Elbow dysplasia concerns and frustrations

[Robblank47]

Hi-
My Lab is about 2 1/2 years of age. As a pup, I played fetch and took some long hikes with him. Whether it is genetic or the result of heavy exercise is not the issue for me. It's how you deal with a dog that has elbow dysplasia.

I might come across a little selfish, but I'm really not. I'm retired and I have more or less a fixed income, so the dog expenses are a bit daunting at times relating to his dysplasia. I love my Lab of course, but I just don't want him to prevent me from doing things in my retirement, also.

The doctor says he might have bilateral dysplasia in his right elbow, also. After running just a bit, he limps, with the familiar head bobbing. A couple weeks ago he had X-rays done, and the doctor said they were useless, because he couldn't see the problem clearly. That was about $180. He said a CT scan would be better, so I had that done yesterday. That was $1,700. He'll have arthroscopy done by a orthopedic surgeon is a couple weeks, and that will run about $2500 to $3000.

Is the prognosis usually good after the surgery, where he can run and do exercises after about 2 months of recuperation? Or, will he be plagued with joint issues for the rest of his life? What experiences have others had? After the operation, will he need to be confined to the house all the time? He's about 80 pounds, and to lift him into the car can be difficult. Will that sort of activity be restricted? Any personal experiences you have had relating to your dog's dysplasia would be so appreciated.

Has anyone decided not to have an operation for the elbow dysplasis, but instead just be careful with his activities. I'm already committed to the operation, but just curious.

Thank you for any suggestions, sharing experiences or opinions.

Regards,
Rob

[Labradorks]

These are all questions that you should discuss with your vet before surgery, so you are well-prepared for handling your dog during the recovery period as well as afterward, when you should slowly increase exercise. You may want to talk to a physical therapist as well, who can help you during and immediately after the recovery period. Best of luck!

[smartrock]

There are some folks on here whose dogs have had elbow surgery for ED. The board isn't always as active on weekends as it is during the week but I'm sure someone will respond. Sorry this is what has brought you to the lab board, but welcome to you both.

Here's an older thread where a number of folks whose dogs have ED and had or did not have surgery discuss what went on with their dogs.

Limping puppy diagnosed with elbow dysplasia

[ls2erin]

My first Lab had bilateral hip and bilateral elbow dysplasia. I inquired about surgery many times, but every vet we ever saw said she was not a good candidate for the surgery. It was very severe. Her hips were much worse than her elbows though. She did fine until she was about 5 or 6 years old, no obvious signs. It seemed like all of a sudden when she started limping and showing signs of pain. She was on glucosamines and pain medicine for the rest of her life. Had surgery been an option, I would have done it, no matter the price tag, if she could have recovered from it and lived a more normal life. The cost of vet visits, medications, hydrotherapy, laser therapy, and everything else that goes along with it certainly ended up costing more than the surgery. Hopefully people with experience with the surgery will post to help you make a more informed decision. Good luck.

[JenC]

Bilateral elbow dysplasia means it's in BOTH elbows, not just one.

Our old girl, who passed a few years back, had the version called fragmented coronoid process (FCP) and had surgery on both elbows. She lived a until 11 and was very active. You'll have to consider keeping the dog's weight down and always giving supplements.

[janedoe]

Our Zo recovered well a month or so after surgery. She did have to be strictly confined during her recovery. It's been seven years and she does very well but she is still kind of hyper (she's an Aussie Rott mix) so she likes to fling herself off the stairs, jump over our other dogs etc so sometimes we do have to get certain therapies for her but these are over the top behaviors that I don't think most Labs engage in. She did agility for years so a controlled environment was very helpful.

I would recommend strictly following the surgeon's instructions for recovery. Do not make exceptions. This provides the best possibility for a full recovery and then adjust your dog's lifestyle afterwards according to the recommendations which would probably involve activity that isn't extreme but more consistent and moderate as well as supplements.

[Nancy0]

My boy Niner had laparoscopic surgery on both his elbows at 6 months. He will be 4 in July. Every dog is different , but my boy has had zero issues since healing from the surgery. He had a slight limp before the surgery. I do give him Cosequin DS plus MSN and keep his weight down as per the orthopedic surgeon. That is him on the right in the pic below

[Snowshoe]

Has anyone decided not to have an operation for the elbow dysplasis, but instead just be careful with his activities.

This is what we Have to do as Oban injured his elbow at age 6 and the Ortho Surgeon says he is not a candidate for surgery. We did rehab sessions and now help him with reduced and modified exercise, TCM, accupuncture and the latest is cold laser which impressed me all to heck. The TCM and exercise are daily, the others about monthly. I have cold gel bandages and dixie cups of ice and I do his sore spots every day after a walk and that really helps. As per the Ortho Vet Oban is not supposed to walk off leash at all or go for more than a 1/2 hour walk but I do let him off leash and we have done the odd walk longer but no more competitive Rally, rough ground, deep snow or a lot of hills. It's sure changed how I thought my retirement was going to go too.

[Dennis Thomas, DVM]

Hi Rob. I feel your pain and frustration. I have been a veterinarian for over 35 years and have a lot of experience with elbow dysplasia in the Labrador. I worked in a Labrador specialty practice in Texas for almost ten years and learned a lot about these wonderful dogs. There are many frustrating things about elbow dysplasia and hopefully I can shed some light with my experience. Elbow dysplasia is not as common as it once was, so many veterinarians have not had much experience dealing with it. This is why they are quick to send it off to the specialist for diagnosis and treatment. This is probably a good thing but it certainly increases the fees in a hurry and the end result is certainly a perspective that is heavily slanted towards surgery.

Elbow dysplasia is a conceptual diagnosis that includes several potential developmental problems with the elbow. Some include ununited anconeal process, fragmented coronoid process, avascular necrosis, etc. Basically, the end result is a degenerative joint disease leading to pain and loss of function. If the veterinarian knows what to look for, the condition can usually be identified with x-rays. However, it takes knowing how to position the elbow correctly to pick up the deficit. Conventional medial to lateral and A-P views will not highlight most of the problems. This is why most are sent off for scans. Thank goodness I practiced in the days before scans. HaHa.

The common sense approach to treatment, in my opinion, lies in the underlying cause. If there is an unstable condition such as an anconeal process that has not closed, then I would surgically repair it. IMHO, doing surgery for every elbow dysplasia is over-kill. The down side is that elbows are like Pandora's box. They do not like to be opened for any reason. Hence, there is always going to be degenerative joint disease after elbow surgery. The question comes down to the long-term condition of the joint. Will it be better with the surgery or not? Unfortunately, that is not predictable.

I have seen many elbow dysplasia Labs that did well with surgery if it was done correctly and proper post-op protocols were done, including physical therapy and joint supplements, but many were not so lucky. Since I now do integrative veterinary work (conventional and alternative modalities), I see a lot of chronic pain associated with degenerative joint disease. I am currently working on two dogs with elbow dysplasia. One is a Pit Bull Terrier that was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia at two years of age. He ended up having surgery done on both elbows at the veterinary college by an orthopedic surgeon. The surgery did nothing to help and the surgeon's referred them to a surgeon at Colorado State vet school for an implant to be placed in the elbows. This was done and it too did nothing to help. The surgeons described it as a "failed attempt." The continued pain in the elbows caused him to shift his weight to the rear legs where he, in time, ruptured both of his cranial cruciate ligaments. They too were repaired with the TPLO technique done by the orthopedic surgeons. The time period was about 2.5 years and the owners spent about $35,000 dollars on the dog. Unfortunately, when I started working with him he could barely walk across the treatment room.

Remember, there are no guarantees with the surgery, so make sure you have a thorough discussion with the surgeon and what his/her expectations are. Also, remember that arthritis will be your biggest challenge so do what you can to slow down the process. There are many new protocols that are being used these days to help with degenerative joint disease and it would serve you and your dog to investigate them. Good luck and I wish you well.