Ocd

[Rusky]

A few dogs coming through recently with OCD into rescue, we make the diagnosis post surrender from a seemingly healthy dog. Symptoms appear and the vet makes the diagnosis. We do all the usual re diet, glucosamine, fish oil etc and obviously pain relief as prescribed by the vet but wondering if anyone has heard of or knows of any success other than surgery.

[KJ]

Can't help you with any alternatives to surgery but there is a very different prognosis depending on which joint is affected.

[sas]

I don't think you can do anything apart from Surgery?

[OSoSwift]

Pretty much surgery, or treat symptoms until they are too severe.

[Staranais]

Can't help you with any alternatives to surgery but there is a very different prognosis depending on which joint is affected.

Exactly.

[OSoSwift]

I was always told the shoulder was the bestplace to get it. Unfortunately my dog had it in her elbows.

[Rusky]

thanks guys, pretty much as I thought, the latest has it in his hock.

[Rottifan]

So sad, I guess people may intentially surrender dogs when faced with health issues they cant afford too...my boy was 7 when diagnosed (elbows) after xrays etc, unfortunately they said they couldnt operate, he got severely lame very quickly and pain killers didnt do a great deal. I was told all I could do was manage his pain and look for a vet that did acupuncture for pain relief. In doing so i found an animal chiropractor - i was willing to try anything. After being adjusted a number of times all symptoms of lameness disappeared. My boy is nearly 11 and has walked like a puppy ever since and been on no medication/supplements and a very happy boy. There is no doubt at all that he has these issues as the xrays/tests proved this for the vets but I proved that his symptoms were not associated with this, he had pinched nerves and was out of alignment. Definitely something I cannot suggest strongly enough for everyone to try, I've been very very lucky!

[Staranais]

Oh hock is not the best place to get it. OSoSwift is right, if you have to get OCD, the best place is the shoulder, the humeral head has a large surface area & dogs seem to cope quite well with losing a piece of it. My girl got it in the shoulders and has coped very well with surgery, touch wood.

Short of surgery, I don't think much helps (and even surgery doesn't usually stop the arthritis completely). From what I know, the best course of action for hock OCD if you can't do surgery (or even if you can) is to throw all the usual arthritis meds & treatments at the dog - pentosan, glucosamine/chondroitan, fish body oil, joint diets, consistent gentle exercise, weight loss, maybe acupuncture, maybe NSAIDs.

[KJ]

I was also told the shoulder is the "best" joint to have ocd and the hock is the worst. I was also told that only about 40% of dogs with hock ocd do clinically well after surgery as joint becomes arthritic quickly. My Lab Henrietta had surgery for hock ocd when she was about 6 months old and a year after the surgery her joint was totally "trashed" with arthritis..She was on arthritis meds, pain killers, cartropehn injections, joint powder but still in pain. After having her hock fused she is a new dog

[Dagmar]

A few dogs coming through recently with OCD into rescue, we make the diagnosis post surrender from a seemingly healthy dog. Symptoms appear and the vet makes the diagnosis. We do all the usual re diet, glucosamine, fish oil etc and obviously pain relief as prescribed by the vet but wondering if anyone has heard of or knows of any success other than surgery.

I do not know where you live. If you are somewhere in Southern Queensland you could give Robert Humphreys a call, he is a fantastic chiropractor. Not sure, if he can help, but that would be an option.

Dagmar

[Erny]

In doing so i found an animal chiropractor - i was willing to try anything. After being adjusted a number of times all symptoms of lameness disappeared. My boy is nearly 11 and has walked like a puppy ever since and been on no medication/supplements and a very happy boy. There is no doubt at all that he has these issues as the xrays/tests proved this for the vets but I proved that his symptoms were not associated with this, he had pinched nerves and was out of alignment. Definitely something I cannot suggest strongly enough for everyone to try, I've been very very lucky!

That's fantastic that you had such a good response, Rottifan. I tend to agree that seeing a good chiro can assist with other skeletal issues. Not to say the chiro can always fix those 'other' issues, but by helping the rest of the skeleton to be healthy, it has to aid in strengthening the ability to cope.

[Rusky]

we are SAFE Perth so not an option..

[Rusky]

thanks for that, I use alternative treatments for my own dogs and have had great success particularly with my kelpie x lab who had an injury. I was so impressed by acupuncture I have sent many friends to the same vet.

This latest rescue dog is a really sad case but is well nourished and not overweight. A beautiful dog really,friendly with everyone and everything. There are some really knowledgeable folk on here like Erny and people like yourself with experience of similar illness. I guess after some debating I will be back here to see what the results of surgery are like. In my personal experience with close friends surgery has not been that wonderful for shoulder OCD but I guess there are a lot of factors to consider.

Thanks everyone

[SarahJ88]

I wish I had found this thread about 2 months ago, our 7 month old golden was diagnosed with ocd in the right shoulder, after a $3,500 surgery she is better but could be alot better, I know alot of people surrender there pets due to health problems they can't financially afford but when you look at her face you can't give her up or put her down just because of this set back, thank god for pet insurance!