Original printed byline: Stephen A.Brammeier
Historical December 1995 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
During the Holiday Season, I thought sharing a success story of Veterinary Medicine, modern technology, owner dedication and animal spirit would be appropriate. Cody is a year and a half old, male, yellow lab belonging to Ellen Block and Amy Mosher.
When he was only seven months old they brought him to me because he seemed “stiff’ and less interested, or able, to run and play with their other dog. Unfortunately, Cody did have pain in his hips; his right hip was worse than his left.
This normally very friendly, “do anything to me” dog would growl and try to bite if I tried to extend his back legs.
He was also getting aggressive about having his rear toe nails trimmed.
We made a tentative diagnosis of hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is a malformation of the hips joints of mostly larger breed dogs.
The abnormal structure of the joints leads to early joint degeneration and arthritis. Dog’s with the most serious cases, like Cody, will be very painful at an early age, generally, around 6 months. Left untreated, the dogs will, within a few months or years, be unable to walk and in constant pain. Early surgical intervention can greatly improve a dog’s condition; alleviating pain and decreasing the degeneration of the joints giving the dog the ability to move without pain. Cody’s hips were too abnormal to consider much beyond a total hip replacement.
It may sound unreasonable, or impractical, but Ellen and Amy are happy with their decision to take Cody to the University of Missouri for hip replacement surgery. Ellen says, “It was the right thing to do”.
The University told them that the success rate for the surgery was 90%, and the greatest risk was infection.
If the leg became infected the hip would have to be removed, and another replacement joint would not ever be able to be used. Sometimes, only one hip is replaced, but Cody has had both hips done; the right hip was replaced in June, and the left in late September. Ellen and Amy tell me that Cody is ” a new dog”.
He does everything he wants to do, is free of pain, and his easy-going, nonaggressive behavior has returned.
The veterinarians at the U. of Mo. expect that Cody’s prosthetic hips will serve him well for his full lifetime. Although for Ellen and Amy, “Money wasn’t the issue”, these two surgeries have a total cost of more than $3,000.
They tell me that the University gladly takes major charge cards.
I suppose Cody is going to look great as part of the Holiday celebration at their house.
With his new hips, he certainly will enjoy those winter walks in the park.
Original photograph caption
Cody recuperates at home. Photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, December 1995.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1995_12.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.
