As mentioned in earlier posts, I’ve got an almost 4-month old GSD. Yesterday, I took her to Colorado State Veterinary Hospital for her last puppy vaccines and got a 4th year student who was full of information.
Student vet took puppy to the supervising vet to go over his findings, and on the way, he ran across an orthopedist, who had the student walk and run the pup in the hall. Orthopedist said the pup’s left hind gait was off, and suggested that we sedate and PennHip x-ray (some type of manipulation to see if the hips are solidly in the socket). (For some reason, my mind pictured a human tearing apart a roast chicken.)
Anyway, student vet went on to say that if there are signs of hip dysplasia, they could perform a JPS prior to puppy attaining 5 months of age. Apparently, surgery involves cauterizing a growth plate on the pelvis, which causes tightening of the hip structure and can resolve hip dysplasia most of the time. But surgery must be done before dog is 5 months old.
I felt a bit rushed at the time, so I demurred, but indicated I would likely return in a couple of weeks to have her gait reevaluated for any abnormalities.
Has anyone had a puppy go through this type of manipulation of the hip under sedation? That part actually worried me a bit more than the surgical suggestion.
