So I broke down and took Khloe to the vet. After an X-ray a few not so great things where concluded.
1. The lump on Khloe’s nub is fiberous! It looks like a bouncy ball full of fireworks on X-ray. (I wish I would have taken a picture. Maybe when we go back next week) we where already planning to have the lump removed and sent in but now that we know how odd it looks on X-ray we are even more determined to have it removed and sent to the lab.
2. Khloe has what appears to be bits of bone along the pelvic line but closer to the skin than the pelvis, the only conclusion we could come to was that they where bits that broke off when she was hit by the car when she was little and have moved away from the pelvis as she has grown over the last year.
3. And lastly Khloe has hip dysplasia in her one back leg. The ball just doesn’t sit in the socket enough and while we could do an FHO it will be hard for me to sling her around for 8 weeks in my current state, so for now we are doing adequan injections once a week for 4 weeks then once monthly and vetprofen. If that doesn’t help then we will discuss the FHO a little further.
So all In all it looks like Khloe has a rough road ahead. It was also sad to see on X-ray that her amputated limb had better femoral head coverage than the one she was left with. As a Vet Tech I know it is often the techs and vets that end up with animals who need extra love and medical attention. I thought I lucked out on little Khloe but it seems I am just another statistical number haha. We love her and will do all we can for her, but being that she is only 1 and is now a tripod with hip dysplasia in her remaining hind limb the outlook while manageable will be rough for her. I have a feeling that when it comes her time (hopefully many years down the road) it will come down to how much non manageable pain she is in. Which is never an easy place for an owner to be.
Dawg, your little girl can’t hardly catch a break. Except, of course, ending up with a vet tech mama who loves her to pieces! There are a few pups around here who have been rear leg amps and then undergone TPLO, FHO, or ACL surgeries. If you search for those terms in the forums or blogs you should be able to find them.
One of our pack is a 5 yo rear leg amp who has dysplasia and arthritis in his remaining hip and also in both elbows. He definitely has limited mobility but he is one super happy boy anyway. He can’t tolerate the usual pain meds (he has that GSD delicate tummy) so we give him Dasuquin and salmon oil for his joints. The only time he really seems to hurt is when he has overdone things in terms of exercise and we do our best to not let that happen. He is really good at resting up when he needs to.
We participated in a stem cell trial and that helped for a month or two. Actually he got the placebo first, which helped by simply removing the joint fluid that was full of inflammatory agents and then injecting nice sterile saline solution in the joint. Then he got the stem cells and that helped too but all in all he just got a couple of months of better movement and less pain.
That nub lump sure sounds weird. Jim and Rene’s Wyatt had something similar happen in his nub and it turned out the wax cap they put on the end of the femoral remnant they left in his stump had fallen off, migrated around, and caused an infection. Does Khloe have any femur left?
Sending Khloe lots of tripawd strength from the Oaktown Pack! She is a survivor and she will get through this!
xoxo,
Martha, Codie Rae, and the OP
Khloe! No matter what happens kiddo, you could not have picked a better human to share this journey with!
The great thing about being Khloe is she isn’t worried about the tomorrows. She certainly doesn’t care avout “labels” like lumls, or hip issues, etc. Heck no! Khloe is just thrilled to be soaking up all the loving and spoiling, tummy rubs, treats and kisses she can get!
Just stay in the NOW with Khloe and savor all the treasures of the moment! She sure is!
Cheering for you!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
PS…great info. from Martha!
Hey guys, you are such amazing pawrents. She’s so lucky to be a part of your pack.
Our own Wyatt has mild hip displaysia and he’s now 6 and still doing great. The trick is to keep your pup super lean and fit, and she should hopefully be fine for a long time. And if it comes to FHO surgery, rest assured we’ve had other members go through it here and they’ve bounced back quickly. But again, don’t go there yet, take t hings day by day and follow Khloe’s lead, she’ll show you how to live life in the Now.
Glad you came back for an update. We missed ya!