As a general rule, the boys are not allowed upstairs. So when we invite them upstairs and they are allowed to be on a bed (here in the guest room while we are painting the bed), it's party! They are loving it.
October 22, 2013
Together
Martin and Philippe are always together. When we take them separately, they are always looking for each other.
June 20, 2011
Big boy
Philippe (here on the left) is now almost 3 years old, and practically an adult. He's big, beautiful and sweet. 37kg according to the vet.
September 12, 2009
3M™ Vetrap™
Yesterday we yet had another appointment with good old Dick van Zuylen, orthopedic surgeon with D.O.C.A. He changed the bandage and said the wound is healing wonderfully. Since 3M Vetrap has several colors, we decided to go for the extreme ... purple/pink. Doesn't it look stunning?
3M Vetrap comes in several colors. Just for the fun of it we bought fucky colors for Philippe. A fashionable dog is all that matters. *smile*
September 11, 2009
Frustrated perhaps?
Philippe: I am not adopted ... why then do you need a DVD titled "Training Your Adopted Dog"?
What do you mean relaxed ...
Philippe is doing great. He currently spends more than 20 hrs a day in his bench, this to prevent him getting up everytime we have visitors. We give him medication to slow down his excitement and boost the healing process.
His sleeping position shows he couldn't care less about his leg; thank god ... almost normal again.
September 08, 2009
Philippe's operation ...
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.
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.
June 20, 2009
June 18, 2009
June 15, 2009
Second Opinion ...
Since we were not totally convinced with the outcome done by DOCA (= Het Diergeneeskundig Orthopedisch Centrum Amsterdam) relating to possible ED, we decided to have ourselves a 'blind' second opinion. The advantage of the "blind" second opinion is that it cannot be influenced by previous information, unless you provide information concerning the earlier diagnose.
Frank Viehoff, a surgeon with Universiteitskliniek, Utrecht, provided the same medical prognosis; Elbow Dysplasia. Both LPC and a incongruent. Based on the Xrays made and the swell on both elbows. Since the Xray gives you a 2 dimentional image only he suggested to have a CT-scan made at the Lingehoeve, Lienden. If there are still doubts about whether Philippe has any form of ED, the 3 dimentional image made by a CT-scan can help us to determain the facts.
Frank Viehoff, a surgeon with Universiteitskliniek, Utrecht, provided the same medical prognosis; Elbow Dysplasia. Both LPC and a incongruent. Based on the Xrays made and the swell on both elbows. Since the Xray gives you a 2 dimentional image only he suggested to have a CT-scan made at the Lingehoeve, Lienden. If there are still doubts about whether Philippe has any form of ED, the 3 dimentional image made by a CT-scan can help us to determain the facts.
June 11, 2009
June 01, 2009
May 27, 2009
Elbow Dysplasia? Cont'd
Today we had an appointment with the Orthopedic surgeon, this to determine whether Philippe is suffering from Elbow Dysplasia (ED) Unfortunately we got bad news; Philippe is diagnosed this the following genetic defects in his elbows:
Fragmented Coronoid Process (FCP) or Loose Processus Coronoideus (LPC)
Fragmented Coronoid Process is a condition in which a small piece of bone on the inner side of the joint has 'broken' off of the ulna bone. This piece of bone irritates the lining of the joint and grinds off the cartilage of the adjacent humerus (similar to having a pebble in your shoe).
Since Philippe is still growning the Orthopedic surgeon wants to wait operating him; with our without the bone fragment Philippe will eventually experience erosion of the joint and develop arteritis at a later state. Depending on the pain and discomfort we need to determine what the best treatment will be for Philippe.
Incongruent Elbow
Bones of the elbow joint grow at different rates so do not fit together properly.
Joint incongruity is usually caused by failure of the radius and ulna to grow at the same rate. Joint incongruity may have a genetic basis, and is generally considered to be a growth problem.
Again, Philippe is still growing and the Orthopedic surgeon wants to wait to see if there is still any improvement in growth in the Radius (underarm). Phillipe will continue growing another 4 to 5 months and therefore we decided to let nature take its course. Operating now is not advisable due to not knowing whether the Radius will catch up with the Humerus (upperarm). If there will be no change in a month anda half or so, we might consider having Philippe operated.
The Orthopedic surgeon told us that both parents might carry the gene but were not affected themselves. It is most likely that other offspring pups from the same litter carry the same gene.
Usually, after the dog is 12 to 18 months of age, the lameness will have become less severe and some dogs will function very well. The long-term prognosis (outlook), however, is guarded. Usually, arthritis will occur as Philippe ages, regardless of the type of treatment.
Call it bad luck if you like but catching this at an early age will increase his changes to outgrow any severe disfunction at an older age.
To be continued ...
May 26, 2009
Full body suit for Philippe
This morning we picked up, believe it or not, a full body suit for Philippe. He is suffering from skin rash just above his tail. Martin has been licking Philippe on an ongoing basis which needed protection, giving Philippe's skin some proper rest. Although it looks fucky, it is truly a necessity. With the right cream and keeping Martin away from his fellow doggy friend, Philippe should be up and running in no time.
May 21, 2009
Elbow Dysplasia?
For quite some time now we noticed Philippe has problems walking normally like any other 6 months old puppy dog. His front legs are typically stiff when walking for dogs with Elbow Dysplasia. His gait looks painful but nevertheless he enjoys playing, walking and rumbles with his fellow doggy friends. However, we decided to have Philippe checked thoroughly, hoping to get some answers about his stiff gait.
As it seems Philippe could suffer from what is known as Elbow Dysplasia.
What is Elbow Dysplasia?
Elbow dysplasia is a term used to describe a disorder in growing bone. Normal bone growth consists of the fusion of many bones into one bone. Many bones in a newborn puppy are not just one piece of bone, but several different pieces of bone with cartilage in-between. This is especially true of long bones of the limbs. As the puppy grows the cartilage changes into bone and the several pieces of a bone fuse together forming one entire bone. For instance, the ulna, a bone in the forearm starts out as 4 pieces of bone that eventually fuse into one.
In elbow dysplasia, the cartilage between the bony areas fails to turn into bone and often becomes thickened. The cause of this may include genetic factors, trauma and nutrition. The signs of this abnormal bone growth usually develop between 6 and 9 months of age, and generally appear as lameness. Elbow dysplasia is more common in rapidly growing, large breed puppies.
Dogs with elbow dysplasia will usually display an obvious limp, may hold the leg out from the body while walking, or even attempt to carry the front leg completely, putting no weight on it at all. Signs may be noted as early as four months of age. Many affected animals will go through a period between six and about twelve months of age, during which the clinical signs will be the worst. After this period, most will show some signs occasionally but they will not be as severe.
As these dogs continue to mature, there will probably be permanent arthritic changes occurring in the joint. This will cause many obvious problems and it may become necessary to utilize oral or injectable medications to make the animal more comfortable. Elbow dysplasia is therefore a life long problem for the affected animals. Some of these dogs can be helped with surgery. In some, surgery can even eliminate the problem totally.
Next week we need to take Philippe to a Orthopaedic doctor whom will examen him. I personally hope there is nothing wrong with Philippe, since both parents are ED negative.
To be continued.
As it seems Philippe could suffer from what is known as Elbow Dysplasia.
What is Elbow Dysplasia?
Elbow dysplasia is a term used to describe a disorder in growing bone. Normal bone growth consists of the fusion of many bones into one bone. Many bones in a newborn puppy are not just one piece of bone, but several different pieces of bone with cartilage in-between. This is especially true of long bones of the limbs. As the puppy grows the cartilage changes into bone and the several pieces of a bone fuse together forming one entire bone. For instance, the ulna, a bone in the forearm starts out as 4 pieces of bone that eventually fuse into one.
In elbow dysplasia, the cartilage between the bony areas fails to turn into bone and often becomes thickened. The cause of this may include genetic factors, trauma and nutrition. The signs of this abnormal bone growth usually develop between 6 and 9 months of age, and generally appear as lameness. Elbow dysplasia is more common in rapidly growing, large breed puppies.
Dogs with elbow dysplasia will usually display an obvious limp, may hold the leg out from the body while walking, or even attempt to carry the front leg completely, putting no weight on it at all. Signs may be noted as early as four months of age. Many affected animals will go through a period between six and about twelve months of age, during which the clinical signs will be the worst. After this period, most will show some signs occasionally but they will not be as severe.
As these dogs continue to mature, there will probably be permanent arthritic changes occurring in the joint. This will cause many obvious problems and it may become necessary to utilize oral or injectable medications to make the animal more comfortable. Elbow dysplasia is therefore a life long problem for the affected animals. Some of these dogs can be helped with surgery. In some, surgery can even eliminate the problem totally.
Next week we need to take Philippe to a Orthopaedic doctor whom will examen him. I personally hope there is nothing wrong with Philippe, since both parents are ED negative.
To be continued.
May 18, 2009
April 20, 2009
Philippe's first 'water-steps'
It took Martin less than 3 months to realize that playing in the water is super fun. This weekend at Schiermonnikoog, Philippe had his revelation ...
April 19, 2009
April 10, 2009
Big boy
Let's take a moment and see what has become of Philippe, now that he's 4,5 months old. To give you an idea; Martin is currently 29.8kg and 3.5 years old...Philippe is 22.3kg. Almost the same size as Philippe is really becoming a teenager.
Noticed his head is a lot smaller than his body but gradually this will correct itself.
March 20, 2009
Philippe's brother Bruno ...
It's funny the realize that one of Philippe's brothers is called Bruno. We almost decided to call Philippe ... Bruno. Thank god we didn't.
Bruno is a spitting image of Philippe, good bone structure and nice full low chested. Very promissing.
Yet again, wet paws ... family trait perhaps?
Martin cannot resist showing all how it's been done ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)