I am so glad I have become part of this mailing list. I live in Pittsburgh, PA and I have a 15 month old berner named Dexter who has just been diagnosed with dysplatia in the elbows. He never shows sever signs of discomfort, he just acts a little stiff after a long night's sleep or a long nap. Being the over panicky and over emotional parents that my wife and I are, we decided to take him to the vet to have them confirm to us that nothing was wrong with him,.. just a little stiff after lying around for a while. After the vet took two different sets of x-rays(from different angles) he decided it was just growing pains but he wanted someone he felt was more of an expert to confirm this for him, so he sent the films to this other vet and after waiting, impatiently, for three weeks, the vet finally comes back with this diagnosis of elbow displatia. I informed the breeder of this and he responded to me that he was shocked because he screens all his dogs and has never heard of anything like this from any of his puppies. I immediately got confused on what to do because I wanted to do what was best for Dexter and the breeder was against surgery until he found out more specifics. I could not even get this second opinion dr to talk to me about it over the phone. The guy wanted me to shell out $60 just to have him tell me his opinion. This all makes me very leery. I am happy to see all of your comments you all have made seem to coincide with what my breeder feels. I am in the process of getting the films back and sending them to the breeder's vet for a more personable second opinion. If any of you have experienced anything similar and have some advice for me, please let me know.
Thanks Kevin C Gilarski Licensing Accountant Crown Castle USA 724 416 2572 This electronic message contains information from the Real Estate department of Crown Castle USA Inc. This message is proprietary, confidential and competitively sensitive. This information is for the use of the addressee only. Do not forward this information without the express permission of the sender. If you are not the addressee or the intended recipient, please note that any disclosure, copy, distribution or use of the contents of this message is prohibited. If you received this electronic message in error, please promptly notify the sender by return e-mail. -----Original Message----- From: Tracey Conner [mailto:traceywashere@;charter.net] Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 8:05 AM To: Berner-L Subject: Fw: Re: Looking for vet I think Sherry meant to forward this to the list--my response is at the bottom: -------Original Message------- In a message dated 11/6/2002 3:18:48 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: "Assuming a fairly cooperative dog, I think practice makes perfect. A vet or tech that does many xrays for orthopedic evaluation will do a better job than someone who's usually doing it to confirm crippling dysplasia in a pet dog....with or without meds. " I can not agree more with this statement..When I sell puppies I ask that they be x-rayed and the films sent to me.. I then include the films in a litter packet and send them on to OFA. I have to tell you that I have seen MANY films that have been sent to me by vets that were AWFUL. I have had vets tell puppy owners that their dogs were dysplastic ..only to have the films sent to me and find out that the dog is positioned poorly.. that the pelvis is tilted or the knees aren't in the proper position. 2 vets even wanted to do TPO surgery on 6 month old puppies that has films done when they were neutered..These vets told these owners that they should do the procedure now before any problems occurred. These owners called me and I asked to see a copy of the films,, BOTH were crooked.. One had a tilted pelvis. The other was a fairly good film the knees could have benn pulled in a bit more.. based on all the films that I have seen and done I would say that these were passing films.. Maybe not an excellent but most likely passing.Definately not something requiring surgery Neither one was symptomatic. Vets don't want to hear that from a "breeder" though. I asked 2 of the vets at the clinic where I work to look at the films and both agreed that they were not surgical candidates but that if the owners were not sure they should get a second opinion in 6 months from an orthopedic vet. I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place with the issue of x-rays. On one hand as a breeder I feel that I should know what I am producing as far as whole litter orthopedics. I therefore require my puppy owners to do the x-rays.. I do get them to comply but then they get films taken like the situations that I just mentioned. Now the puppy owners feel like there is somthing wrong with their puppy. Actually there is nothing wrong except the films are taken poorly. I can't ask them to have them re-taken after they just paid for the first set. The vets mostly have the attitude that I am just a breeder what do I know.. I am no further ahead than I was before the films were taken and now the Puppy owners don't know what to think.. What is the right answer?? I have to say that I am more than a bit frustrated with this whole situation Anyone have thoughts on this?? Sherry Von Engel BMD's ================================ Sherry, you have very valid points!! It makes you wonder if some vets are out there trying to find ways to make money -- versus others that are just good vets!!! I must also say it is SPECTACULAR that you are able to get your puppy owners to do the xraying!! KUDOS TO YOU!!!!! Perhaps you can also put in your puppy packet the difference between a vet that just does an xray, and a vet/specialist that knows what they are doing -- I'm not sure how to word it ... but you get my point. Obviously with pet owners (no showing/breeding) the person that benefits most from doing the xrays (and eyes, etc.) is YOU -- the breeder. This is really the ONLY way for you to truly know exactly what you are producing. My suggestion would have to be, depending on the xray and results - should they be bad (potentially) because of positioning (i.e. no arthritic changes present) -- then maybe you should offer to paty to have the xrays done again by a different vet (your choice if they are close to you). Yes, this could be costly over time ... but we don't breed for money -- at least those of us that are responsible!! :o) We must also educate owners that there are thousands of NO-SYMPTOMATIC dogs out there with HD, some quite bad ... that live forever and you'd never know they had it, unless you xrayed them. If there is no pain, and no outward effects of having HD -- please PLEASE PLEASE don't do surgeries. They don't always work, and the dog could end up worse off than they were. All it means knowing, is that you keep your dog lean, muscled, and yet not over excersized -- no agility. Just to go at the dog's pace. Seems simple enough to me. (ahh, if only life WERE simple ... to be a Berner ..) Cheers! Tracey
