Poppy Puppy Needs Hips
Donation protected
Poppy came into my life a squirmy little 8-week-old puppy in August of 2016. She and her litter-mates were at the Trinity County Animal Shelter after being dumped at a local swimming hole.
Poppy joined her big brother, Starbuck, who was fighting anal gland cancer. She breathed new life into him and he had six wonderful months with her before he succumbed to the cancer in January of 2017. We miss him terribly.
At about six months of age, Poppy let out a massive screaming yelp one morning and came running into the living room holding up her left rear leg. It happened again the next morning and when I moved her rear legs, to my horror the hips popped in and out of the sockets.
After speaking with two vets, the options are as follows. I do nothing and Poppy will be completely crippled at a young age; she has expensive hip replacement surgery that would require travel for which my own poor health will suffer; or we have Femoral Head Osteoectomies at our local vet. FHO's are in the neighborhood of $2000 per hip, as opposed to hip replacements at $5500-12,000 per hip, plus repeated travel. The vet says Poppy is a perfect candidate for the FHO's because of her young age and the lack of damage to the hips that usually comes from not noticing it until it is advanced.
Both hips are out of the socket, but the left one needs attention first. I have been able to manage Poppy's pain and inflammation with a combination of Cosequin and "golden paste", a concoction of turmeric with coconut oil and pepper, and I have curbed her play sessions with her big dog friends so she doesn't hurt herself further. But damage is occuring every time she moves, and I can see it progressing even at her young age. She can't stretch her legs out because they don't support her, and if, God forbid, she turns the wrong way she immediately stops play and goes to lie down, clearly in pain.
It breaks my heart to see my little girl in pain. She is going on ten months at the time I write this, and she is a sweet, wiggly, slinky kissy little thing who is smart as a whip and a fantastic watchdog. I cannot face a life of suffering for her. She had a crappy enough start. I just want her to have a long and happy life, free of pain.
Any help is appreciated. This is a tall order on a disability check. I am hoping to get her left hip corrected early this summer and the right one hopefully by the end of the year. She is young and strong and healthy, and I look forward to her being able to run and play with her friends.
I am happy to provide copies of the x-rays and her health records via email. And I have lots more Poppy Photos at this link.
Thank you!
Poppy joined her big brother, Starbuck, who was fighting anal gland cancer. She breathed new life into him and he had six wonderful months with her before he succumbed to the cancer in January of 2017. We miss him terribly.
At about six months of age, Poppy let out a massive screaming yelp one morning and came running into the living room holding up her left rear leg. It happened again the next morning and when I moved her rear legs, to my horror the hips popped in and out of the sockets.
After speaking with two vets, the options are as follows. I do nothing and Poppy will be completely crippled at a young age; she has expensive hip replacement surgery that would require travel for which my own poor health will suffer; or we have Femoral Head Osteoectomies at our local vet. FHO's are in the neighborhood of $2000 per hip, as opposed to hip replacements at $5500-12,000 per hip, plus repeated travel. The vet says Poppy is a perfect candidate for the FHO's because of her young age and the lack of damage to the hips that usually comes from not noticing it until it is advanced.
Both hips are out of the socket, but the left one needs attention first. I have been able to manage Poppy's pain and inflammation with a combination of Cosequin and "golden paste", a concoction of turmeric with coconut oil and pepper, and I have curbed her play sessions with her big dog friends so she doesn't hurt herself further. But damage is occuring every time she moves, and I can see it progressing even at her young age. She can't stretch her legs out because they don't support her, and if, God forbid, she turns the wrong way she immediately stops play and goes to lie down, clearly in pain.
It breaks my heart to see my little girl in pain. She is going on ten months at the time I write this, and she is a sweet, wiggly, slinky kissy little thing who is smart as a whip and a fantastic watchdog. I cannot face a life of suffering for her. She had a crappy enough start. I just want her to have a long and happy life, free of pain.
Any help is appreciated. This is a tall order on a disability check. I am hoping to get her left hip corrected early this summer and the right one hopefully by the end of the year. She is young and strong and healthy, and I look forward to her being able to run and play with her friends.
I am happy to provide copies of the x-rays and her health records via email. And I have lots more Poppy Photos at this link.
Thank you!
Organizer
Karen Sundt
Organizer
Weaverville, CA
