Several weeks ago, Jeri posted a little known Pekingese medical condition and she is still coping with the decision making process that must be made to decide the future welfare of one of her Pekingese pets in her home. Jeri is my friend and it distresses me for her to have to cope with this when pets should bring happiness and joy to our lives and now heartbreak, expense, and loss of time, and other resources. On Azpekelist Yahoo Group we an divide our sorrows and multiply our joys via group support. Pekingese and other small breed dogs have the medical condition explained below.
Please look at this excellent web site explanation of the problem and it shows the x-rays before and after surgery of a condition which Jeri’s Pekingese, less than 1 year old, is experiencing. Even with surgery, her beautiful pet Mulan will require rehabilitation therapy and will still be lame because there will be no joint left in a hip socket to support mobility but at least the pain will be gone. The surgery is at least $900 and one new vet wanted to charge her $2200 for the same procedure! Saturday she got the x-rays from her 1st vet and brought them to Dr. Svoboda’s Palm Glen Animal Hospital on Northern and 43rd Ave who said he would charge only $900. The cause could have been either an injury that interrupted blood supply to the joint or a genetic condition and so it is not advised to breed the affected pet.
This costly procedure merely alleviates pain, and after surgery,there must be rehabilitation given to the dog plus bone medication. There are therapy books being sold for about $20 and upwards listed at the above site providing a link within link to help the owner help their pet.
This is a difficult decision for Jeri and Mark to make concerning their pet. I really feel that in this case from what I have learned, I would not elect surgery at any cost, but would let nature run its course giving palliative care and medicines. The decision she and Mark must make is what I now term a VET BET, there are no guarantees, and it does cost a lost of money down on the table, and you may risk a result that continues to be a problem perhaps greater than existed previously.
Modern veterinarian practices and medicines are remarkable, and they most assuredly save lives, correcting for accident, illness, and certain defects, advocating good health and hygiene practices while providing owner education and training. However there are time and cost constraints limiting what any vet can do to help our pet.
Nature is never a bet, it is a given. It is fate versus destiny. All the kings horses and all the kings men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
Let the vet bet. The odds are better with him. He is educated and trained to provide for the welfare of you and your pet. However it is you that must actually place that bet for your pet.
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Azpekelist Owner/Moderator: Yolanda Martin (My Song Pekingese Park), http://ymmartin.com and http://ymmartin.com/html2
