Good Vet Hospital For Surgery?

[elfe]

i have a young boxer here whose hindlegs and back have big problems (one knee stiff, the other one almost stiff and the back very bent).

i would like to have her checked at a university clinic or similar to get to know if anything can be done to improve her condition.

any suggestions/experiences?

thanks

[IvanLaw]

PM Bambina,

A very very helpful and knowledgeable vet +

Long time member of TV

I am sure she will steer you in the right direction

Good Luck, Boxer one of my favourite dogs

Regards

i have a young boxer here whose hindlegs and back have big problems (one knee stiff, the other one almost stiff and the back very bent).

i would like to have her checked at a university clinic or similar to get to know if anything can be done to improve her condition.

any suggestions/experiences?

thanks

[elfe]

thanks! i hope bambina is going to read this thread sometime later and will give some advice

this is noni, the dog in question

[davidthai]

i have a young boxer here whose hindlegs and back have big problems (one knee stiff, the other one almost stiff and the back very bent).

i would like to have her checked at a university clinic or similar to get to know if anything can be done to improve her condition.

any suggestions/experiences?

thanks

When we had a problem with our dog we went to Khon Kaen University which has a veterinary Faculty for Issan , they reccomended the best University in Thailand which is the Veterinary Faculty at Kasetsart University Bangkok, hope this helps

[tiggerclare]

i take my dogs to thonglor pet hospital at sukhumvit soi 55 bkk. they've saved one of my dogs once when she was ganged up by three big dogs. kasesart university has good reputation and is widely recommended by many.

cheers

[elfe]

thanks everyone!

[bina]

ask specifically about"

intervertebral disk disease

spondylitis (usually in older boxers)

hip dysplasia causing proper walking and so pressure on the spine

xray and or mri, and hip dyspasia tests with anesthesia (dont use ACE as an anesthesia if u can help it) to see the spine

LUMBOSACRAL (Low Back)

The clinical signs reflect varying degrees of involvement of the hind legs, urinary bladder, anal sphincter, and tail. Pain may be the only symptom present. Affected dogs usually have decreased activity and are reluctant to jump. Many have difficulty rising and some have difficulty posturing to defecate. Pain is often present over the lumbosacral area when digitally palpated or when the hind legs are extended. Hind limb lameness may be present and one leg may be involved more than the other. Pain may be present when the tail is lifted. Bowel and/or bladder dysfunction (partial or complete incontinence) may be present. A dog is typically able to walk, but the gait may be abnormal and progressively worsen

.

all boxer specific problems unfortunately; also since she is white, check for deafness, another boxer genetic thingy...

bina

if she is in pain, prednisone and benamine (anti inflammatory and pain killer, respectively) may help;

massage and therapy on the legs or surgery (which we didnt do for nero, just pain killers and steroids, but he was an old boxer, relatively speaking... )

while boxers arent listed as one of the most likely for this, from my own boxers and from boxer forums it can be seen as a common problem.among boxers also (partially as they are very active jumping around sportive dogs)

good luck

bina

[elfe]

thx bina

it might be from birth or from tail cutting (rather not maybe)

both back knees are affected, one is almost stiff and in bent position, with the other leg she walks. she obviously has no pain now and is very active and playful.

just want to have it checked, also the x-rays and fotos by surgeons in europe to know if i could do anything.

if surgeries don't help sure and are many and very stressful i think i won't let her go through all that...

but still need her checked and info first to decide.

[BambinA]

I recommend the Animal Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.

[bina]

elfe, ive not heard of boxers having problems with tail cutting even if it is the part of the spine; my bitch has a very short stub (the kind that crack often) and not seen any problems that arent part of her age and use (agility jumping etc)... the male, nero, had spondylitis but that all seems to be genetic propensity to that and work/play aggravates it...

any way, physical therapy and meds might be the better answer then surgery; boxers are problematic in surgery,the less, the better.

feel better... bina

[elfe]

i showed noni to two vets, they said surgery won't be possible as all her hindbody is affected and not well developped. also her hip bones seem not normal. so i thought maybe it might be possible to operate her stiff knee so she can use both legs for walking and relief her back by that. am afraid she will get big problems with her spine when she gets older, but the vets meant no. one vet said it might come from cutting the tail if it wasn't done cleanly and bacteria had gone into the bone. no idea about that. the vets here on samui suggested only calcium tablets and swimming for building muscles.

she is not deaf.

tomorrow i will have her x-rayed and then i hope we have a bit more idea.

just don't want to miss out on something now which i regret later not to have done.

[elfe]

actually am a bit scared of anesthetic for x-ray

[Nienke]

I have known a boxer who at the age of about 2 months suddenly started having problems with the hindquarters. It was as if the dog couldn't decide to stand or sit, but remained somewhere half-way. One strange thing was that it started after a sudden severe diarrhea attack that lasted a day or two, then got better. I do not know when the pup received it's vaccinations, but as it was two months old it must have not long before the incident. He also developed skin problems at that time, which was an indication that something was wrong with his immune system.

The dog never recovered. Instead it remained 'walking' aound half in the sit-half standing. V ery very strange. The owner went to the vet, but nothing was found on the X-rays. A couple of months later when an American vet came to CM, again X-rays were made. Clear calcification was visible in the knees and if I recall well in the lumbar area. This vet said there had been tiny fractures in the bones, causing this problem and that the most possible cause was rough play with other clumsy pup.

What I never understood and still don't understand is that there never has been pain involved. Even during the vigorous massage treatments the owner gave, the pup did not show any signs of pain. The American vet never answered my question why the dog didn't show any sign of pain.

Personally I do not believe that the vigorous play with the other pups was the cause, but something else caused this disease/defect. I also believe that the fractures and the calcification was a result of the stange way and complete out-of-balance walking.

Years later (as I always want to know what happened, and this case always remained in the back of my mind) I did come across literature where I strongly had the feeling that that could have been the cause of the dog's problem. However .... I need to do an intense search to where I read this info again.

Why I tell this story? Because when I saw the pic's from Noni, I 'saw' this boxer again. Only this boxer was worse. And once the calcification is there, there is no cure. At least that's what the vets said at the time. Not sure if this boxer is still around. Last year he was. He must have been about 8 or 9 years old. And despite he was severely disabled, he has/had a very good life with very loving owners.

[elfe]

thanks nienke for this story. i have to admit i have only limited time to do extensive search on the net.

it gives hope that the boxer you describe is/was still alive with no pain at age of 8 yrs.

nonis knees are thicker than normal, is this what you mean with calcification?

the breeder says that they only saw it at a few weeks of age, so it might be true that it is not from birth... it is really very mysterious and noni also has skin problems, the vet said it is yeast infection, the topical treatment did not show any success though so far, and the vet wants to give her tablets now.

noni also had worms (saw moving things which looked like very short white hair, in her feces which were mucuous, fluid and with blood) after curing against the worm she still has this feces (without the moving things) now and then.

otherwise she is adorable, she is very intelligent and learns and understands extremely quick. she's 11 months old but behaves sometimes like a puppy and the other dogs perceive her as that

i don't want to give her pain and torture with operations if it is not very sure that it will improve a lot. if she stays like that as she is now, she can live well with her problem, but if it gets worse in the future ...

[Nienke]

Sounds that Noni suffers something similar to the boxer I knew. Also he had pretty thick knees ... from the calcification.

You might ask the breeder if Noni received a vacciantion prior to her problems.

In stead of giving her tab's you can try adding grated coconut to her meals, at least 1 tbsp per meal or oil (1 tsp per meal). The tab's will supress her immune system even more.

I see you start getting hooked on the boxer. VERY understandable!

Nienke

[elfe]

yep nienke, will try coconut for her, am not so happy with the tablets either, actually hoped it will get better in the long run if she gets better food etc than before in the cage with only dry foods.

it's true, never had a boxer or other dog with wrinkly face but now lover her too much already

there are more boxers there, one old bitch which doesn't breed anymore and her nipples almost touch the ground... am thinking of her...

[Nienke]

Big problem is that when you safe one it will be replaced by many.

Anyway, you belong now officially to the "I'm hooked on the boxer" club.

Nienke

[elfe]

no more replaced as they have to give away the dogs...

yes, you can count me in for your club

[bina]

calcium deposits is spondilitis;

we were recommended to give glucomisine (sorry sp. , u know, the stuff people take for their joint problems);we were told to use the ground up powder of reindeer horns (no they arent killed, the antlers are collected and ground from captive raised deers) but it was way too expensive for us ; swimming for sure if u can;

change her diet to the BARF diet as boxers have a very different digestive system than most dogs (its shorter so the food has to be easier to process); most dry dog foods are problematic so they either will have colitis type symptoms, not gain weight, or vomit their food... also, if u give dry food, the less additives the better, and also, give the same kibble as for small dogs (small round pieces) as they absorb water and soften better then big flat or round pieces...

with changes in food, her skin should clear up some.

boxer dont become adults really until about age 10+ .... !!!! and they dont stop growing until about a year and half...

also check her for thyroid problems or pancreas problems...

sigh.....boxers are just a designer dog, with all the designed in flaws... but who can resist that wrinkely face.... nero - RIP

Edited December 20, 2007 by bina

[Nienke]

calcium deposits is spondilitis;

From: Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary

spondylos = vertebra

itis = inflammation

osis = condition

ankylo = crooked, combining form meaning crooked, bent, or a fusion or growing together of parts

ankylosis = immobility of a joint, which can be congenital (sometimes hereditary), or a result of trauma, disease, surgery, or contractures bresulting from immobility

Spondylitis = inflammation of the vertebra.

Spondylosis = Vertebral ankylosis = immobility of the bony segments of the spinal column

[Sheryl]

Kasertsart has an excellent reputation.

I have had very good impressions and experiences at Mahidol Univ Animal Hospital, but it's out in Salaya (Thonburi side of the river).

[bina]

nienke, u are correct; actually one comes from the other....