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Winter 2008
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SHARED REAL STORIES


Photo: Tank

 

 

 

My Rottweiler 'Tank'
Dealing with Hip Laxity and Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO)

Submitted by Patricia Ann McCarley

 
We have been dealing with our new Rottweiler, Tank (Varus Vom Neuen S------) and his diagnosis of "hip laxity". Tank will be ten months in a couple weeks. 

Tank is the sweetest guy -- loves everyone, including our mail carrier! He and our cat 'Meeko' are best friends and he has yet to meet a person or other dog he dislikes.   Tank started limping one day and seemed to struggle to get up from a laying position. After a round of x-rays our vet said his hips were very loose and would cause him to develop full blown hip dysplasia eventually. Though I have had the same vet for many, many years I just could not buy this diagnosis, so off we went to another vet in Santa Rosa...same diagnosis.

Back to our vet we went and he referred us to two different surgeons. The surgeon re-x-rayed Tank and came up with the same diagnosis as the other two. His recommendation was a bilateral triple pelvic osteotomy which Tank had done on March 23rd. Veterinary Surgical Associates and Dr. Andy Staatz are a wonderful, caring group of people and I could not have asked for better care for Tank or myself!  The surgery went very well and the surgeon believes he was able to get a very good correction. Surgery was on a Tuesday and we brought Tank home Friday with his Rimadyl, Cefzil and Acepromazine. When we gave him the Acepromazine that evening it got ugly! He became very aggressive. The next day we called the surgeon who said it is not an unheard of reaction, but is unusual, so we discontinued using the Acepromazine!  Needless to say we had little sleep that night.

Photo: Triple Pelvic Osteotomy X-Ray (Not Tank's)
Triple Pelvic Osteotomy X-Ray (Not Tank's)

Photo: Tank's incision site one day after surgery
Tank's incision site one day after surgery

He has six incisions, was very swollen at first and has a poodle hair cut!  He is confined to his crate for sleeping but can get up with a sling and leash to potty several times a day. He can also come into the living room with us and lay on his blanket, which he seems very content to do. He was having problems urinating fully and tended to wet himself while asleep, but over the last few days, this is resolving as the swelling in his penis and testicles subsides. A good thing as my washer and dryer are going to wear our form washing his bedding!  In the hospital he would only eat if hand fed and he continues to want this at home, which for now is fine with me. As long as he is happy and content I will do whatever I have to do.

Photo: Tank five days after surgery
Tank five days after surgery at his pond
(note the back loin sling and towel wrap around the neck)

He will have his staples removed Monday and will continue to have to use the sling for at least one month. After six weeks we will have x rays to confirm bone healing then can start on some physical therapy and actual walks.  If this all works the way it should he should not have hip problems in the future.

But, I must say that if I had to do it over again, I may not choose the same path. This was a huge surgery, five hours in length and the recovery is long and difficult for dog and owner. At not quite ten months Tank is used to chasing the cats, jumping on our bed and generally being a puppy. He has pain I am sure and itches from the hair regrowth, not to mention the staples in his skin. He had a very hard time stooling and peeing at first, still cries in  his sleep some times, hates being walked with the sling, especially to potty (usually a private moment for him). He is pretty good about not chewing or licking his incisions but wears a towel rolled up around his neck when he is alone in his crate just in case. We have had to disguise his meds in baby food, prefers boiled chicken hand fed to him and needs frequent massages from mom and dad along with assurances that we are nearby. He has only slept all night one night and because he sleeps in our room and was needing to go out frequently to potty we have not slept well in days. Not to mention the extra laundry, cooking and cleaning associated with all of this.

I also will not go into detail about the breeders reaction concerning the news that one of his dogs had hip laxity, dysplasia. His comment was he has NEVER had a dog with hip problems (hard for me to believe if he breeds Rottweilers  given the polygenic component to this disease) and that I was an idiot as were all of the vets that we had consulted.

UPDATE ON TANK... Submitted by Patricia McCarley (05/06/04)

Tank had his final set of x-rays Monday and they could not look better!  The TPO afforded him a life free of pain and any more problems form the dysplasia. It has been a long six weeks since the surgery but in the end it has been well worth it to have a happy, healthy puppy-even though he is still sporting most of his "poodle" cut!

More info on Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO)

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