Bad, bad news

Last Sunday I noticed some minor irregularity in Topi’s front movement. He wasn’t lame, but something was disturbing me. In the examination I got a small reaction from left shoulder joint. Being pretty well educated on growth disorders I got really worried.

On Monday I called here and there, trying to get an appointment to an experienced orthopedist. All my favs were either on parental leave or booked for weeks. At this point the most important was to get xrays done so I headed to my hometown vet and got an appointment for Tuesday. I also contacted Askel Healtcare to figure out if Copla® cartilage implant is available somewhere but it’s not.

On Tuesday we met the orthopedist. While walking and running there was nothing significant present, just the same minor irregularity which I noticed on Sunday. In the examination there was no reactions but little uncomfort in extreme streching of left fore leg. We decided to xray shoulders and elbows. Elbows were fine but unfortunately there was OCD present in both shoulders. The left shoulder was way worse than right , but both are clearly affected.

These finding are a shock as Topi has been very active and playful all the time, showing no signs of pain. He’s been trained for shows, he has been running like crazy in the woods. And he has been unwell for quite some time already. I’m just heartbroken for my pup. Why haven’t I seen him suffering :/

So here it starts, Topi’s OCD diary.

Another vet visit

Today we headed to meet another orthopedist, DVM Mikael Morelius. After examination we had a good discussion about the situation and possibilities. We decided to operate, but the fact is that the whole situation will only be known during the arthroscopy. The operating is now scheduled on Tuesday, May 9th.

I also consulted DVM Laura Hakala earlier, and she supported the idea of operation too. After 2 highest level specialists saying that we have a good chance of getting a dog with no restrictions I’m confident that the operations is the right path to go.

Getting ready

There is so many things to do before Topi’s operation. First weeks he’s gonna have a very restricted life and I need to secure his own good. At first I’ve built a pen in my bedroom, next to my work hub. That hopefully keeps him steady during the first weeks post op! Huge thanks to Kaisa for the fencing 🙂 I’ve also lowered the bed so Topi won’t be jumping up and down during the recovery. He will most likely sleep calm next to me.

Supplements arrived

I’ve read again every single paper of OCD and especially post op procedures. Supplements are playing a very important role in recovery. I chose to start with Nutrolin Hip & Joint, which includes chondroprotective nutrients like glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, MSM, krill and vitamins E & C and omega-3 fatty acids of fish oil (ETA, EPA, DPA and DHA).

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