for your dogs.
Than you for your help,
Good luck with your loved furry ones!!!
December 19, 2009 at 1:58 am
Kym
It has been over 2 years since my dog was operated on and I am happy to report he has completely recovered. You would never know the little guy had a double hip surgery. SOMEtimes he seems “stiff” when it is cold or when he first gets up from a long sleep but other than that, he runs like a bullet.
July 19, 2010 at 1:59 am
Carole
It is day five after surgery for our dog Buster and he is not putting weight on his back leg yet. How long was it before your dog did start using his leg that had surgery?
Thanks,
Carole
July 19, 2010 at 3:09 am
Anik
(again sorry about my bad english) Hi, it has been over a year now and Nelly is perfectly fine… I took here a while to use her operated leg (I was worried because after 7 days at the vet she was not using it at all). It was a good 3-4 weeks before she started kinda walking normaly (not normally but she was using her paw). We did alots of forced walking (short leash and kinda making her walk on her paw) we also bought a dog life jacket and had her swim in pace everyday. It might seem like a stresfull long process right now but it will get better soon… And for us she got better really fast and today she runs like carzy!!!! Got luck to you =)
October 7, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Kym
I just noticed your post! Hopefully by now your dog is doing fine. It does take more than 7 days…. Let me know how Nelly is doing after the surgery!
June 22, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Ryan
Maggie – I started this site exactly for this reason: to show that dogs going through this can and will be very happy! In fact, we took Manny on a 1mile run this morning. He is happy and active as can be. The surgery and recovery are difficult – but things improve =)
June 22, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Maggie
Thank you so much Ryan for starting this site. I’m sorry for not saying that in my previous post. I’m so glad Manny is doing well! What has been frustrating for me in my research of this disease is that everyone’s dog just has it in one hip. When they have it in two you’re talking about a double hip replacement, and since we haven’t been to an orthopedic surgeon yet we’re so concerned about the amount of pain she’s in. She plays and doesn’t act like she’s suffering, but my mom is a nurse and said the x-ray looked like bone is rubbing on bone. Of course we are committed to her and can’t imagine life without her, but we weren’t sure of the success rate on a double hip replacement. Kym is a lifesaver for posting her success and I feel much better scheduling this surgery knowing that I’m doing it not only out of my emotional attachment to the dog. She is young, and can fully recover from this, and continue to be the happy, loving, mischievous little dog she is. Such an amazing thing to hear!
July 3, 2010 at 12:00 am
Krista
Hi, This has been really helpful, my 10 month old Australian Terrier was diagnosed with Leggs-Calves Perthes disease a couple of months ago on her right hip, it has been seven weeks since the surgery and while she does lift it more than normal she does walk on it and rest it on the ground quite often and it definitely has not slowed her down, last night I noticed her other leg was stiff and sore and dont know if maybe she just used it too much or she is now having the same thing in her other leg, it was better this morning but I am going to be keeping a close eye on her this week. I was upset at the thought of another surgery, the pain for her and the cost as well as with being diagnosed and the surgery itself I have already paid over $1000, but just knowing if we have to go through this again that she may be up and running again alright even after two hip surgerys has made me feel a little better. I’m just wondering if having problems with one hip can cause the other to have the same problems?
October 7, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Kym
I believe it is very common for the disease to be in both hind legs because it is a defect… That was my case (both hips) but it started on only one (read my post about Scruffy).
July 3, 2010 at 2:00 am
Anik
Hi,
I haven’t posted any comments in a while… It has been a year since Nelly’s oparation. She is doing great and runs around like crazy… Yes there are the occcasional linping around phases after a long day of running and playing around but it is all worth it!!! He leg muscule (sorry I am french and my spelling is bad in english) are pretty mutch back to normal. It is really amazing to see how this oparation saved our adorable Westi. I have taking pictures after the operation and while her physio. The look of the dog when ready to come home is pretty bad (I wish I could of been prepared). If anyone is going to get this operation fro their dog and wish to see the way they are stiched up after fell free to e-mail me. Once again they look bad but recover soooooo fast. Good luck to all.
April 9, 2012 at 11:33 pm
kathy kresge
My 7 year old pekingese has been diagnosed with legg parties disease in both hind legs. My vet is treating with Meds first for 1 week. We go back Thursday if no improvement we go forth with surgery. Im scared for him. Have been reading up on the disease but would like to see pix after surgery so that I kno wat to expect
June 27, 2018 at 6:29 pm
Tracy Daniel
Please send me the pictures of post op for your puppy. tid1955@yahoo.com
July 13, 2010 at 5:10 am
Carole
My 8 month old westie, Buster was diagnosed with Leggs-Calves Perthes on his left side. He goes in for the surgery tomorrow morning. I am so nervous! Thank you so much for having this blog. It really helped my husband and I to see how well your dog Manny is doing and at the same time helps prepare us for what is ahead. We have two westies and the older one Astro, who is 9 years old, has never had any problems.
Like your Manny, Buster is a very active dog and suddenly started limping. He didn’t let it slow him down but I took him in to the vet thinking maybe he had something stuck in his paw and was shocked when the doctor showed me his x-rays of his hip and told me Buster would need surgery. $1600 – $1700 estimate! There is no other choice for us though. I am glad to know they can do something for him and he can lead a fairly normal dog life. I do worry about how to keep him calm and occupied as he is recuperating.
Thanks again for your very informative blog!
June 28, 2018 at 2:44 am
Tracy Daniel
Please send me picturesC.C. has surgery July 2nd. Thanks so much!
July 15, 2010 at 8:13 am
Julie
Hi there, well done on putting in the time and effort to this website. It has been so beneficial for me. My 10 month old shih-tzu/yorkie cross – Chi Chi is now on Day 6 after the surgery. I brought her out to the garden this morning and the cheeky pup attempted to take off after a cat! She is in good form. Eating, pooing and peeing as normal from day one. I remove her lampshade collar (or bonnet as we call it!) when she is supervised and she knows not to go at her stitches. Her first x-ray was Wed 7th July and surgery was 9th July. Her stitches are due to come out in 4 days. However we haven’t been advised of any rehab or phsio or icing or anything like that from our vet. Just total confinement. I see from most of the comments here, you were all advised about a rehab period. All together it cost us €500. We live in Ireland. I have pics of every day so if anyone wants to see and prep themselves just email. Day one is by far the worst. Yet she still managed to wag her tail when we came to pick her up at the vet – not even 24 hours after surgery. Heartbreaking!
September 7, 2011 at 11:36 pm
Monica
Julie I would love to see your pictures. My little 3 pound yorkie/chihuahua was diagnosed today.I am not sure how long before her surgery. She limps some and is in no pain. I am very worried and scared.
Thank you so much, Monica
September 8, 2011 at 8:48 am
Julie
hi Monica, no problem. Email me to hydejulie@gmail.com and I can reply with pics. Don’t worry there is a very happy ending! 🙂
April 9, 2012 at 11:37 pm
kathy kresge
Can u please email me some pictures. My pekingese Snowden is most likely gonna have this airhead he was diagnosed with legg perthes a week ago
October 14, 2013 at 6:54 pm
Natalie
Hi there, I know it’s been a while since this post, but my year old yorkie was just diagnosed with this. My Vet talked to me about Surgery and explained it is a very big surgery with the success rate being low. That scares me badly. Any pics you can forward me and or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
June 27, 2018 at 6:50 pm
Tracy Daniel
Please send me the pictures of post op for your puppy. tid1955@yahoo.com
July 1, 2018 at 8:04 pm
Tracy Daniel
Julie, please email your pictures of CiCi post op. My C.C. has surgery in the morning and I’d like to be as prepared as possible.
April 28, 2019 at 2:02 pm
Gill
Hi my wee girl is 15 month was diagnosed around 5 month ago she gets along fine with her medication her operation is 6th May and I’m very worried as she my baby could u send me some pics of what to expect plz Mrs patton Scotland
July 15, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Carole
I am so glad this website prepared me on the days after surgery and how our dog would look and act, so I would contribute our experience so far since the surgery has been done.
Buster (our 8 month old westie) is now two days after the surgery. Wow that was really bad! I don’t want to scare anyone but it really was horrible that first night home. Buster and I were up all night. Even with pain pills he was miserable. At first I tried to carry him outside to use the bathroom and he hated me to pick him up. No matter how careful I was he howled in pain and then acted like he was scared of me. He even nipped at me once when I tried to put him in his crate, which I never would have thought he would do. I laid him on a big blanket on the floor and I just massaged his belly and back while he whimpered in pain all night.
This morning, the second day after surgery, I took Buster and our other westie, Astro, outside and Buster seems much closer to being his old energetic self. He is pretty mobile on three legs, even lightly running. He is still holding up his back leg but it will come down on the ground lightly without putting any weight on it. If he sees a lizard or a bird you can see in his eyes he is deeply contemplating on running after them. He starts to and then doesn’t. I can tell it won’t be long before he is chasing birds and climbing up on the trashcan to knock it over. My husband said yesterday Buster did get both front paws up on a tree while balancing on one back leg and barking so he could let the birds know he is back on duty.
I am please with Buster’s progress from completely pitiful to I am also most me again. He does hate the head cone and has escaped it many times. I will be glad when he starts to put weight on his back left leg as well as the day we can throw that cone away.
Physical therapy was explained to us to simply ice the area the first few days only 1-2 times for 5 minutes each times. (He hates this) Also the day after surgery we were told to hold the bottom section of his leg above his paw and move it as if he were walking 30 times 2-4 times a day. I have heard water is very good therapy but Buster hates the water. We have a pool and both westies stay away from it. My doctor said not to keep him completely immobile except for the first day. He said if we don’t move his leg his leg it with the exercises his leg will stiffen up and recovery will be much longer. Just be gentle and let them decide when they are ready to put weight on the leg.
I am very happy that they are able to do this surgery successfully. I think it is important to get it done soon after prognosis of Legg-Perthes disease. My doctor said when he was removing Busters bone it was crumbling as he was taking it out. We had surgery done within days of the prognosis and our dog had only been limping for two weeks.
Good luck to everyone!
July 19, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Julie
Chi Chi is 10 days after surgery and just getting better and better. She had her sutures removed this morning and walked around the vet clinic slowly and on all four legs. He was quite impressed. in the car, she stands on her back legs as normal looking out the window. From day one I’ve put flax seed oil in her food for joint/cartilage and also ground turmeric which is a fantastic anti-inflammatory. She gets the homeopathic remedy Arnica several times a day for bruising and swelling. She gets Symphytum twice a day (also called knit bone or Comfrey) which is specific for bone injuries/arthritus/fractures etc. Also hypericum for nerves etc. She snacks on dates which is a dried fruit and very nutritious and good for building up her immune system after the anti-biotics. I really think all these have hugely impacted her recovery. It takes effort but its all worth to see the benefits. She’s brilliant at take all the herbs/remedies, I don’t even have to hide them in food. As I type, she is stretched out down the side of the bed lying on her bad side fast asleep – All in all the recovery is going a whole lot better than what I had anticpated!!!
September 7, 2010 at 12:13 pm
naomi
Hi – I have read all the posts with interest and maybe I have missed a bit of info but all the affected dogs appear to be Pedigree breeds. I have a small cross breed – from Border Terrier mother and Pug X Boston father and he has been diagnosed with this disease. He is due to have surgery in 2 weeks time. My understanding that the aftercare following the surgery is crucial to recovery and was told 3 months of lead walking should be sufficient. Is this what other owners have been advised please.
My main concern is that our other dogs may play too roughly with him and that segregating him may leave him a bit depressed but I suppose this is what needs to be done so will have to deal with it.
September 7, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Julie
Hi Naomi, my dog isn’t a pedigree. She is a shih tzu/yorkie cross. we were not advised to lead walk her until nearly 7 weeks after surgery. up until then she had to remain confined (but we didn’t crate her). I did keep her apart from other dogs up until last week (8 weeks after surgery). She played away no problem pain free. She is running on 3 legs and walking on 4. I’m going to fill the bath and work her in there as swimming will be most beneficial (home hydrotherapy!). I still feel there is a long walk to go in building back up her muscle mass. We are nearly 9 weeks after surgery. Good luck with the surgery. Just think – as soon as its over, you’re on the path to recovery!
September 8, 2010 at 2:08 am
Anik
(once again sorry about my really bad english) Lead walking worked great for my Nelly an we were lucky to get the operation done in the and got her to swin in place everyday (she now hates wather lolll)… I was suprised on how she was in a hurry to go running with my other dog-.-… It seams like alot at first and prior to the operation but they heal so well… And my Nelly seemed so happy after it was all worth it… Good luck to you and your little furry one.
September 8, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Carole
Buster was operated on July 14 for Legg-Perthes Disease on his left back leg. He is still not using his leg as much as I think he should; it is now September 8th. He seems to not mind using only the three legs. We have started putting him in the pool for therapy. He hates it and runs and hides. I also walk him on a short leash but he uses three legs 85% of the walk. I think I may try the flax seed oil and ground turmeric mentioned by Julie above.
I do want to let you all know our wonderful breeder gave us our money back to put towards the surgery and they were quite concerned about Buster. They have decided to spade the mother and neuter the father even though they have not had any other issues with this desease. It is nice to know there are breeders who do care about their puppies bringing joy to a family and not all about money. Our vet said he does believe it is a hereditary desease, though many breeders will try to blame it on an injury. Our vet said Busters bone was crumbling as he was removing it and there was no way it was caused by an unknown injury.
Good luck to everyone and I will update on how the flax seed oil and ground turmeric works for Buster. Thanks for the suggestion Julie.
Carole
September 20, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Carolyn
I am so glad I googled and found this website. My 1 yr old Jack Russell has been diagnosed today and the vets want to operate on both joints at the same time. I would appreciate if any other owners have had this done, knowing whether they think it’s better than 2 ops. ( The vet assures me that he has done 2 really successful ops like this before).
Thank you so much for this blog, I knew something was wrong but was dismissed by a junior vet a couple of months ago as my dog seems to be in no pain and doesn’t limp at all, he just never jumped up or put his paws underneath like normal.
To think 7 hours ago I had never HEARD of Legge-Perthes disease. 😦 I’m trying to read as much as I can and as a huge believer in complementary medicine I’m off to buy flaxseed oil and the other herbs mentioned. Thanks everyone.
September 21, 2010 at 11:03 am
Julie
Hi Carolyn, Am sorry to hear your pup has it in both legs. THREE times I was dismissed from 2 different vets before I actually had to ask for an x ray. Anyway I’m herbal all the way and its fantastic. The vet told me it would take up to 4 days for her to pass stool after the surgery. I gave her some dates when she came home and that helped her pass stool the next morning. the more your dog poops and pees the more it’ll help with getting rid of the swelling after the surgery. Chi Chi is flying it now. Walks perfectly on all 4 legs. When she runs she tends to lift it which I’m still working on but she is pain free which is priority.
Good luck. Be positive and strong for your dog. xxx
September 21, 2010 at 11:23 am
Carolyn
Thanks Julie, that’s really good to hear. Can I ask if there’s anything I should start him on pre op? (He was castrated yesterday, hence the X Rays actually got done), so he’ll need to heal from that, but seems fine today. As I said his mobility is great so far, but the sooner it’s done the sooner he’ll be better. Also, sorry being a pain in asking so many questions, how much turmeric did you give.?I already use comfrey. All our family do, arnica too, but I didn’t know about turmeric’s healing properties..
October 3, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Julie
Hi Carolyn, pre op you could concentrate on building up his immune system. 1/2 teasp of honey per day will work as a natural antibiotic and the healing properties of honey are endless. Have the arnica 30 c ready. with regard to turmeric dosage, I give it mixed in the food, maybe just a 1/4 teasp per meal. After he comes home, get him to poop & pee i.e. giving bits of dried dates. getting rid of fluids and waste will speed up the reduction of swelling so the leg can start healing. I was told that it may take up to 4 days for a bowel movement, however adding spices like grnd ginger will help digestion and she pooped the next morning and was delighted with herself – as was I! The anti-biotic was difficult to get into her at the start but I found a great little tip – cat food! so i hid the tablet in about 1/2 teasp of catfood. appearantly dogs won’t refuse cat food.
Apologies for the delay in my response. if i can be of any more help, please just get in touch. All the very best. xxx
October 3, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Carolyn
Thanks so much, Julie. I’ve got dates at the ready and will give him honey.All the other stuff I have in. The op is on Wednesday. I’ll let you all know how it went. I am so nervous.
October 7, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Kym
Did your vet do both hips at the same time? My vet told me that that was inhumane. Anyway, just wanted to mention, my dog didn’t have any problem doing his business after the surgeries… ;o) We didn’t give him anything unusual (honey, herbs, etc.), just his regular diet.
April 14, 2011 at 9:30 pm
Mei
HI julie,
Can i know where do you buy the Arnica?
Thanks,
MEI
April 15, 2011 at 8:56 am
Julie
Hi Mei, I’m living in Ireland but as its a homeopathic remedy you should be able to pick it up in any health food shop. There is option of cream, or pillules so pick the pillules. keep on giving them little and often. Good luck!
October 7, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Carolyn
Kym, I read as much up on Legge-Perthes as I could find plus got in touch with a friend of mine who’s an animal chiropractor/masseur.
Everything pointed to doing both hips at once. For one he’s only got one anaesthetic and trauma, and secondly he cant favour one leg.
He had the op yesterday. The vet says there was extensive damage ( *mad* if you’d bothered to take X Rays when I first took him in at 7 months, maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad) but he’s eating and they took him into the yard this morning to try to use his legs.
He was in too much pain though so they’ve stuck him on methadone. Phoned up tonight and they said he was brighter. 😦 It broke my heart watching him as perky as anything wagging his little tail furiously, knowing he was going to be in so much pain and discomfort.
I’m dreading the next few weeks, but will update you when he comes out of the hospital. Thanks to all, this site is a huge help.
October 7, 2010 at 9:10 pm
carole
My dog Buster had only one hip done and he was in so much pain the night of surgery. It was unmanageable. I sat and rubbed his belly all night long while he whimpered in pain. (That was when he would let me near him.) I think if I had to have both hips done I would do them both at once. I can’t image putting him through that pain again, but I guess the vet would know best. It has taken almost three months now and Buster is finally using his leg about 60% of the time. I did therapy in the pool and took him on walks. It wasn’t until I went away last month for a week and he was in his crate more often than normal, that he started using his leg. When we got back from vacation, we noticed he was doing much better. Odd. He won’t get near the pool now, but I still take him for walks. He still limps on three legs before we get home and we don’t walk very far.
There is no way around it, it is a horrible surgery to have to have and takes a long time for recovery. What else can you do though? It is good to see him getting around almost normal most of the time now. I am so glad we did it. I was lucky and our breeder refunded our money to go towards the surgery. The total was 1700.00. Good luck to everyone!
October 8, 2010 at 12:50 am
Carolyn
All I can say is “Thank God for Pet Insurance! The total cost of the two hips, plus after care has been quoted as £800, but it’ll be a bit more because he’s had to stay another night in hospital.
I’m still confused about them needing to be restricted in movement though. My vet has said he wants to try and get him moving straight away. I dont know what to do. Hopefully I’ll know more when I pick him up tomorrow.
October 8, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Kym
My dog’s sugeries were about 1 month apart, and he was able to go outside and do his business immediately after both surgeries. But he had 1 semi working hip to rely on. Honestly though he was walking with all his weight on the front legs for the most part and the front part of his body was twice the size od the hind legs. Since I purchased my pure bred puppy from a shop and it had thus particular disease, the shop owner had to pick up the bill for the surgeries or refund my money for the puppy $2K. It is a California state law. So, I “only” paid for the dog, nit the surgeries. Good luck!
March 14, 2013 at 4:25 am
Lucia
Hi Kym,
I know this is a 2 year old post, but….Could you please give me more information regarding the California law you are referring to? I also bought my puppy at a California pet shop (Orange County) and she just got diagnosed with this disease today…surgery estimate is $2,600….How did you get the pet shop to pay for the surgery? Who do I contact?
Thank you!!!
Lucia
You could reply to my e-mail lucia@myartsstudio.com
October 8, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Kate
Hi!Sorry for my bad English,I am Hungarian!I found this web-site a few weaks ago,when my 8 monts old westie,Lizy was diagnostized with bilateral Legg-Perthes.She was operated on the right side on 23 aug.We took her home after the oreration.Apparently she wasn’t in so much pain.She got some analgetic medication with 24 hours-effect,and an antibiotic,Amoxicyllin-Clavulanic acid during five days.She put her leg down for the first day,but she suffered with the bathroom in the first two days.In the 4.morning she tried to catch a frog,and she begun to run after it!After the 10. day we started gymnastics,and the force returned quickly in her leg.Now she uses wondweful her operated leg,she limps a little,when she is tired She has a muscular atrophy in her thingh,but I hope it will disappear in a few months.Now she is active and happy.Her left side is affected too,but it is not so painfull then the right side before the surgery.She will be operated in 2-3 weaks,I hope it will be without problems!
October 8, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Kate
Hi!Sorry for my bad English,I am Hungarian! I found this web-site a few weaks ago,when my 8 months old westie,Lizy was diagnostized with bilateral Legg-Perthes.She was operated on the right side on 23 aug.We took her home after the oreration.Apparently she wasn’t in so much pain.She got some analgetic medication with 24 hours-effect,and an antibiotic,Amoxicyllin-Clavulanic acid during five days.She put her leg down for the first day,but she suffered with doing her business in the first two days.In the 4.morning she tried to catch a frog,and she begun to run after it! After the 10. day we started to make gymnastics,and the force returned quickly in her leg.Now she uses wondweful her operated leg,she limps a little,when she is tired She has a muscular atrophy in her hip area,but I hope it will disappear in a few months.Now she is active and happy.Her left side is affected too,but it is not so painfull then the right side before the surgery.She will be operated in 2-3 weaks,I hope it will be without problems!
October 9, 2010 at 11:23 am
Carolyn
Update on Alfie
Well, he’s home having had the surgery on Wednesday (both hips). All I can say I’m delighted. He doesn’t look anythink like as bad as I thought, he isn’t even wearing a cone as the sutures are too high for him to reach. His eyes are bright and his tail wagging. He pooed and peed within an hour of coming home and is eating well.
He was whimpering until 3am but I gave him another half a painkiller (Tramadol) and he snuggled under the duvet and slept till 9.45……the crate went bye the bye as the vet doesn’t want him crated, he wants him moving as soon as possible. He’s outside at the moment and, although slow, he is putting weight on both legs.
He’s on the same medication as your dog, Kate.
I’ve been told to “cycle his legs” every couple of hours and it’s obvious one leg is more disabled than the other and hurts a lot more. Hydrotherapy has been ruled out as he’s terrified of water. The vet thinks he’s been through enough trauma already!
I’ve ground up flackseed oil, arnica and tumeric tabs and am feeding these with his dinner.
But, all in all, he’s nothing like as bad as I thought he would be, especially after the vet said the damage was extensive.
This site has been amazing and I want to thank you Ryan, for setting it up. Also to everyone who’s experiences have helped. I hope all your dogs are either on the mend or galloping around happily.
I’ll post an update in due course.
October 11, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Julie
Hi Carolyn – well ye’re over the worst of it and on the road to recovery! Am delighted with your update. don’t expect too much too soon and have lots of patience with little Alfie as I’m sure he’ll have his ‘off’ days.
all the best and keep in touch. Julie. xxxx
October 12, 2010 at 9:21 am
naomi
update on Biggles who had his op about 3 weeks back is doing okay but his hip is very shrivelled and he only uses the operated leg once in a while.
I am shocked to hear that some have had operations on both hips at the same time. The vet we saw instantly thought that it Legge Perthe disease and the Xray proved this diagnosis correct. The operation costs £250 which I thought was very reasnable as I was expecting to be referred to a specialist and have to pay a lot more. He appears to be pain free but as he is not using his leg much I not totally 100% sure. He is certainly very active and playing with our other dogs so guess everything ok
October 27, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Kate
Hi!My westie,Lizy was operated yesterday morning on her left hip.We came home after she was awake.She got the same analgetic medication as last time,but she was in pain all the afternoon.I gave her an other dose of this painkiller,and after that she started to walk in the room.The night was without problems.In the morning I took her out for her bathroom.She uses her operated leg,but she doesn’t put force on it.She eats and drinks wery well,I hope,day by day she will be better,and…no more operations!Carolyn,how is Your dog now?
November 10, 2010 at 11:22 am
Flick
Brilliant website and so good to hear of others experiences – never heard of this disease before! Our border terrier, Poppy, was diagnosed three weeks ago and had the op a week ago. No problem from the start with peeing or pooing and she didn’t seem to be in too much pain though she is still a bit miserable and sleeping a lot. Day 7 today and no sign of her using her leg – stitiches out in 3 days so hope that helps.
May 9, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Jill
Hi
I too have a border terrier and he was diagnosed with this disease a few weeks ago. My vet wanted to do the operation straight away and I felt like I was being pushed into it. I waited and told the breeder and she wanted her vet to look at him for a second opinion. Her vet confirmed the diagnosis but said he wasn’t that bad. He advised me to not do the operation yet and to just give him anti-inflammatory medication and short walks on the lead to try and build up the muscle and he should be ok. My own vet thinks this will be detrimental and that he should have the operation asap. I now don’t know what to do. Has anybody waited to see if their dog improved on its own? If they did wait, did their dog make a full recovery or did they need the operation in the end anyway? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
May 10, 2011 at 12:01 am
Carolyn
My heart sank when I read your post, Jill. I dont claim to be any sort of expert, but I have vet friends and found out as much as possible about Legge Perthes the minute my dog was diagnosed.
Please, please dont put it off. He wont get better, just require more extensive surgery. I am astounded at what your vet said. The sooner it’s done, the less damage has to be repaired.
Mine had it in both hips so was operated on both at the same time. But I forst noticed something was wrong about 7 months, I was fobbed off for another 5 months until I insisted an X Ray was done. The damage was far greater than if they’d picked it up straight away. My poor little mutt had to have so much bone removed from one leg that for ages his limb looked like a birds.
He’s absolutely fine now and all his muscle tone is back. So please dont delay. The younger they are operated on the better.
I’ve never heard of it being “cured” or maneagable” for any length of time, and you’re risking greater damage.
The op sounds drastic, but anticipating it ( and paying for it if you dont have insurance) is far worse than the aftermath.
All the best and dont listen to the second vet. My friend was horrified that a vet could say that after confirmation of Legge Perthes. Misdiagnosis is about the only time to see how it goes. If it was my dog again, I have him operated on tomorrow.
May 12, 2011 at 9:07 am
Flick
Hi Jill
I do agree with Carolyn – Poppy started limping at about 7 months but wasn’t diagnosed for ages but which time her muscles in the affected leg were almost non existant. I can happily report that 6 months on she is absolutely fine and no one could tell she had had a problem! Her muscles are virtually back to normal and even when she has had a particularly strenuous day – with other dogs etc – she doesn’t seem to suffer any ill effects. It seemed like a long, hard haul at the beginning but was well worth the time, effort and exercise.
Poppy too went through the anti-inflammatory medication plus injections and short walks to build up muscle before finally having her xray. When diagnosed our vet recommended an immediate operation and we have never regretted it for a second. We were told that, if left, the bone would just crumble and she would be in considerable pain.
So, go for it!! Border terriers are cracking little dogs and he’ll be just fine!
November 10, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Carolyn
Update on Alfie Part 2
Alfie went for his monthly post op yesterday and the vet was very pleased with him.He’s not on any medication and the only time he whimpered was when the vet was manipulating and stretching his worst leg, which he puts down to the scarring where the hip joint will form ( or something like that, my medical knowledge is zero!)
He’s very active, chasing after his frisbee at breakneck speed just like before and, now he’s off the painkillers,he’s not sleeping so much. He’s also making No1 hound’s life hell ( he’s usually got a tail or an ear between his teeth) it’s only playfighting though, they get on well.
The one thing he’s still finding difficult is getting up anything higher than stairs. Eg he can get out of the dog flap but not back in. But apparently as the scars heal he will get his “jump” . That’s something he’s never been able to do. It’s so great to see him actually sitting, that never happened before. his legs were splayed out behind him.
So, all in all I’m delighted and very pleased I went down the bilateral route. I’d hate to have to put him througn this again.
According to my vet, they are developing hip repplacements for small dogs, so that’ll be the way forward.
Flick, my dog was sleepy for about a fortnight. I took him walking on a lead little and often letting him tell me when he’d had enough. One month post-op and he’s running like crazy and obviously using all 4 legs. But at home, he’s still favouring his front legs which is natural (so the vet says) as the scarring hasn’t healed yet. :)I’m sure Poppy will be fine in another few weeks. All the best.
November 11, 2010 at 11:07 am
Flick
Thanks Carolyn – it’s so good to hear that things are going well with Alfie and to know what to expect for Poppy. Two legs must have been a real trauma for the poor little chap.
Day 8 today and Poppy is much brighter and has been rushing round the house after a ball. We haven’t used a head cone at all as she shows very little interest in her stitches. We checked out the hip replacement route – we’re not insured and the cost was around £5,500 plus after care (we’re in the UK). Then we looked up the post-op care and it seemed so much greater than the op she’s just had – we didn’t think we could keep her quiet for long enough for this op to work as she’s normally incredibly lively! Also reading all we could find on Legg Perthes, hip replacement in the UK is relatively new and our vet assured us that the removal of the head of the femur usually works really well. Plus comments on this page have helped us tremendously.
Stitches out tomorrow – can’t wait! Will keep you posted!
May 10, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Jill
Hi Carolyn
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly I really do appreciate it. I think I will listen to your advice and get the operation done. I don’t have insurance but am happy to pay the fee as long as I can find someone who is able to do the operation well. I am not happy for my vet to do it so will try and find someone I am happy with and once the op has been done I will put an update on here.
Thanks again
Jill
May 12, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Carolyn
Wishing you all the best, Jill. You wont regret it I’m sure. A happy, healthy dog is an absolute blessing- they give you so much back. Just email or post here if you’re worried, everyone on here has been through it ( Ican never thank Ryan enough for starting this site, it was such a relief and made for a stress-free zone for me)
Best wishes.
February 4, 2011 at 5:42 pm
MICHELLE CHAN
Lizzie [18month wire fox terrier] is getting her stitches out today. 10 days past surgery and she is running around and up on the couch as usual. She is running on 3 legs the operated on 4th seems to be coming down slowly. How long does the process take? [the 4th leg like normal] What therapy is recommended? I would appreciate any advise. Thank you.
February 4, 2011 at 6:29 pm
Julie
Hi Michelle – thats great that ye’re over the worst of the surgery blues! I’m surprised at her age, 18months is quite old for it to be discovered. Its hard to put a time limit on recovery, every dog is different. All I can say is don’t expect too much too soon. my dog Chi Chi is 9 months after surgery and walks perfectly, yet will still limp when she’s ‘jogging’ or catching up but its more at the end of the day or the end of a long walk. We’ve gotten another dog in the last 3 weeks and they play together for ages, tumbling etc and she’s entirely pain free and loving it. its actually strengthening her even more. Good luck with the recovery.
February 4, 2011 at 9:18 pm
Kym
It has been 3 years since my dog had both hips operated on. He now looks completely normal (upper body in balance with hind quarters including all muscular development) and no longer like a living, furry tripod (back 2 legs working like one for balance only and 1/2 the size of upper body). He can run full throttle, jump, and everything else a typical dog does. But the recovery did take some time. Within 6 months, Scruffy was using both legs normally. Just a note: I have noticed when Scruffy initially wakes up, he does sometimes limp slightly, at first.
February 4, 2011 at 6:53 pm
Carolyn Westwood
Hi Michelle. My advise would be to let your dog set the pace (I took mine out little and often for the first 10 days) they’ll get there in the end!
Hills and “zig-zagging” as you walk will make him use his poorly leg, when he’s ready.
4 months post op and mine is completely healed and 10x more active than before! A huge success, I look at my initial posts and smile, it went SO well.
All the best.
February 5, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Carole
My dog Astro had his hip operated on 7 months ago. It seemed to take an awful long time for him to start to put weight on it.
I agree with Carolyn, each dog takes their own time. It was over three months before Astro would use his leg. He seemed perfectly happy to be a three legged dog the rest of his life.
Finally we started to take him in the pool and make him use the leg. We would hold him in the pool and have him kick and then made him swim to the landing on his own. He couldn’t wait to get out of the pool. so that was when he would kick the hardest. He sure did hate the pool but it did seem to help. He uses his leg fine now and he does not limp even on long walks .
Good luck to everyone!!
February 5, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Carole
Sorry My last comment had a mistake. It was “Buster” that had his hip operated on. “Astro” is my other westie who is laying at my feet at the moment so I must have had him on my mind. So if you want to look back on “Busters” adventures and progress throughout his post surgery days, please do. Sorry for the confusion!
February 6, 2011 at 10:30 am
Flick
Hi everyone! 14 weeks since the op and Poppy uses her 4th leg almost all the time. we were advised by the vet to have a physiotherapist to look at her after 8 weeks – we had two visits over a month and the help he gave was amazing. He suggested various exercises plus walking only on a short lead and the use of a machine to stimulate the muscle which was almost non-existant. One problem was that Poppy had been only using 3 legs for some time before diagnosis so the leg was badly wasted and using 3 legs had become a habit. The muscles in that leg are still not as big as the other one, though improving still, and one paw is slightly smaller but she doesn’t limp at all unless very tired and once her fur has grown back completely no one would guess she’d had a problem! Don’t worry, you’ll get there!
April 5, 2011 at 2:54 pm
tifFany
hello, i just wanted to thank you guys for putting this site up- i have a min pin who just had both hips done at 10months old- severely deteriorated! but your website is very helpful for people who dont know much about dealing with this disease so thank you!!
April 12, 2011 at 3:47 am
Chareen
Hello,
My Westie (Rex) who is almost 20 months now was just diagnosed today with this disease. We have opted for the removal of the part of the bone that is rubbing against the hip. This is supposed to cause the scar tissue and the other tissue to kind of form a joint that connects the bone to the hip. Did everyone here have the hip replacement surgery? I was just wondering. I don’t have pet insurance (wishing I did)….I will know better for next time. I just don’t know what I should do.
April 12, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Carole
Chareen,
My westie, Buster, was about 6 months old and had legg-perthes disease. We had the surgery done on him immediately, which was pretty rough, but I am so glad we did. When they were doing surgery on Buster they said his ball in socket bone was crumbling as they were taking it out. The doctor said they don’t need a hip replacement because the scar tissue, as well as the tendons that are designed like ropes on a tent, hold it all together which is how their “shoulders” are designed. He said they do not have shoulder blades that they are held together with a tent like structure of tendons and muscles. I hope I got that all straight for you.
Anyway it was a bit hard for me to believe and the recovery time seemed to be long, but Buster now walks, runs, jumps a lot at the concrete wall when other dogs or kids are playing on their side. It’s really amazing! Even long walks do not bother him. No limp at all any more.
He is very active! If you want more details of his experience with this surgery, read my many other posts on this website I have left since the beginning and during the recovery. Swimming in the pool was the best recovery method for him, which he hated. That was last July and I bet this summer he won’t get any where near the water.
April 12, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Chareen
Thank you Carole!! We are definitely getting the surgery done this week!! And I will definitely read your other posts!! You have made me feel a lot better!! 🙂 Even if I am nervous still!!
April 29, 2011 at 10:22 pm
Chareen
Carole….did Buster develop any swelling underneath the incision after the staples came Out? Rex has developed swelling and it isn’t going down. I am taking him to the vet tomorrow….so hopefully it isn’t anything real big…but I am hoping it isn’t infected.
April 12, 2011 at 3:48 am
Chareen
Oh and thank you for putting this site up. It is definitely going to help prepare me for what lies ahead for my sweet Ressie-Poo (my nickname for him that if he could talk would surely tell me to not ever say again)
April 12, 2011 at 6:17 am
Mei
HI, thanks for having this blog to keep the dogs owner who have the same situation sharing their experience. My little 5# maltese diagnosed with Patella luxation on the both knees and Legg Perthes on the left hip. The left hip is in very bad condtion, and he has limping for 2 weeks now. He will have surgery this friday. I am so scare and worried. He will be staying a night at the hospital.
Does anyone know wearing knee brace will help on the Patella luxation?
I really do not want him going through another surgery. It will be a nightmare for me.
For those who does not have insurance. You may want to consider Trupanion (in canada and USA). they cover 90% of the cost.
April 12, 2011 at 6:27 am
Carolyn Westwood
Hi Chareen.I think most of us had the same procedure as your vet is advising. Hip replacements for such small dogs are just in their infancy and very expensive.
Alfie had his op in October and recovered really well. He’s completely back to normal and his hind quarters have grown so that he nolonger looks as if he’s stunted 😛
Try not to worry to much, it sounds such a major op but it has a terrific success rate and personally, I couldn’t be more pleased. Even if I hadn’t had pet insurance ( so glad I did) I’d have paid just to see him so well and active.
All the best and let us know how he gets on.xx
( I’m a huge fan of herbal remedies and if you read Julies posts I’d recommend giving your dog the flaxseed oil, arnica, tumeric etc that she suggested)
April 12, 2011 at 9:31 pm
Chareen
Thank you soooo much Carolyn….I am a nervous wreck….and you don’t know how pleased I was to hear someone else had this surgery done for their little baby!!! It truly helps to know that this will work and he will be so much better in the long run for it!!!
I will def. keep you all updated!!! He is going Thursday to get it done!! So keep him in your thoughts and prayers!!!
Any advice for the first couple of days of recovery?
April 12, 2011 at 10:49 pm
Mei
Chareen, good luck on the surgery, mine will be on the friday~!!
I will keep your furbaby in thoughts and prayer. Keep me update how he is doing after the surgery.
April 12, 2011 at 10:51 pm
Carolyn Westwood
Mostly what I said upthread. I found taking Alfie out little and often and most importantly letting him tell me when he’d had enough, ( he’d slow down to a snail’s pace so I knew he’d was tired/in pain). I picked him up and carried him home, not that we went very far.
The first week or so is obviously when they’re not very energetic. After all, it is major surgery and they are on pain meds which also slows them down. But it DOES get better, far more quickly than I dreamt it would, although even the vet said what a stoic little dog he was.
It’s like people, every dog recovers at a different pace. The important thing is that recover he will, even if he looks like a pregnant baboon with a bald backside. :p
You know your little one better than anyone, so trust your instincts! I spoilt mine rotten for the first fortnight or so, I ws just grateful it was over. Wishing you all the best for Thursday. xx
April 15, 2011 at 4:04 am
Hayley
Hi all,
My Westie has been showing signs of the disease so I took him to the vet for Xrays, and they diagnosed him. They referred him to a surgery center where they will give the final diagnosis and treatment options, which I am assuming is surgery. I would like to purchase pet insurance but am worried its too late. Has anyone experienced this problem? I am hoping to call the vet back to see if she can hold of on diagnosis first.
Your website is very helpful and inspiring. I am so worried for my little guy Howie. I hope he will be a normal, happy dog after the surgery. He is only 9 months old!
April 15, 2011 at 10:42 am
Carolyn
You could try,but I dont know if your vet would do it. It’s illegal not to reveal any symptoms/diagnosis and practically all Insurance policies wont cover existing conditions. 😦 Sorry!
April 16, 2011 at 3:08 am
Chareen
Well everyone…..Rex made it through the surgery with flying colors!!! The vet said that when he got in there….he just barely tapped on the top part of his femur and it just fell off into pieces….He said that Rex was probably in more pain before the surgery than afterwards. His incision is a little puffy….and this is the first night home and he just can’t seem to get comfortable…..I am sure it doesn’t feel very good at all. He keeps trying to lick it….he isn’t biting it or anything….but just licking it….I put the cone on him because I thought he was going to start biting it….HE HATES THE CONE!! I think I will just put it on him at night and when we aren’t at home….How long did anyone else have to leave the cone on their dog? And did anybody’s dog act a little different like chewing on things that they normally wouldn’t…..like for instance Rex just came up to my husband while he was playing his PS3 (yes I know he is a big kid)….and just grabbed the chord and started chewing on it. I can tell he is beginning to show a little signs of pain. But he still tries to play for a little bit. Any advice for this first night? The vet didn’t recommend Icing …or anything like that….just kind of wondered if that was normal.
April 16, 2011 at 6:13 pm
Kym
Lose the cone. Mine was fine without it…twice (both hips separate times).
April 16, 2011 at 6:14 pm
Kym
My vet did not prescribe icing. Just leave it alone and let the dog heal.
April 16, 2011 at 7:59 pm
Kym
My pup was out in the yard the very next day using the potty. He put his weight on the front legs when walking and then instead of lifting 1 leg, he lefted both legs (like in a hand stand) to urinate. He licked his wound a little but the vet told me that was ok. And he was right. The dog will learn how to compensate on his/her own. Just give the pain meds and antibiotics. A cone is not necessary and makes the animal much more miserable.
April 16, 2011 at 3:43 am
Carole
Chareen,
The first night is the worst! My dog Buster acted very strange the first few days. He acted like he was scared of me and tried to hide under the bed and even tried to nip at me which he had never done. He hated the ice but the doctor told me to make sure to keep icing it on and off. I think we did five minutes on 10 minutes off. He didn’t want to get in his crate so I put him on a big blanket and laid on the floor with him rubbing his belly while he moaned most of the night. That was with pain meds but they didn’t seem to be enough. Just time, patience and lots of pity belly rubs.
As for the cone, Buster became quite the escape artist. I would wake up in the morning to let him out of his crate and the cone would be off of him and laying next to him (I swear he was grinning). Then one morning he had chewed it to pieces so it was no longer an issue.
I’m so sorry Rex and all these dogs had to go through this. Just know, though it will take time, he will be back running around and playing like it never happened.
April 16, 2011 at 3:47 am
Carole
Chareen,
One more thing I forgot to mention. The doctor said the cone was very important because you don’t want the dog to lick the incision because it can get infected very easily. So even if Rex is not biting it keep the cone on every second you can’t be next to him so he can’t lick the incision.
Good luck!
April 16, 2011 at 4:10 am
Chareen
Thanks Carole!! I will put the cone on him when he wakes up from his nap. He is sleeping so peacefully…I hate to disturb him.. I appreciate all the help though!! Was your baby’s incision kind of sticking out? The vet said it was normal….but I just don’t know how to go about icing it?
April 16, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Kym
The incision looked terrible, as if more stitches were needed and some raw flesh was sticking out between stitches. It healed perfectly though both times. Also my pup never wore a cone (vet did not even suggest this), my dog did lick each side immediately after surgery but there was no issue with the licking. Funny how each vet suggests something different with regards to the cone and doing both hips at the same time. Anyway, it appears that all options are fine so don’t worry!
April 16, 2011 at 4:31 am
carole
Yes Chareen his incision was sticking out and very nasty looking.
Crushed ice or frozen peas conforms better to the shape of the leg. Also make sure to put it in a pillow case or t shirt so it isn’t too cold on the skin. Lay it on very gently and help hold it in place lightly for about 5 minutes. Do this at least 4 times per hour the first night; basically you won’t be getting any sleep anyway.
April 16, 2011 at 8:39 am
Carolyn
It may not seem like it Chareen, but the awful part is over. I went back to the vets because Alfie was in a lot of pain and he doubled his meds until he didn’t need them at all after 10 days. Fortunately Alfie didn’t need a cone so I feel for you. I can imagine he hates it.
Stay upbeat and you’ll have a new improved baby before you know it. {{{hugz}}}As Carole says, the first few days are the worst.
April 16, 2011 at 6:56 pm
Mei
Chareen, I am so glad and happy to know Rex had flying colors on the surgery. Mashi had his surgery done yesterday and came home on the same day. It was a long night..He whines so much, and he tends to lay on the wounded leg..I am so afraid he will make himself even more painful. are dogs do this trying to hide his wound?? it was the nurse from the vet told me.
the cone does makes him very uncomfortable. my husband went out and get a “inflated neck ring” for Mashi. I hope he like it better than the come.
I am also having trouble to ice him..he tried to escape from me whenever I have ice with cloth on my hand.
HOpe that Mashi will recover asap..its so heartbreaking to see our furbabies in such pain.
April 17, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Julie
Delighted that the surgeries are now behind ye. They will get used to the cone within a day or two. Give them breaks when they are eating and drinking. Also if you are going to be hanging out with them and can keep an eye.Trick is to have a yummy treat in your hand so they need to stick their head in through the cone to get the treat. then tie it up. positive association. they’ll also have a lot of pent up energy because they aren’t able to run about and exercise to have plenty of chew toys at the ready. stuffed kongs, bones etc to keep them entertained as it can get quite boring for them. they will still be able to chew with their cone on. Dogs are EXTREMELY clever and quick to figure things out. careful ye don’t overfeed though as extra weight won’t help with the recovery and putting weight on the leg. It’ll fly by. Chi Chi is 9 months after surgery and pain free. we walk about 2 miles every day and have lots of little runs out the front. She is more of a puppy now than she was before surgery, I presume because she was in so much pain during the first few months of her life. She will be 2 in Sept. Depending on the muscle atrophy prior to surgery and during recovery, start massage as soon as your vet allows. Don’t worry about them lying on the wound, Chi Chi did that the first night lots which caused her lots of pain but she soon figured it out. they just need a day or two to adjust and come around after all the anesthetic, high meds etc. Thinking back I think it was harder on me ’emotionally’ than it was on her ‘physically’!! Dogs are little troopers, so try not to worry too much over the little things. If you are upset and worrying all the time, your dog will sense this and become more uneasy.
April 17, 2011 at 7:31 pm
Carolyn
Just to say to Mei and Chareen, I’m so glad the surgeries are over and I wish both of your dogs a speedy and complication-free recovery. Like Julie I’m sure I was far more anxious and worried than Alfie. It’s a good job they dont know what’s happenig until it’s over isn’t it?
Here’s to the new chapter of having a lively, healthy dog for both of you. xx
April 18, 2011 at 5:33 am
Mei
Thanks Julie and Carolyn. =)
Mashi is on the second day after the surgery. He is still not willing to stand up, and he is very shaky when the medication (Metacam) subsides. I bring him to walk, he was like walk 3 steps sit a while, and then another 3 steps and sit again..He does get excited when I have treats in hand, and barking at the door when someone at the door.
Should I concern? I am so worry about him.
Thanks so much for the replies. It really helps me feel better. I feel that I am not alone here. =) Appreciate!
April 18, 2011 at 9:50 am
Carolyn
No, nothing to worry about, if you feel you need back up phone the vet, that’s what we pay them for!!
But he’s just had major orthopaedic surgery so it’s bound to take time.
Poor you,having to put Mashi through another op after this.
Stay strong xx
April 18, 2011 at 5:36 am
Mei
My poor Mashi will have another knee surgery (patella luxation: grade 3) later.. sob sob..
April 18, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Mei
just want to share, Mashi has this on him now. He is so relieve to have the cone took away. =)
http://thesickdogblog.com/category/home-remedies-for-dogs/home-remedies-to-treat-dog-wounds/
April 19, 2011 at 5:37 pm
Mei
Dear Everyone,
Sorry to be a bug. I am so worry about Mashi. Today is the 4th day of the surgery. But he has been in his bed all day and night, unless I bring him out for #1 and #2 Is this happened to your dog after surgery too?
He does eat and drink well, but I have to feed him. or else he will not get up and eat. I can see he lost a lot of muscle too.
Can anyone give me an idea if your dog does the same thing too? Or I am just too worrisome.
Thanks so much~!
April 19, 2011 at 5:43 pm
Ryan
Mei – happy the surgery went well! I would definitely consult your doctor, but this sounds like Mashi is just very fatigued / nervous from the experience. We saw this with Manny but did our best to comfortably have him move around.
April 19, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Julie
I wouldn’t worry too much. If he is peeing and pooing and eating and drinking, sounds like everything is fine. i was recommended to keep chi chi completely confined i.e. no moving about at all. If you are worried and depressed and sad for him, he will also be sad and that is probably why he isn’t himself and trying to get about. leave him for a bit and come back to him all happy (maybe with a treat) and you’ll probably see his tail wag and he’ll try and come to greet you.
Again, don’t worry. Relax, be happy and time will take care of everything.
April 19, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Mei
Thanks julie and Ryan, feel so much better after reading..
I will try to be relax and not showing him I am worried. =)
April 27, 2011 at 8:40 pm
Chareen
Question…has anyone that has their baby that has gone through the surgery experienced swelling after the staples came out? It just looks swollen underneath the incision. It was 10 days after the surgery that the staples were removed. I am just a little worried that the swelling is there. Just need to know if it is normal?
June 6, 2011 at 8:13 pm
kym
My yorkie did not experience any swelling but the incision did not look neat at all after the stitches. Also mine was not stapled…
April 29, 2011 at 9:47 pm
hayleyalyse
Hello everyone! I have also started a blog about the disease and my Westie’s journey: http://dogswithleggperthesdisease.wordpress.com/. Please take a look, I hope it will help others!
-Hayley
May 9, 2011 at 7:16 pm
Maggie
Hi there!
I posted a LONG time ago about my mom’s Westie, Lily, having bilateral Legg-Perthes and was frantic about what to do about it. I am happy to report that my mom was referred to an amazing orthopedic surgeon, and Lily had both hips operated on, and is now a happy little dog. I know what a predicament it is to find out your little, precious dog has this terrible disease. You realize it’s highly likely they’ve never known anything but pain and the thought of putting them through surgery seems almost cruel. It’s not. This is a condition that comes around when they’re young and resilient. They can overcome it. In fact, Lily was walking on her newly operated on hip after a week and not using the not yet fixed hip at all because the new one was so much better. We were amazed! It was sad to watch her hobble around on 3 legs, but she got through it. And she also had a harder time after the second hip was fixed. She was so scared to put her weight on it for a long time, but she eventually did and is now running around like nothing was ever wrong. I’m sure she’ll have problems with arthritis and such later in her life, but paying for the surgery and putting her through that was totally worth it. Plus, she’s a better dog for it I think. She’s so sweet and has such a cute personality. She is my mom’s pride and joy!
For those people worried about the cost, my heart goes out to you. With that said though, there are so many animal lovers out there who would be willing to make small donations to help out. You could start a blog and put a paypal link on it. Also, there has to be vets out there willing to work with you on that.
For everyone going through what we went through, please know you’re in my prayers. I apologize for not posting in so long. All of these posts were going in my junk folder and I just never took the time to sit down and write a response. I wish you all the best, and thanks again to the creator of MyDogManny.com! You’ve helped so many people!
Maggie
May 9, 2011 at 11:49 pm
Carolyn
So happy to hear your story Maggie. I too am flabbergasted at how quickly my dog recovered, and am SO glad I had both hips operated on him the same time.
It’s always great to read the “after” stories, so thanks for the update.
May 15, 2011 at 8:41 pm
Kathy
Hi! My eight month old Yorkie was diagnosed with this disease about three weeks ago. He started limping very suddenly so I took him to my vet and he did an xray. The xraY revealed the disease but also a pelvic fracture. Harley had surgery this past Friday but unfortunately he will never use that leg again but at least he won’t be in pain. He hops around on three legs like it is old hat and he can out run my four year Yorkie with no problem. I feel very sad that this happened to him but at least now he will be pain free – after the the pain of the surgery is gone. It all came on so suddenly that I still find it hard to believe. But I still have my little boy and am very grateful for that.
May 16, 2011 at 11:22 pm
josh
glad i ran across this website. my 6 month old westie and i just returned from the vet. hes has been babying his right hind leg for about 2 weeks. the vet seems to be fairly confident that this disease may be the culprit. got a few shots today (anti inflams) and some pain meds. will go back in a week for xrays in a week. my wife and i are kinda expecting the worst, but are trying to remain in high spirits. right now, its a waiting game. looking forward to keeping in touch with you guys. God bless all of our furry family members.
May 17, 2011 at 10:45 pm
Kathy
Well Harley is four days post op and doing fairly well and doesn’t seem to be in much pain. He is hopping around on three legs like he’s been doing it his whole life. My vet told me that he had so many bone fragments in there that he had to go in twice. It still makes me sad that he won’t have the use of that leg but I am very grateful that the source of the pain is gone. I’m still going to try some water therapy with him to see if we can some use out of that leg but he seems happy and that is all that I care about. Hope everyone’s furry children are doing well.
June 6, 2011 at 6:24 pm
Pablo
Not afraid to repeat in this forum how helpful this site has been! On the psychological point of view, it is great to read so many successful stories on recoveries after the surgery! It has really soothing effect on us.
I won´t repeat though, all the very much useful information that was already mentioned above and was part of our case, but what was rather not common.
Now, with respect to our case: Knox is 9 months old Westie. Very much loved and spoiled, almost as son! I even wonder if he knows he is not human… Anyway, last may 31st, he had his left femur head removed in a 4 hours surgery by a specialist.
He is our pet dog and at his short age, had also won baby and puppy beauty competitions. Why do I bother to say the latter? I noticed mild limping a week before his last show just after he woke up, but was running normally after a couple of minutes. His trainer, who is an expert vet, also noticed it but as the condition faded so quickly we did not paid much attention to it. Just afterwards, he entered the rink 3 times and won the competition for puppies. The point is, 2 international judges checked him out thoroughly, even touched and extended his legs, and he passed with flying colors to then run at least 4 times around the rink and NONE OF US KNEW THAT HIS FEMUR HEAD WAS PULVERIZING AS WE SAW HIM RUNNING FOR GOLD!
I write all this because before being a show dog, Knox is our very much loved pet and our hearts sank when he was diagnosed! And it was only because my mother in law insisted that even if the condition was present only for a couple of minutes NO DOG LIMPS EVER FOR NO REASON. He was x-rayed the first time and the vet could not see anything that would bother her. Just as a precaution, he was given analgesics and poultices 2 times a day. The condition seemed to get worse day by day, but Knox never showed any sign of discomfort. We decided then to take him back for another set of x-rays, a week later. It turns out, the first set was taken in angles where the condition was hidden. The second set was awful to watch even without being a vet. I am an engineer and I see structures when I see x-rays, and that one was collapsing! In just a week, not only the condition was not hidden anymore, but pretty much visible at any angle: at least 40% of Knox´s femur head was gone.
Bottom line is, the condition can evolve rapidly and can be devastating for the puppy if not taken care immediately. This little fellows are very strong and won´t even whine in such a painful situation.
Knox will for sure not get another ribbon or victory lap, but we do not care at all. We couldn´t care less in fact! When faced to this disease, all we need is to see him running again.
So far so good, day 6 after surgery and Knox is already starting to support some weight on his leg. Hopefully, it will go as well as with all the other stories we have read in this site… I hope this helps and will keep the forum posted on the recovery.
June 6, 2011 at 8:11 pm
kym
I thought I would mention this because I don’t think anyone has before: the fur that grows back on Scruffy’s scar was a different color and looked odd (orange-ish) for a while. Eventually the fur did return to a normal color! So be patient….it will eventually blend in and you will see nothing.
I have never formally thanked Ryan for sharing Manny’s story on this website, so here is a shout-out to Ryan for his time and effort. I was a nervous wreck when I started posting and received tremendous comfort and reassurance from the community. So, THANK YOU RYAN!
June 14, 2011 at 10:44 pm
Kathy
Well my little Harley is about a month out from surgery. For a puppy that was never supposed to use his leg again he is doing fantastic. It broke my heart to think he would never use that leg again BUT HE IS!!!! My vet is so pleased and I am thrilled. No more pain and the only time he doesn’t use it is after he has chased my older Yorkie,Poco, around the house a million times. There is hope even for a little guy like him. I am so happy that I found this website. At first it made me sad to read everyone else’s success stories but now I have one of my own. Thank you, thank you for letting me post here. My baby is bedtter and I couldn’t be happier!!!
July 20, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Karen
How to you all afford this??? Our terrier mutt, 2 years old, had had LPC since he was 9 months old. We have him on rimadyl because the surgery is just soo expensive.
I am glad all your dogs are doing so well.
Thanks, Ryan for Manny’s posting.
July 20, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Kym
In CA, if you purchased a pedigree dog from a breeder, the BREEDER is responsible for the cost of the surgery for LP disease or for a full refund. I did not pay anything for Scruffy’s surgeries. I’m not sure how many other states have adopted this law.
July 20, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Maggie
Karen,
I know how expensive the surgery is, but without it your poor puppy’s hip joint will continue deteriorating and he will get worse and worse. Have you seen the x-rays of what a normal hip joint looks like compared with a LP infected one? It made me sick when I saw Lily’s. She had it in both, and by the time we had her second surgery, the second hip joint had fractured. Poor baby never cried really because pain was all she ever knew. It makes me tear up now to think of what she went through. Medicating your dog isn’t doing anything for him/her. Would you want to live the rest of your life all drugged up? I hate saying that without having another plan in mind, but hopefully someone else will. Can you do a payment plan maybe? Times are hard I know, but I would think euthanasia would be better than putting a dog through that. Maybe you can solicit donations from friends…you might be surprised how many animal lovers you know. Just take this site as an example!
July 20, 2011 at 5:24 pm
Kym
Many states requirer that the BREEDER pay for the surgery or refund your money. In my case, the breeder paid for the surgeries on both hips since I purchased a pure bred Yorkshire Terrier. It is a California state law!
July 20, 2011 at 5:38 pm
Carolyn
I so, so agree with Maggie, Karen. I was lucky, mine was insured, but it’s a progressive disease-even in the 5 months from thinking something was wrong to the op, his bones had deteriorated drastically. I dread to think what yours is like at 2 years old. Are you in the UK? If so, try the PDSA, I dont know about other countries. I just think it’s really really awful for your dog to carry on getting frailer and frailer in his hind quarters, which will eventually collapse. Pain meds are only masking a very serious condition. Please try every way you can-some vets are really understanding-before surgery is too late. (: Sorry, I’m tearing up to think what the poor little mite is going through.
August 4, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Karen
I live in Colorado. And Charlie is a mutt. So no breeder help there. Aslo no help from PDSA being as I am in the US. Thanks for all the encouagement, though. My husband lost his job and so money is really tight right now. Charlie’s vet does have a payment plan, with interest at 23%. But the payments are low! I know we should just suck it up and get this surgery for him but it is just so hard right now.
Thanks again!!
August 4, 2011 at 6:11 pm
carole
Karen, I too was shocked at the amount charged for the surgery. I thought no way can we do this, but no way can we not do this. Our vet told us that our Buster could end up going up or down a curb and the fragile bone could break and cause intense pain and complicate the surgery and outcome.He said when he did open Buster up, the bone crumbled as he was extracting it.
Our breeder was good about offering to give us our money back to go toward surgery. That still left us with $1300.00 to pay on payment plans and have we have finally paid it off. I am really glad we did it.Buster runs around like he completely forgot all about it now. Our vet was caring enough to make sure we could work out a very affordable plan to make sure Buster could get his surgery. He did not even charge any interest.
I wish you luck in finding a way to get the surgery for Charlie!
August 23, 2011 at 5:34 pm
Karen
Charlie has had his surgery! We brought him home last night and he was the saddest looking animal I have ever seen!! Good thing we did this. His femur was starting to cement to the joint itself where the bone was bad. This morning he tried walking on it, but changed his mind. It Hurt! He is being very good about it all though. Not much complaining.
We did the payment plan and our vet isn’t charging interest for a year.
Thanks for all the encouragement!! I really do appreciate it.
August 23, 2011 at 5:48 pm
hpwebsites
Karen I am so glad you were able to work it out to get Charlie’s surgery! He will be quite pitiful at first, but you will see positive changes each day. Buster just came in from tormenting the birds and is now laying at my feet. He is such a scrapper and always getting into trouble, but I can’t help but love him. It is amazing how far he has come since the day we brought him home from his surgery. Charlie will be like his old self eventually. It does take alot of time though. At least for Buster it was months, so don’t get discouraged. I am so glad they can do this surgery and give a dog the chance to be running around and back into mischief.
October 4, 2011 at 11:00 pm
Sean Alexander
Our little westie, Mr. Magoo, had his surgery 2 weeks ago. He goes in this Friday to get sutures out and get a check up on progress. He is frisky as ever, but will not put weight on his leg. The vet told us not to begin physical therapy until after the stiches came out. He has been getting around on 3 legs, but I wish that I could see some effort to use his other leg. What sort of exercises have pepole used after this surgery. I do plan to do the water therapy, but would really appreciate any tips. Magoo has to go in for surgey on his other leg (same thing) after this leg heals. He is young (9 months) and loves to play, but I want him to at least try to stand on his leg. Any advice will be so appreciated!
October 4, 2011 at 11:22 pm
Monica
MY 1 YEAR OLD CHORKIE (MAYCEE) IS HAVING THE SURGERY TOMORROW. I AM WORRIED BECAUSE SHE ONLY WEIGHS 3 LBS. I WILL LET YOU ALL KNOW HOW IT GOES.
October 6, 2011 at 6:48 pm
susan
My Molly is 9 months old….. yorkie/malteese mix…She is having the surgery tomorrow and I am very worried. We had to delay the surgery for 4 weeks….she went into heat… Molly is also going to be spayed at the same time. We got Molly from a rescue when she was about 5 months old. About 3 weeks later we found out about the leg perthes. Our vet is adding the spay at no cost…1100.00.for both. The rescue gave us back the 350. we gave them. I am so happy that I found this web site .
October 6, 2011 at 8:02 pm
Monica
Well my little Maycee had her surgery @ noon yesterday and we picked her up at 1:30. She is doing really well. eating and going to the bathroom.she walks a little on her 3 legs.She was sent home w/ antibiotics only. She goes in for a chek on 10/12 and stitches out on 10/19. Her surgery was very expensive @ 1800.00.We love her and she is worth every penny ,but very over priced.
October 7, 2011 at 3:29 pm
susan
Very glad to hear that Maycee is doing so well. Molly is at the vet now …….hope to pick her up about 6:00.. Not looking foward to tonight. Between the tummy and the leg, I don’t know how to pick her up. Hope Molly does as well [she is a little trooper] the leg never stopped her from playing . The doc just called all went well..yipeeeeeeeeeeeee.
November 19, 2011 at 12:05 pm
jakki Douglass
I was searching the web after my westie Molly,who is 8 months old, was diagnosed yesterday she has already had a bad few months (bad breeder enough said ) she is going to a specialist orthopeadic surgeon on monday and will have the surgery in a few days i feel so much better after reading all your comments , since yesterday when she had xrays where they pulled her about she has been in constant pain crying a lot of the time we didnt get much sleep last night and as i speak she is having belly rubs to comfort her, to cap it all she is also in her first season, it was our intention to have her spayed after a couple months but looks like we have to get through this first …….thanks you all for posting you have made me so much more confident on the outcome,,,,,,,,, Jakki
November 19, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Monica
My little Maycee had her surgery about 5 weeks ago. She did awesome and they did not give her any pain amedication at all.She still is not walking on that leg. She still carries it all the time. She does not go back for a check until January 2012. I hope she starts using it soon.Good luck with Molly. Maycee’s surgery for one hip was $1800.00.
January 21, 2012 at 9:28 am
Wee Ollie
Hi until yesterday I had never heard about this disease and am still in shock as what to do… My 7mth old Chorkie (yorkshire terrier/chiwawa) started limping so after taking him to vet who took x-ray, needs operated on or as vet told me it would be cruel of me to keep him 😦 … Not to sound like poor me..but I really do not have the money to get op done but vet has kindly offered for me to pay this off (have no ins). Will he get worse if I ignore this? He never cries and still is himself playing etc..Could there be a chance it may happen in good hip? I would be devestated if devoloped again?
My family are telling me to see how he goes without surgery maybe giving him medicine or something like you would for Arthritic dogs…
Its breaking my heart everytime I look at him as I’ve grown so fond already 😦
January 21, 2012 at 10:07 am
Jakki douglass
hi i dont know where you live but here in england the cost of surgery was much more than america. the hip replacement parts are handmade in america so obviously the cost was much higher. luckily we had ins. but the cost was just over £4000 thats about 6000$ my advice would be to try find a pet charity that could help as the disease will get worse over time and your dog will be in pain if your vet says you can pay in installments ask how much this will be i would try to get the op done for the dogs benefit …My westie had her op on 9th december and is doing excellent she had her first run of the lead yesterday and all 4 legs were working well and she is a much happier dog Jakki
January 21, 2012 at 10:15 am
Wee Ollie
Thank you for the advice as its all I can think about..we live in Northern Ireland but I think I will follow my heart and put him through and try to deal with all as it comes. I did not know there was pet charitys..I will do some research. So many stories have all worked well…
January 21, 2012 at 10:19 am
Carolyn
Wee Ollie, so sorry to hear your dog has this horrible condition, but to put it bluntly, no, he wont get better without treatment via surgery. It isn’t arthritis, medicine wont make it better ( it may allieviate the pain, but all the time your dog will be losing more and more bone) The sooner surgery is done, the better.
Jakki, I’m amazed at the cost, but I take it you opted for hip replacement. Most of us on here, went with the optiion of removing the top of the femur where the bone had disintegrated.
My dog had bilateral surgery in October 2010 and the cost, including 3 days in the vet hospital was £850. Despite the fact that he has no hips he couldn’t have made a better recovery. He regularly runs himself ragged ( and still wants more) after 2 or 3 miles over our local common. Something I could only dream about pre-op when he couldn’t even sit properly.
So Ollie, take your vets’ advice and hopefully you can pay it off in small installments. He doesn’t have to have hip replacement, but he does have to have surgery.
All the best. Let us know how he gets on. 🙂 This site has been a godsend for so many of us who had never heard of the damned disease until it was diagnosed. If you read back, you’ll see we are all delighted with the “after” results.
January 21, 2012 at 11:01 am
Jakki douglass
Hi yes Molly did have a total replacement as her hip joint did not form properly …….they did say other op would be about £800 pounds but after scan and 2nd xrays xrays she needed other treatment then was first diagnosed ……..also to weeollie if your dog is a cross the P.D.S.A are a charity here and in northern ireland try them good luck hope to hear you get it sorted soon
January 21, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Wee Ollie
Hi and thank you so much for the comments..I phoned the vet this morning and asked about the chances of the other hip happening and of course thats the chance I will have to take but she confirmed at present the other hip on x-ray looks healthy. The vet confirmed I can pay this off and wee Ollie is booked in this Wednesday at 9am…I feel great already so happy just ready for the next step…
January 21, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Jakki douglass
yes she did have a hip replacement because other part bone had not formed…the vet informed that untill 3/4 years ago they did not do replacemnt hips on such small dogs but an american company make the small parts, they are handmade not machine so is why is very expensive to have them imported to britain hence cost of £4000, but she is doing so well walks on all 4 legs and also has a nice stance no longer does her hind quarters taper she stands square and this is only after 6 weeks……the first 4 weeks she had to be on a short lead and not allowed to climb stairs and only 5 mins exercise a day no long walks ,was not easy with an active puppy as once the soreness of op was over she was no longer in pain so didnt know she was not allowed to run and jump……this week she went to vet for xrays to see how it was doing and he was so pleased her muscle form had increased and she was allowed to have walks on long lead and we let her have a run yesterday for first time……she does have water excercise in the bath but we are fortunate she loves water and we live not far from sea so in summer she will be in the water on beach …..good luck with ollie be sure to let us know how he is doing …i wish you all the best for him
January 21, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Kym Chatfield
Unfortunately your dog will need the surgery. Meds will not work. I noticed a limp at 6 months. By 8 months, Scruffy’s hind quarters were 1/2 the size of the front due to muscle atrophe. He only used the back legs for balance – imagine a little furry tripod. My dog’s right hip was worse than the left but the the problem was visible immediately on both sides. He did the right hip first and the left hip 1 month later.
Some thoughts: don’t use a big cone to prevent Ollie from licking, smelling and observing the wound, per my vet and my experience. The cone can be more depressing to the dog than the surgery itself. Note that the wounds looked very “rough” at first (flesh sticking out – almost looked sloppy) but healed seamlessly. Seriously looked nothing like a human wound with neat stitches. Give the dog pain meds as prescribed which will help the healing process. Good luck! DON’T worry! 🙂
January 21, 2012 at 5:56 pm
Jakki douglass
your right Kym we didnt use a cone …the vet actually told us not to use one as yes it can be more depressing for them although we had to stop her licking the wounds when we could, i put a leg stretch bandage on her at night (the sort they put under plaster cast )and her wound has healed really well and she didnt need pain meds after a day as they only made her sick…….same as humans i suppose some need them some dont………
January 28, 2012 at 5:50 pm
Wee Olly
Hey Olly had had his operation this is day 4 😦 bless him he has lay about since unless I’ve lifted him to back door when he hop’s to pee etc..I have kept the cone off him as it was awful for him and he has not messed with his stiches yet although when I have to nip out I do put it on when he is in cage. The cage rest?? I have only kept him in cage when I have to go out but feel he is happier laying on his duvet on floor..I hope this os ok :-~ Everything else great eating well and taking meds great too..hopefully this will lead to good recovery…
January 28, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Carolyn
🙂 That’s brilliant Ollie. So pleased you’re over the worst bit. I never crated Alfie and right from the start I took him on very short walks, ending as soon as he looked at me. He also never wore a collar.
Alfie had both hips done at the same time, so he couldn’t favour one or the other. Hang on in there, he’ll soon be dashing around. All the best Carolyn x
January 28, 2012 at 8:09 pm
Jakki douglass
Excellent news ….My Molly is also doing extremely well she has built up muscle on her hind quarters and has had her first run off the lead this week for 5 mins (although we had to make sure no other dogs about so she would not rough and tumble and overdo it) she now looks more square on her rear end and does not taper in like it did before and she stands squarley on her hind legs…….the vet has signed her off now and so here we are now at nearly 8 weeks since her op (December 9th) and just need her coat to grow as where they had shaved her on her hind and front legs and also on neck for the drips ect she looks very patchy but we have a happy pain free little dog who we love so much and in her short life of 10 months has endured a lot ….it is heartwarming to see others who have got through……In a few weeks Ollie will be same good luck all
Jakki
February 10, 2012 at 5:35 pm
susan
Hi.. I have not been on since Oct….My Molly had the surgery and did not do well I was very upset …… had vet take xray……… I did not like the look of it . He kept telling me it would be allright… …..after 6 or 7 weeks took xray it to another vet. He agreed with me. Sent me to a special hospital…..They had to redo the surgery………….Luck…. just happened that the the surgeon knew the partner of the first vet so they covered the second operation $3,000. ……….. Molly was refusing to use leg …………. Had to start pt…for 2 months .. 2 weeks ago she finally started to walk on all fours…. I hope no one has this kind of problem…………Molly is our love and through it all she has always been happy and very playfull……….
February 10, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Monica
Well Maycee had her surgery 4months ago but she only uses her leg when walking slowly.When she walks fast,runs,or bends over to drink out of her bowl she still holds it up. She goes back in April so I pray she will continue to improve.
February 10, 2012 at 9:23 pm
kymchatfield
Monica, Maycee will continue to improve! It does take a while before the dog uses the leg completely. Also, Ryan, the owner of Manny and this blog, did some therapy in a special pool. Perhaps you could look into that. My puppy was young when he had the surgery. Perhaps age has something to do with how fast they heal and use the leg.
February 10, 2012 at 9:17 pm
kymchatfield
Sorry to hear that Molly had such a difficult surgery and then had to have another 1! That’s just terrible. Just curious, how old was she when she had the 1st surgery? Anyway, I am so happy to hear that she is finally using all 4 legs. (((hugs)))
February 13, 2012 at 7:54 pm
susan
Molly was about 9 or 10 months when she had the first surgery….. they had to hold off 4 weeks because she went into heet….she was spayed at the same time…..We got her from a shelter so not sure about age…There is a web sight Dr. James St. Clair…..look it up….. great for leg therapy…. Molly uses the leg for walking but will still picks it up a lot……specially in the morning………Slow walking and streching is very important……best of luck to all……………..
February 13, 2012 at 7:59 pm
susan
also when allowed …..lots of puppy play with other dogs…..takes mind off leg………….that was Molly best distraction……….
February 14, 2012 at 4:52 am
Lisa
Just read through all these comments. We have a Pekingese that will be having this surgery in the next couple weeks. His mom was rescued from a puppy mill and was pregnant with Roky & his sister at the time. I’d never heard of this disease before. It’s definitely a quick progressing and debilitating disease. Thank you for sharing your stories. We are just getting finances in order, as we hadn’t budgeted for the $1200 vet bill . We had our other Peke. for almost 15 years and the most she cost us at one time was $500. Next time around we’ll get pet insurance for sure.
April 21, 2012 at 11:11 pm
kathy kresge
Hi Lisa my 7 year old pekingese (Snowden ) was diagnosed with legg perthes disease as well. He was in so much pain and we tried everything. He had his surgery on his left hind leg a week ago and is doing wonderful. Im so glad so have him back to himself. Our vet is wonderful as we didn’t have enough money so he is letting us make payments. I wish to say to everyone please if your dog has this disease have the surgery.
February 27, 2012 at 10:00 am
jaimini bharakhada
Thankyou so much for setting up this blog & to everyone who has contributed ❤
my lil chihuahua cross duchound goes in for surgery tomorror morning & i am petrified!! she is approx nine months old (i've had her 3months) & she weighs about 3 & half pounds! she is soo tiny & fragile – & that scares me! I'm soo worried about the anaesthetic to start with & then the op & her recovery.
thankyou to everyone for sharing your experiences & advice, prayerfully i can be a little more prepared for what is to come & how best to her lil Abha in her recovery ❤
February 27, 2012 at 11:53 am
Carolyn
Best of luck jaimini. This blog is wonderful, isn’t it? As long as you’ve got a reputable orthopaedic surgeon she’ll be a different dog in a few weeks!
March 13, 2012 at 10:21 am
jaimini bharakhada
Thankyou for your kind words ❤ the surgery went ace & she's doing brilliantly! she has her stiches out tomorrow YAY :)))) ❤
February 29, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Wee Olly
Hi all 4/5 weeks later Olly not using leg much, when doing short distances ie to sniff something or walk to something close he will use leg but once out for short walks he mostly keeps it up..is this ok do u think is it still early days?? Even in bath when I have him swimming to try and use it he is still reluctant and keeps it tucked up…when do u think they normally start using leg again?
Apart from that he is great back to his wee self..
February 29, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Monica
My 3 pound chorkie had the surgery in October and she still only walks slowly on it. When we go for walks or if she runs she holds it up , or she will put it down with her other back leg so it looks like she has 1 back leg.She goes back in April for another check up. I don’t think she is doing as well as I thought.
February 29, 2012 at 6:18 pm
kym
My dog (Yorkshire Terrier) had the surgery on both hips (not at the exact same time – 1 month apart) at 8 months as mentioned in previous posts. The right hip was worse, though. It has been years since the bi-lateral surgery and he still favors the right hip occasionally. Plus when he runs full throttle, he uses both legs together like one in the same way you are describing. It does get better over time but the hips are not 100% perfect. In my dog’s case, the hind quarters had shrunk to 50% due to muscle atrophe. Today he looks COMPLETELY normal but it did take many months for the body to re-build muscles over the top of the joint.
February 29, 2012 at 7:11 pm
Jakki
I am glad to hear Olly is doing well,i realise he had the surgery for perthes this will take a couple months maybe more before his muscle builds up,my Molly after having a hip replacement on 9th december is doing really well she is a westie and the muscle has built up she is running easily and jumping there are no signs of limping and is one happy dog all we need now is for her coat to grow back fully and there will be no signs of ever having anything wrong so give it a couple months and Olly will be fine he is obviously free from the pain good luck let us know how he is doing in a few weeks
March 6, 2012 at 11:28 pm
Leigh
Hi, my little Yorkie, is having a full hip replacement next Weds he is ten months old. We noticed that he picked his left back leg up in the cold spell a few weeks ago. We was gob smacked to find out it was Legg Perthes disease ( had never heard of it ) Our little boys only weighs just over 2lb! Thank god we have insurance as it is going to cost in the region of 4000 pounds. Although we will need to pay a bit towards it. My main worry is the aftercare. He has a brother and they play all day together, they was the only two in the litter and they don’t leave each other alone, they whimper if apart! Does anyone know is it hereditary? To top it of we have just found out our 4 year old Chocolate lab has Cancer.. But that’s a different story… Thank you for listening……
March 7, 2012 at 12:32 am
kymchatfield
It is hereditary, by the way, and the breeder needs to be told about this problem and stop breeding the parents. I didn’t make that point clear before…
March 7, 2012 at 12:30 am
kymchatfield
Leigh, In California where I live, by law if a breeder sells a dog with this disease, they are obligated to return your money or pay the medical expenses. It’s a good thing you have insurance but you should also report this to your local dog registry! The parents should not be breeding the parents of your puppy any more. Our puppy was about 4 pounds when he had the surgeries – each hip about 1 month apart. If you read other posts, other vets opted to do both hips at the same time. As for your other puppy, I wouldn’t be concerned! I would think it would be beneficial and perhaps even quicken the recovery since the dogs will play together. Main thing is, don’t worry about this! Your dog WILL be fine. Go ahead with the surgeries. (((hugs)))
March 7, 2012 at 10:16 am
Carolyn Westwood
My dog had bilateral surgery at the same time, and I must admit I sent my other dog to a dog sitter for a couple of days so that Alfie wouldn’t be tempted to get too”rough and tumble” with him. They were back together three days after he came home, but I exercised them seperately.and kept a close eye on when they were together.
Alfie, although a lot younger, is the dominant dog and soon made it known when he’d had enough.
I’m very much in favour of letting your dog dictate the pace of their healing. i.e short walks, seperating them if they find play too demanding. I was very fortunate, Alfie was pretty active within 3 weeks although it took about 4 months for his muscle tone to get to where it should be.
I’m also a huge advocate if they have Legg-Perthes in both hips of having them done at the same time. It means they cant favour one leg, plus just one set of trauma, but that’s my personal opinion, others may differ on that one.
Please tell both breeders. I was very friendly with the owner of dad and to my dismay he went on to breed another 2 litters. Fortunately none of the dogs have inherited this horrible disease, the bitch never bred again, so maybe it was from that side. But our friendship has been very strained because of him breeding still. In the UK as far as I know there’s no compensation or legal requirement on the breeders, but feel there ought to be once L-P has been diagnosed.
Best of luck and I hope everything goes well. You sound as if you’re going for hip replacement rather than femur bone removal (or whatever the technical, medical term is :p ) as I paid a quarter of your bill. But, like you, I had insurance. Thank God ! Here’s to a quick and effective op and recovery.
Carolyn
March 12, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Erika
Chiquito, had his surgery on both hips 5 days ago, he is doing well in terms of eating, drinking water, he is starting to stand up but he is not sure about the walking, Ive heard that the normal time for walking is between 3-5 days, today is the 5th and Im starting to freak out!!!!! is it normal??????? I am giving him his theraphy 4 times a day doesnt seem to be in pain at all, but still doesnt walk. =(
March 12, 2012 at 6:11 pm
Carolyn Westwood
Have you tried putting him on the lead and gently leading him 2 or 3 steps at a time? It is still very early days, but your vet should reassure you. I’ve forgotten how long Alfie was ( he had both hips done at the same time, too.) I think it was about 3 or 4 days but it really was only a few steps. It took him a good 3 weeks before he could manage any distance, like the end of the road, and 5 months before I would say he was where he looked and exercised normally.
If it was me, I’d tell the vet and see what he thinks. All the best xx
March 12, 2012 at 6:34 pm
kym
Are you giving the dog pain killers on a schedule? This is important right after the surgery and will promote walking and healing. If so, maybe the vet should look at adjusting the dosage.
March 12, 2012 at 9:04 pm
Erika
Thanks so much for the advices today Im going to the vet and we will see, he is taking his medications on time, Ii just breaks my heart to see him lying down for 5 days!!!!
March 13, 2012 at 10:44 am
jaimini bharakhada
Just an update on my lil Abha 2 weeks on from her surgery (she has her stiches out tomorrow) – she is doing really well, & was walking on the other 3 legs straight after surgery. i have 3 other dogs also – the oldest is 18yrs old & the other two are 3 & 4yrs old & very playful…. so i was worried whether i should keep them apart or not But it’s been fine as they seem to know & have been real gentle around her. Abha tends to cuddle up much more with the older dog but has stared to join in the play with the youger ones a lil in the last 3/4 days & enjoys abit of tug play with me.
she still isn’t using the back leg as yet – but maybe it’s still early days?
Thankyou again for this wonderful site & for helping me & Abha through the journey
March 18, 2012 at 2:36 pm
Ellen Warren
I have a 7 year old Westie named Miles. Our vet recently diagnosed him with hip dysplasia. After reading about Legg-Parthes disease, I am beginning to believe this is actually what Miles has. Is it possible for the symptoms of the disease to be so slight that I wouldn’t notice them until he started to limp recently? The x-rays show it affects both hips. He limps more on his left left, but the right hip appears worse on the x-ray.
April 2, 2012 at 5:38 pm
Erika
Update on Chiquito’s case, its almost a month that Chiquito had both sides done, the first 5 days they were very hard, he could not stand up and he was miserable. After the 6th day he started walking slowly on fourth leggs, but he became and acrobat, when he starts walking fast we walks with his 2 front leggs, but he is doing so much better!!! the only thing he can’t do is jump, and on the left legg he still limps a bit, but the vet told me that side was the most damage one. His little tush is still without fur, but I hope it grows back soon. But its amazing how our little one’s they have the cappacity for recovering so fast!!!
PS I live in Montreal and Chiquito was diagnosed overhere, but for thesurgery they were charging S2,200, so I am mexican, so I talked with my vet overthere, they charged me for the same surgery with speacilist, xrays, medications and hospitalization $600, amazing huh? it makes you think what is more important for the veterinarians the animal or the money?
May 27, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Kathy Reed
My yorkie is now one tear out from surgery and it’s like neverhad a problem. He runs,jumps,plays like there was never a problem. His recovery has been amazing. Harley is four pound yorkie with the heart of a rotweiller. Nothing stops him. That surgery was made him whole again and he was never supposed to use that leg again. I guess no one told him!!
May 31, 2012 at 1:22 am
Sarah
My baby (a yorkie) is 10 months old and just got diagnosed today. As any mama, I’m beside myself knowing the pain he’s in. Thank you for this blog. It’s given me hope and strength knowing he’ll be just fine. Surgery next week and then, it sounds, the hard part begins…but we’re a pretty tough duo!
May 31, 2012 at 11:52 am
Carolyn Westwood
This blog is wonderful. All the best with the surgery, hopefully all our success stories have helped.
I’m just looking at Alfie who had both his hips done about 18 months ago. He went out with friends yesterday and walked 6 miles along the coastal footpath, no problems. :p The only side effect is now he lets off wind at a truly epic rate. Air freshener is a must! He’s much more active than his owner, though I’m less smelly!
I didn’t find the rehabiliation too bad, far, far less traumatic than some others so I wish the same for you. Let us know how your little chap gets on. xx
June 20, 2012 at 6:13 pm
Sarah
Cebolla is doing great. I was prepared for the worst but he has far exceeded my expectations! He slept through the night the first night and has been walking around the house since the morning after the surgery. He’s been eating more than he did before the surgery. He no longer cries and the barking has gone down too. He went to the bathroom right away and has full control of that as well. I’m optimistic that he’s going to bounce back sooner than later.
June 19, 2013 at 7:48 pm
Sarah
We’re a year out (yesterday) of cebolla’s surgery. He’s walking fine on his leg though he still limps around when its cold or rainy (like a little old man). Lots of PT over the year and lots of swimming but it has really paid off. He back to his old antics – and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
May 31, 2012 at 2:06 pm
kathy kresge
Well my 7 year old pekingese (Snowden ) is 7 weeks out of surgery and is on his last day of physical therapy. His vet says he’s doing great and has released him. But will continue to monitor his right leg as that one will need done as well soon. I am so happy to have my boy painfree and back to himself. My vet is wonderful. As well as all staff. Good luck with all that go through this surgery for/ legg perthes
June 28, 2012 at 11:46 am
Nancy Woolley
Hello everyone.. our 8 month old Morkie was just diagnosed with LPD and it is comforting to see all of these positive outcomes! We are thinking about getting a second opinion before we jump to the surgery with our regular vet. But whatever we decide, I will be checking back here often! Thank you for this sight of hope for a great future for our little Callie!!
June 28, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Sarah
Hi Nancy.My orthopedic surgeon did a “second opinion” before he would do the surgery. My yorkie’s recovery has been much better than what I had built up in my head. I believe this has been the best thing I’ve done for my very spoiled puppy. Good luck to you and your puppy.
June 28, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Carolyn Westwood
🙂 All the best for Callie, Nancy. The sooner it’s done the less bone damage there’ll be. Wishing you both many years of activity and fun together.
July 4, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Irene
Hello everyone. My chihuahua mix, Wally, just had right patella surgery and from the xrays, the vet diagnosed him with bilateral LPD. He is 15 months old and the thought of having to put him through another surgery just breaks my heart, but I know he needs it or he will be in a lot of pain. It’s a really difficult thing to deal with as I have no insurance and I love the little guy so much. I know I have to focus on getting his knee better first, but his hips are on the back of my mind all the time. Thank u so much for this blog. Your’s and so many other’s successful outcomes have mad me feel more optimistic about his prognosis.
July 24, 2012 at 11:07 pm
Bonnie Dugan
I am wondering if someone could tell me how his/her dog is doing after 4 yrs since the surgery. Thanks.
July 25, 2012 at 8:06 am
chichimydog
Well Chi Chi is 2 years after surgery and is 100% pain free. She still may lift the leg when she runs but walks on it all the time. She also my lift it if she gets up from being asleep or is a bit stiff in the evenings. I’d be interested to know about how much people are walking their dogs after the surgery (once they are fully healed). I love to walk but often leave her behind because i feel the walk might be too much for her. She does about 2/3 miles per day. My partner thinks she’d be well able for more, but I’m more hesitant. I read up through the thread that someone walked their dog 6 miles – is this regular? Are they OK doing big long walks?
July 25, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Carolyn Westwood
I think it was me who said Alfie walked with friends for about 6 miles. However, this isn’t his normal exercise, dogs who get perthes are usually very small, so I think a couple of miles a day is fine.
But I know when either of my dogs have had enough, they let me know! (The older one has problems of his own, not joint related, but Alfie just sits and wont move if he’s had enough!!) I pick him up for a minute or two, but he leaves me in no doubt he’s ready to go home. 🙂
August 18, 2012 at 12:28 am
Bonnie Dugan
I did post in July, but need, please, to know how to get my dog to put his rear leg down. It is just slightly off the ground (you wouldn’t notice unless you take a big look) & he has lost muscle. (now 5 yrs old). I am trying desperately to not have him go under the knife again. The Vet says he may have a disc problem & an MRI may be necessary. There is no pool near by. What about a chiropractor? Thanks Bonnie Dugan
June 19, 2013 at 7:54 pm
Sarah
We did PT to help with this. Stretching has helped and we also have little puppy leg weights to help build the muscle. He takes one quarter mile walk a day with the leg weights (after that he’s pooped). We also found swimming to help with developing the muscle again. There are still times though when he lets his dangle…but more from habit than not being able to use it.
August 18, 2012 at 7:05 am
Jakki
I would be tempted to get another opinion on your dog ….Has he had surgery yet ? if he has then definately get another vet to look at him my molly had hers in dec 2011 and 6/8 weeks later was running around as good as ever and also now her muscle has totally rebuilt her onl;y problem she does not attempt to jump from a chair or on to one but other than that she is really good ….she was spayed this week as the vet said not to let her have pups and she has handled that real well ….good luck with your dog hope you get answers soon
August 18, 2012 at 1:13 pm
Bonnie Dugan
Hi! Benson is a miniature poodle (20lbs. Perthes surgery when he was one; he is now 5.We used to walk 5 mi. daily…he was fine until recent months. He started biting his leg & crying. I cut the mileage but didn’t help. I have since been to an Orthopedist 2 times. He was crated for 4 weeks;has no pain but doesn’t put his foot “flat” on the ground. Vet says if he doesn’t improve by mid Sept..an MRI will be necessary & perhaps surgery. Swimming has been suggested but there is no pool near me.Thanks….Bonnie
August 18, 2012 at 2:49 pm
Jakki
My friends dog was like that and they found out was knee problem his foot did not lay flat he had to have an op on it…..he had also had the perthes done a few years earlier, he is an airdale terrier, good luck with Benson…….My dog Molly had a total hip replacement not the perthes op she is a westie
August 19, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Colin Leslie Beadon
We’ve a tricolour JRT, Shay, about a year old with the problem. On the 24th July he had the op on his right rear leg here in Barbados (We have super vets). Being a JRT he is so full of energy and it makes him so upset when I have to leave him home on our walks. But I take him twice a day on a very short walk, to make up for it. He has started to just help support himself with his leg, and I massage him as often as I can, though he won’t let me do any moving of that leg. He is just a great guy. We’ve always had and loved our JRTs. The last two passed away after 14 and 15 years. Shay has a mate JRT Sadie. She’s without the problem, older, but spaded.
February 16, 2013 at 12:18 pm
SWT
SWT, 10 months olds maltese, operated 2 days ago.
Surgery at 11.00, I took her home at 14.00, she was shaking and in pain and discomfort for 2-3 hours, frozen peas helped releive the pain (use cloth, – not direct contact to skin). Much better after that, although we woke up every hour or two at night. First need (toilet) was uncontrolable, keep a nappy. Evening one ok. After 24 hours she walked, even ran (urged her with treats) to start moving. Ok with pills, I was carefull with food, -some chicken juice and chicken bites, -little be little. When she started pills I gave her also some dry food too. AND a lot of Reiki, Hopefully she will start using this leg soon. Thanks to all who share their stories. When one first hears about this there may be a lot of worry. It’s good to hear that it is not that bad. I think I worried much more than needed… 🙂
June 19, 2013 at 7:17 pm
Kay
I have a 10 month old yorkie who just had this surgery a week ago today. He did great! Basically no swelling and showed no signs of any pain or discomfort. The only question I have is, I was told, at first, that he would have to be crated form1 month. Then the vet changed it to two weeks, with only bathroom privileges. Everything I have read has shown other dogs being able to walk as soon as possible. Has anyone else been told to crate their dog for two weeks?
June 19, 2013 at 7:45 pm
Sarah
I was told to not let him (yorkie) jump around and no stairs. I would only have to crate him if I needed to settle him down. He was walking (limping) around the next day and increased his walking by the end of the week. We’re a year out now and he still does favor it when it’s cold or going to rain but he’s walking 2 miles every other day using all fours. We did 4 months of PT and that helped tremendously and swam right away starting right after the staples were out to build the muscle and stretch the leg.
June 19, 2013 at 8:54 pm
Kay
Thank you. I have not crated him because he stays right beside me. I am not really comfortable with my choice of vets, especially after I was told a month and then was told that , after reading, the vet had decided it only required 2 weeks:(. Just using my own better judgement 🙂 Thanks again for your comment:)
June 20, 2013 at 10:39 am
Carolyn Westwood
It’s nearly 3 years since my dog’s operation and I never crated him. He was walking very short distances from the time he came home and, after about a month was nigh on back to normal, although it took longer to get his “jump”. I’ve always believed that your dog will show you if he’s in discomfort and I went at his pace. Although I had a crate prepared he wanted his normal bed.
Wishing you both a long and happy life together. You’d never think mine had had this dreadful condition. He’s a normal healthy, happy JR now, up to all sorts of mischief.
July 8, 2013 at 3:30 pm
Kay
When you took your dog back to the vet to have sutures removed, did you see the vet, and did they check your dogs leg or anything?
July 8, 2013 at 4:06 pm
Carolyn
Yes. I cant really remember how thorough the vet was, but he did win an award for his work in vetinary orthopaedic surgery soon after, so I think I had the best!
He definitely felt gently all along the hind leg because I remember Alfie winced, but was brave…..bless.
He didn’t have hydrotherapy but the vet advised I cycle his legs gently a couple of times a day, which I did, with difficulty. :p Not because he was in pain, but he was too active.
If you have any worries go back to the vet. That’s what they’re paid extortionate rates for! And, from your earlier comments, maybe change your vets. I so hope your little Yorkie has made a full recovery.
July 8, 2013 at 4:19 pm
Kay
He is doing better on the leg that had surgery. Unfortunately, he will have to have the same on the other leg soon. I am just really, really concerned with this vet. I have not seen this vet from the time that I took him in for the first x-rays, only talked on phone. One of the vet assistants removed his stitches and handed him to me. No vet check or anything. Just a big bill:/
July 8, 2013 at 8:20 pm
Carolyn
That’s appalling! Can you change vets? Alfie had both hips done at the same time, the theory being one anaesthetic and trauma was better. Worked out really well. The vet should have seen him, it’s a major op for gawds’ sake!
Can you ask around to get a better vet? This one sounds poor. 😦
All good wishes and keep us informed.
July 8, 2013 at 8:51 pm
Kay
Yes, I will be looking for another vet before we have the next one ( if we even need it.) My original vet moved and closed her office, and I thought I had researched this one:(. I had him neutered while he was under, and she apparently was being a little too aggressive and somehow ripped one of his testicles? She had to make another incision in his tummy to correct that. Of course she didn’t charge for the neutering:/
October 4, 2013 at 8:54 pm
Diane
My Male Cairn Terrier was diagnosed with Bilateral LCP at 7 months. He was also diagnosed with a neurological disorder that affects his front gait. He became our baby the day I brought him home and I can’t bear the thought of putting him down. We were sent home with arthritis medicine for pain. We decided to wait to see if it progressed. He is 10 months now. This week it has gotten worse. He is with my local vet now, sedated, to get the best X-rays we can possibly get for referral to an orthopedic surgeon. We live in California. We are looking at hip replacement as the best option. Anyone with hip replacement experience on their small dog?
October 14, 2013 at 7:07 pm
Maggie
Our Westie had bilateral LCP. In her case, I think all they did was remove the deteriorated femur heads on both legs. I will say that because we took care of this early, we were pretty lucky in how well Lily did. I HIGHLY recommend finding some way to get the surgery. It does work, if you have the right surgeon, and while the recovery period is long, your dog will be back to his playful self in no time. The only difference will be that he won’t be in constant pain anymore.
February 19, 2014 at 6:20 am
Alex
my Westie is 8 months he has LCP since last month on his left back leg. He is limping more when it rains, but he stands on 4 legs, runs in the backyard limping or not. He loves to walk every morning, limping or not. The vet said to wait and see a couple of weeks for something (surgery) that could be necessary…. I really don’t know if surgery is a must. I am more scared about going through it and rehab than keeping the dog like that. He goes on stairs everyday by himself, sometimes he waits a few minutes to make it, but stills going on. What is best? How long do I have to wait?
February 19, 2014 at 11:54 am
Carolyn Westwood
You don’t. You have the surgery as quickly as possible. It may help to read through everyone’s comments on here and see just what a horrible condition this is.
It’s incurable and progressive and delay will only mean more damage and distress for your dog. It doesn’t matter how mobile or OK he seems now.
Every day he’s losing more bone.
Sorry to be so blunt but after surgery their prognosis is excellent. No one would believe my 4 year old JR once had difficulty jumping or anything.
It’s not cheap, but it’s so necessary. Best of luck.
February 19, 2014 at 3:23 pm
hpwebsites
I agree with Carolyn. My Westie was about the same age as yours. He seemed fine until he started limping now and then. I thought he had something stuck in his paw I couldn’t see. When I took him to the Vet he took the x-rays and told me he had legg perthes disease. He said he needed surgery as soon as possible because all it would take was going off a curb or something simple and the bone could break through, which would be worse. We had the surgery done days later and the Vet said the bone was crumbling as he was removing it. It was a miserable first couple of weeks and a long recovery, (he walked on three legs for a long time) but he is now 3 and you can’t keep him still. He runs on all four legs and plays like it never happened. I’ve had two hip surgeries since then and he is doing much better than I am. I have many other entries on this site about Buster you can read. Good luck to you and please don’t wait any longer.
February 19, 2014 at 3:33 pm
Carole
Alex, sorry I noticed my name came up as hpwebsites which I use in business blogs sometimes. If you want to read more about Buster’s recovery in the above blogs it is under my name Carole
August 20, 2014 at 1:26 am
Kim Tomich
This site really set my mind at ease. Our 8 month old miniature pinscher Harley was diagnosed with legg-perthas in his right leg last November. Like many people, I had never heard of it. Once I started researching it, we were devastated, thinking that this wonderful energetic dog would never be able to run or jump again. Boy, was I wrong. It has now been 8 months since the surgery, and you would never know anything had ever been wrong. Recovery has been remarkable, far exceeding our expectations. It took a few weeks for him to start using that leg, but having another minpin puppy 2 months younger to play with made it hard to keep him from running and playing, 3 legged at first, then slowly starting to use the fourth. I had plans to use a life vest for water therapy in the bathtub (it was winter here), but never needed to, since our other puppy seemed to be the perfect physical therapy for Harley. He now races around our 4 acres chasing swallows and other birds, jumps up on the couch without needing the ramp anymore, completely happy and best of all, pain free. Our vet bill was around $1,300, totally worth saving our sweet baby. Thank you for all the encouragement from the previous posters.
August 20, 2014 at 3:06 am
Alex
hi don’t trust the vets. My westie has the disease in one leg and the vets (3 of them) said that it will take the other back leg. This was 4 months ago, I decided not to get into surgeries because it takes very long and it is too expensive. At the end what is a dog life? he is very happy, I bought a whole tube of 60 pain relievers, he never asked for, he is walking normally, yes normally and when he runs he limps in one leg. my dog is absolutely happy, he has fun, sometimes he runs like crazy playing with my kids, he gets tired sooner than other dogs of course, but he is really fine. If you cannot afford surgeries, leave him like that do not put him down. I brought it last week to the vet because of an allergy from a flea bite, he examined him and told him: the head of his femurs may be repaired by the cartilage that has grown instead, the dog is fine….absolutely crazy that was one of the same vets that told me months ago to put him down or bring him to surgery without giving me any choice. Vets are an industry as any other service. good luck, don’t get sad dogs don’t know about pain as we do, they know how to live their lives.
August 20, 2014 at 4:42 am
Lucia H.
My toy poodle Cuppy was diagnosed with Legg-Parthes disease when she was only 10 months old….But it took a second opinion to get the right diagnosis.
My first vet said it was her knee cap and she was about to go for knee surgery, but my gut feeling convinced me to get a second opinion, and that saved my little girls quality of life.
Even with this second opinion I did lots and lots of research and went for the surgery to remove the upper part of her femur bone…..It took about 2 weeks for her to start using that leg, and also twice a day physical therapy exercises (which I did myself after research), and in less than a month she was an entire different puppy!!!! No more pain, no more limping…it’s been 2 years since her surgery and she is the happiest doggie ever!!!!
No regrets at all…I am so happy for her. Sometimes she picks up that leg to go potty, but that’s about it…she runs like a dirt devil and hops like a mountain goat 🙂
If your dog gets the right diagnosis I would recommend surgery for sure.
I hope this helps.
August 20, 2014 at 10:52 am
Carolyn Westwood
I’m sorry, Alex. Your post made me very sad. “What is a dog’s life worth?” you ask. To which my answer would be you provide a loving, nurturing home treating them with love, discipline and looking after them when they are ill or need care.
I’m glad your dog is mobile, he’s probably stoic as my little one was,
Vets don’t recommend major surgery for nothing, though I agree that they will treat minor conditions at the drop of a hat.
I wish your dog a pain free existence for as long as is possible, but I could never agree with you. The only cure for Legg Perthes is surgery, not pain killers which will mask the symptoms.
I’m curious. How does a dog ask for painkillers?
August 20, 2014 at 2:09 pm
Alex
Carolyn I think you misunderstood the situation. My dog is very very happy and suffers no pain at all. Pain killers were not necessary. When I asked what a dogs life worth I was trying to explain that vets are putting the owner and the dog under an unfair pressure:” surgery or putting him down”. There is certainly a third option, taking care with a lot of love for your dog as we do. before taking these unfair decision, I went to an association a westie association that rescue them. They said they could take the dog make the surgeries and give him to somebody else. I asked them if paying for one surgery they will be able to do the second one, do the treatment and send it back to me as they were going to give him to somebody else. Why couldn’t they help us and give him back to us??? They answer me they do not this kind of service…even paying for one surgery. So as you can see we took all the possible options and explore them to avoid having to deal with vets and invented treatments that could took years for a dog who was 7 months only. Our dog is today very very happy, does not feel any pain, runs and limps, like any human having this problem. Nature is the solution. So as you may know, dogs express their feelings but they have a different conception of pain and medicine. He is not stoic, he is having fun, barking everywhere, hunting squirrels as any terrier. What I was trying to say is avoid this kind of unfair situation of surgery/dying that it is inexistent. Dogs as human can live with the disease and be happy.Dogs will certainly ask for pain killers if they don’t want to walk and cry, I don’t know, do you? It never happened yet 🙂
Anyway, there is no rush if you cannot afford the surgery, take a look about how your dog evolves and make your own choices.
If we talk about breeders, they gave my money back, they just wanted the papers and literally abandoned my dog in my hands. Very nice from a pro isn’t it?? make your own conclusions about their lives, their pains and the animal business and balance all of it. good luck,
August 20, 2014 at 2:20 pm
Alex
I forgot we walks around the house up and down the stairs as well. No restrictions, now he is learning how to jump out from the car, because he cannot get in yet he is not tal enough. Supervision, considering his limitations, and measuring his challenges is the best, when books tell you that if you do not do the surgery, dog must stay in a cage… who is going to leave him in a cage? When walking him we do not walk kms everyday, just a couple of blocks and get back, sometimes, we go for an adventure walk like 2km, but he never feels pain, he needs to stop sometimes, but he is happy wants to socialize with dogs, investigate in the woods as any other dog does.
He is also digging a lot, chasing butterflies and insects (loves to eat ants…). What else? relax Carolyn, they can also be happy with their disease and out from a condemned life into the the vet hospitals.
March 8, 2015 at 1:18 am
Krystal fergusson
We are looking for all the help we can find! We have raised $100 so far to help our puppy Fern have a happy, health life! We are reaching out to all the area charities, shelters and foundations to help spread the word! This is not a scam we are a small Des Moines family trying our best to give out dog a wonderful life! We would like to do all we can before surrendering her or worse putting her to sleep! We are desperate for all the help and support we can find thank you for your time. Here’s the link to help our little fern!
http://fnd.us/c/7xF70
March 22, 2015 at 5:10 am
Adriana Aguirre
I have a pit bull who was just diagnosed qith this disease is that normal. I cant find this accuring in a pit. Anyone .?
February 7, 2017 at 8:59 am
Trevor
I am planning on adopting a little dog that has perthes disease. She currently is 10 days post-op and has a fair amount of swelling around the hip that was operated on. I am worried that something is wrong because most of the literature says the swelling should be gone after 5 days. Can anyone tell me what their experience was. I have gotten permission to take her back to the vet at the end of the week but would like to know if this was something anyone else has experiences.
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