Bad news for me and my lab

nomis21

I have a black lab, 23 months old and he is my best mate. I live alone with my lab and he comes evrywhere with me, iam self employed so he comes to work with me and he is never on his own.
He has bad legs, which i know is common with a lab, i dont think he is suffering. He has been to the vets today for an x-ray and its bad news.
His joints are mis-aligned on his back end and from what i can understand he has bone fissue build up on his front leg, iam so upset.
The vet said he would need to be reffered for major operations which when i asked would be expensive, i have insurance but the condition has been noted before hand when i took him to the vets for his booster and iam sure they will not cover this condition.
The vet said she wouldnt have a issue in putting him to sleep considering his condition, i cant do this, he is not suffering yet, he enjoys his walks, he can get up stairs can jump and he is happy.
I just like some advice if anyone has gone through a simmiliar situation or if anyone knows rough costs of surgery, iam sure it will be a lot of money and for now i can only consider giving my boy a good life until the time comes when he get really bad to say goodbye.

foreign_correspondent

ah no - are you sure the insurance will not cover it? What did the vet think? If he is not in pain now, he may go on for longer than you would expect, obviously you need to keep him slim to alleviate pressure on his joints and go easy on the exercise... did she give you any advice in managing his condition at all?

KVet

It would be a couple of thousand easy, most likely more

cannylass_2

get yourself over to labradorforums.co.uk - there will be a few people over there who have had similar problems with their labs and may be able to advise you.

i would give your insurance a call as well, just to see whether you have some cover.

best of luck to you and your boy, hope things not as bad as you fear......

nomis21

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

ah no - are you sure the insurance will not cover it? What did the vet think?

Iam pretty sure the insurance will not cover, i did not think the condition had been noted before today as i have nevr taken him to the vets about his bad legs before as as a main condition, i never realised it was so serious, but i did mention it when he went for his boosters last year and its on his notes.
Iam really upset, iam going to ring the vet tomorrow to see if i can keep him as long as poss without him suffering, i cant afford surgery so i can only hope i get a good few years with him.

YorkiePud_3

Oh no .. I am so sorry to hear your sad news .. I would absolutely contact your insurance though just to get it from them .. you never know, they might cover you and it is absolutely worth checking with them.

I think some vets are too blooming quick to "sort the problem" pronto when some pets can carry on longer with the appropriate medication. It sounds like your boy leads a quiet life, not as active as some labs .. and in this case, it might stand him in good stead ... not putting stress on his joints, I mean.

I think I would be tempted to go see a different vet in the practice for a second opinion as to how your boy's condition can be treated or managed. If he is happy and enjoying life, then he is far from needing to be pts.

I'd definitely look on the labrador website too .. you never know, you might find out some great advice there!

I wouldn't give up hope just yet ... if your dog isn't suffering and is happy just being with you then hopefully you can get him onto something to help any mobility problems.

Another thing as well .. I know people whose dogs have joint problems find their dogs don't seem as stiff if they lay on sheepskin ... not the fake stuff, but a proper sheepskin rug. I'm not quite sure why, but I do know of a district nurse who advises her elderly patients with joint problems to put a sheepskin rug underneath their bed blanket they lay on, too, so there must be something in it!!

nomis21

YorkiePud wrote: »

Oh no .. I am so sorry to hear your sad news .. I would absolutely contact your insurance though just to get it from them .. you never know, they might cover you and it is absolutely worth checking with them.

I think some vets are too blooming quick to "sort the problem" pronto when some pets can carry on longer with the appropriate medication. It sounds like your boy leads a quiet life, not as active as some labs .. and in this case, it might stand him in good stead ... not putting stress on his joints, I mean.

I think I would be tempted to go see a different vet in the practice for a second opinion as to how your boy's condition can be treated or managed. If he is happy and enjoying life, then he is far from needing to be pts.

I'd definitely look on the labrador website too .. you never know, you might find out some great advice there!

I wouldn't give up hope just yet ... if your dog isn't suffering and is happy just being with you then hopefully you can get him onto something to help any mobility problems.

Another thing as well .. I know people whose dogs have joint problems find their dogs don't seem as stiff if they lay on sheepskin ... not the fake stuff, but a proper sheepskin rug. I'm not quite sure why, but I do know of a district nurse who advises her elderly patients with joint problems to put a sheepskin rug underneath their bed blanket they lay on, too, so there must be something in it!!

Thanks so much for the advice, i have joined the labrador forums (thanks for all suggesting) and getting some advice and feeling better with all the advise.
I will certanly look into sheepskin, anything to keep my boy pain happy and pain free.
I will be phoning the vet tomorrow to get a more detailed info on the condition, i was to upset this afternoon.
Thanks all for your help and support.

foreign_correspondent

ask if there are any drugs, treatments or supplements that may help keep him comfortable - some people find glucosamine, green lipped mussel and omega oils helpful for dogs with joint problems, but I dont know if this would apply in your lad's case

zaksmum

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

ask if there are any drugs, treatments or supplements that may help keep him comfortable - some people find glucosamine, green lipped mussel and omega oils helpful for dogs with joint problems, but I dont know if this would apply in your lad's case

I took my dog Lucy on when she was 4, over 2 years ago now, when my daughter could no longer keep her after her marriage broke down.

She had mobility problems. She's a Golden retriever cross weighing 40kg and I started her on Glucosamine and Chrondoitin High Strength, human version, one a day, and a high strength (also human version) cod liver oil capsule, again one a day.

Although the vet was pessimistic about her chances, the difference has been phenomenal.

Lucy will never win any races, but she's happy, mobile, healthy and most importantly, pain free.

Please, please try this. The Glucosamine I got from Vitamins Direct, a buy one, get two free offer...just £9.99 for 360 capsules. Over a year's supply...and the cod liver oil £1 from Aldi for a month's supply.

What have you got to lose? And how much your dog has to gain.

Good luck.

SnowyOwl_2

I wish I could add something useful to this discussion other than to say I wish you and your boy all the very best. It might also be worth your while contacting a homeopathic vet.

In the meantime Ikea does a sheepskin rug for £19.99

ikea rug link

I hope you get some more favourable options.

nomis21

Thanks all for your support, i shall be trying everything suggested.
You have all made tonight much easier, thank you for your comments.