I EDC'ed the same folder for 6 months ....

ferider

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Jun 20, 2018
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Big deal, some of you might think, you might have EDC'ed a Buck 110 for 20 years :)

But this was for a different reason, and I hope you don't mind the longer story.

Meet Vidar, born in April 2020:

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After just of a couple of months with our family (wife and two other dogs), he was diagnosed with severe Hip Dysplasia, even though the breeder had told us that both parents had genetically tested negative against it.

Vidar's front ellbows were slightly affected, but both hips were constantly dislocated. You wouldn't have known from his behavior, he clearly tried to ignore it, played rough and with incredible endurance with the two older dogs, obviously tried the best to live with the constant pain.

So we had two choices: return him to the breeder (for certain "euthanasia"), or see if there was a medical solution. And - besides pain medication - there was:

- clean out his elbows at as soon as possible after his diagnosis - which we did last year (arthroscopically)
- replace both hips with titanium joints, one after the other, after he was physically fully grown. Luckily, the world's best surgeon doing this operates in a veterinary hospital two hours drive from where we live.

So we did the first hip replacement surgery in May this year, and after 3 months healing, the second, followed by another 3 months healing. Healing meaning keeping the little guy (~80 pounds) as calm as possible, enclosed in his small room, separate from the other dogs.

Last Monday, Vidar had his final check, and his surgeries were declared successful. Tonight will be the first night for him without medication. Yesterday was the first day after 6 months that he was allowed to run in the yard without leash. I have never seen a happier dog :)

Here is a little photo documentation:

His return from the first surgery:

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Very limited walks with hip support:

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Return from the second surgery:

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Lots of affection needed while being locked away:

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Two weeks ago, getting close to the final check:

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His final X-ray:

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And here is how one of the implants look:

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: : :

Call it superstition, or just trying to be supportive, this is the knife I carried for the last 6 months:

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Cheers, and thanks for listening :)

Roland.
 
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Vidar the champ!
It’s amazing what a pet can endure and recover from with all your love and caring + outstanding Vet Surgeon.
I’m really happy for you all, especially at the life that Vidar will get to enjoy now with you.
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful experience.
 
Happy for you and Vidar.

I know too well the anguish and and sense of helplessness when one of our furry friends is going through something difficult. Shayla, my own 8 year old German Shepherd has been diagnosed with cruciate ligament disease, and is facing surgery and a lengthy recovery time as well.

If you lived closer I would ask to borrow your lucky knife in hopes she will make a full and swift recovery.

Again, I'm happy for you - I didn't mean to make my post about me so much. Just trying to share that our love of our best friends sees no borders or boundaries.

Beautiful dog, great knife and best of all - a story with a happy ending. 😍
 
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Happy for you and Vidar.

I know too well the anguish and and sense of helplessness when one of our furry friends is going through something difficult. Shayla, my own 8 year old German Shepherd has been diagnosed with cruciate ligament disease, and is facing surgery and a lengthy recovery time as well.

If you lived closer I would ask to borrow your lucky knife in hopes she will make a full and swift recovery.

Again, I'm happy for you - I didn't mean to make my post about me so much. Just trying to share that our love of our best friends sees no borders or boundaries.

Thanks a lot, and to both Shayla and you, be strong !
 
Also Roland, if I could humbly suggest something (hopefully your vet already did)....make sure you get a blood screening done for Vidar now that he is off the meds. Long-term use of pain killers and anti-inflammatories are extremely hard on a dog's kidneys and liver - no different than in humans. Make sure that there are no further complications to this otherwise great outcome.
 
Also Roland, if I could humbly suggest something (hopefully your vet already did)....make sure you get a blood screening done for Vidar now that he is off the meds. Long-term use of pain killers and anti-inflammatories are extremely hard on a dog's kidneys and liver - no different than in humans. Make sure that there are no further complications to this otherwise great outcome.

Very good point, S. They did blood, kidney and liver checks before each surgery and every time they saw him, for exactly that reason. Also, he did not take opiod-based medication, as far as I understand.
 
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