After months of waiting for the final ED diagnose; today we were able to get Philippe operated. Here the two assistance are double checking everything. It's a relief to see that they take their job seriously. Of course I couldn't resist asking if they had done this before.
Although I was allowed to stay with Philippe thoughout the whole operation, I gladly declined. Not that you could see anything; Philippe was carefully covered with O.R. green bed sheets.
The operation went quite smooth, no complications. Philippe had problems waking up and I was afraid he would suffer from a delayed "emergence". Luckily they gave him another shot to speed up this process. His right shoulder is completely bald but didn't feel the need to share this with you online. I know ... barf.
The two tubules contain the bone pieces removed from his right frontleg. The left tubule shows the LPC fragment, the left tubule the piece of bone cut from his Fibula, next to his Tibia.
The surgeon who preformed the surgery described Philippe's elbows and pretty severe and a fare chance of early arthrosis. Slowing down this process depends on several environnemental factors;
1) weight control
an overweight dog is more likely to suffer from arthritis and will suffer more badly. Any excess weight is disastrous and should be slowly lost to alleviate some of the extra pressure this puts on joints.
2) proper food ... Hill's j/d (a unique food formula which contains high levels of EPA (Eicosapentanoic Acid), an omega-3 fatty acid found in high concentrations in fish oil. Research has shown that EPA can help maintain joint function. Natural glucosamine and chondroitin provide the building blocks of healthy cartilage.
3) controlled excercise
staying as supple and active as possible will help keep joints stronger for longer. Gentle exercise is important to keep Philippe active for as long as possible. Whilst jumping and running may worsen the situation, walking, gentle jogging and swimming can do nothing but good.
