# Hip X-Ray



## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Tomorrow Mari, now 2, is getting her hips X-Rayed for OFA certification. The vets office uses anesthesia, is this common practice. I have talked to 3 vets here in Miami and they all do it, yet vets in Gainesville area do not. I was told they use some kind of gas. I'm a little worried any time anesthesia is used because of side effects. Please share your experiences.
Paula


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

I make a 5-hour round trip drive to get hips done by a veterinarian that will do the hip x-rays without any sedation at all. He even lets me go into the x-ray area to help hold the dog's head while they straighten the legs. It is all over in less than a minute, so I'm even more glad we don't use any sedation.

If you want to find someone who doesn't use anesthesia or any sedation, you may want to contact your local Golden Retriever club or a breed club that has dysplasia in it. They seem to know all the good vets.

And good luck to you and Mari!


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

After I read your post I called an Orthopedic Surgeon here in Miami who will check Mari's hips without sedation. Yea he's only 8 miles from my home. The best thing was they had a cancellation for this morning at 10, wow it's amazing how things are falling into place. Thanks Kimberly for the advice, I'm so happy. This is super!
Paula


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## KristinFusco (Jun 5, 2007)

Paula,

I am so glad you were able to find a vet that doesn't use anaesthesia for hip X-rays! When I had Carlito's hips Xrayed for his second birthday, I ended up driving a couple of hours away to find a vet who didn't use anaesthesia (recommended to me by the Delaware Valley Havanese Club via Kimberly), but it was so worth it! They did end up having to take 2 more Xrays than expected because Carlito moved at the last second :biggrin1:, but I would much rather do that than have to put the poor little guy under.

Good luck at your appointment 

~Kristin


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Yikes, that sounds really drastic to put a dog under just for xrays - the complications could be serious!! I am so glad you found someone who would do it without - I would much rather pay for a few xrays than sedation & then worry about the outcome!


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## ellasmom (May 6, 2007)

*anesthesia*

do you have your dogs teeth cleaned by the vet? my vet is recommending a cleaning, but would need to sedate ella. i am very hesitant about doing this. any thoughts?


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Gableshavs said:


> After I read your post I called an Orthopedic Surgeon here in Miami who will check Mari's hips without sedation. Yea he's only 8 miles from my home. The best thing was they had a cancellation for this morning at 10, wow it's amazing how things are falling into place. Thanks Kimberly for the advice, I'm so happy. This is super!
> Paula


 Holy tostadas, Paula. What a great way to have all the dominos fall into place. I'm very happy for you.

I really hate the long drive for just a couple of minutes for x-rays, but it seems so much nicer to me than having to have anesthesia or other sedation done.

Kristin, we have had to have a couple repeated as well, but that's the price we pay with a wiggly Hav who thinks that they should be sniffing pockets of everyone. LOL! I'm just so glad he reviews them and does them over on the spot.

Ellasmom, I really want to avoid any unnecessary anesthesia, so that is why dental care is important to me. The dogs don't really care for getting their teeth brushed daily, but it is so much better for them in the long run. If you call around, you can find an ultrasonic cleaner. Sometimes grooming shops will know if veterinarian clinics don't. Many of them will not use sedation.


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Good luck to you Paula......:becky:


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

> Holy tostadas, Paula


Kimberly still has Mexican food on the brain apparently...... 

Paula, good luck with the X-rays and great work at finding a vet so close that won't use sedation.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

mckennasedona said:


> Kimberly still has Mexican food on the brain apparently...


 Ya think?  I could not decide what to order when we went out last night.

Paula is probably on her way back home soon. I'm eager to hear how it went. Did they let you go hold Mari or did you have to wait?


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

This vet, Dr. Wise, was very good, the office way muy crowded and we waited until 11:30 before being seen. I took her in the pretty pink stroller I got for my birthday at the West Palm Beach dog show, and that was a godsend. I also brought my Poodle, Tucker who hurt his rear leg trying to jump out of our SUV on Sunday after the dog show in Brooksville. Tuck will have surgery on Mon for his anterior cruschia ligament which has been damaged. The poor sweet baby isn't even acting like it hurts as much as it must. Ok, I digressed here's the news about my girl:

Mari was a very good girl during the x-rays and the vet said her hips were definately passing, not displastic but Dr. Wise was hesitant to give me a rating. Her elbows and patellas are all perfect. He said it's up to the examiner at OFFA as to how she's rated and depends on their mood of the vet who sees her xrays. At least I know it's done and I have the xrays on a CD. I'm very curious about how the vets at OFFA will rate her xrays. If she's not at least good I don't think I should breed her.

We stopped in for Cuban sandwiches and coffee on the way home, since this vet is near the Orange Bowl in Little Havana. 
Paula


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Havtahava said:


> Did they let you go hold Mari or did you have to wait?


They took Mari in the back room to do the xrays, I waited in the examining room with my son and Tuck. He did take me in the back to view the films and explain the results to us. 
Paula


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Paula,
Sounds like it went well.Good for you and Mari!:clap2:


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

I am so happy that you found a vet to do this without anesthesia . When my German shorthair got sick I looked around to find someone who did X Rays without anesthesia .. It is totally unnecessary another in my mind another way to pad the bill / There can be complications from anesthesia in humans and pets .. It is not to be adminstered lightly .. and I think it needs to be used in extreme cases only .. 
I can remember one emergency vet wanted to muzzle my dog just to take his temperature .. I said you are kidding - he is harmless !! Needless to say I never went back there again..


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Yes, and now we can just kick back. I'm going to continue the quest to find the perfect dog to match her pedigree and type, not an easy task because she's a Pan puppy as are so many of the dogs in this part of the country. 

I do think there is a cutie in GA that Lynn, Pan's breeder, says would be good, but I want to see his soaped photos and get more information on his mom. I'll probably take a trip to GA next week just to see and go over him. It's very exciting. I'll be disappointed if hips don't come out Good or better and I will not breed her if they don't pass. My friend told me that breeding a FAIR is ok as long as you choose a dog that has better hips. This boy has an excellent rating. Mari's parents and grandparents have only rated Excellent and Good, but the waiting game may cause me to lose sleep. Its like when I took my national boards and had to wait for the scores.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Paula,
Congrats on all the health testing and keep us posted! And maybe we can share with your joy to arrange the marriage. If you need help with puppies, there is a new havanese club being formed btw!

Amanda


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

ama0722 said:


> Paula,
> Congrats on all the health testing and keep us posted! And maybe we can share with your joy to arrange the marriage. If you need help with puppies, there is a new havanese club being formed btw!
> 
> Amanda


You've piqued my curiosity. Is it in Florida?


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

> Mari was a very good girl during the x-rays and the vet said her hips were definately passing, not displastic but Dr. Wise was hesitant to give me a rating. Her elbows and patellas are all perfect. He said it's up to the examiner at OFFA as to how she's rated and depends on their mood of the vet who sees her xrays.


 Well, the good news is that if Mari is two years or older, a whole panel evaluates her radiographs and they work together for a consensus. I'm not so keen on the preliminaries because the results do seem to be reflective of the one vet that reviews them. I have seen a couple of dogs that have a general consensus among several orthopedic or hip specialists get fair or worse from the prelim exams, but the hips look great on the finals (two years or older). I think you can feel pretty confident on your rating after the finals, assuming the quality of the films are good.

Congratulations for getting that done and able to put behind you for the time being.

By the way, the hip rads are also getting reviewed in a very sporadic manner. Melissa took Goldie in for her finals on Friday and I took Martha in on the next Monday (only one business day apart). I think Melissa got her results in two weeks, while mine took nearly five. That was so frustrating that I had my home page set to Martha's OFA page, so everytime I opened a new window I would see if it had been updated.


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Five weeks is a very long time. Why did yours take so much longer? This is going to be nerve wracking. I hope the results will be worth the wait.
Paula


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

To find the new havanese puppy sitting service, please see this thread http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=2399


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

I was afraid something had happened so I even called OFA directly. They said they just evaluate them as they can. I think Goldie's got to the top of the list and Martha's got lost in the bottom somehow. However, she was able to tell me exactly where my x-rays were and they were in process of review. I'm not positive, but I got the impression that any one of the examiners could be the hold up at any given point. She said the review process alone usually takes a full week.


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## Kathy (Nov 9, 2006)

Paula,
Glad to hear it well on the xrays, but so sorry to hear about your Poodle.


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Surgery - Monday at 8:00 am, then a night in the vet's hospital. After that he should recover perfectly. Also, he's getting teeth cleaned while he's sedated. This guy (my Tuck) is so sweet, he never complains, he's the most wonderful dog. He was free, given to us by a friend, now his vet bill will be over $1,400. I think I'll call him monsieur Tucky, a poodle of distinction.
Paula


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Amanda, that's a cool club, after seeing my breeder's two puppies she is showing in 6-9 month class, I am convinced I want another, and my breeder/friend/mentor said it would be better to wait for my own litter. Waiting is a very hard thing to do.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

The boys& i hope that Tuck does well on Monday .. Think of it that you are getting a two fer after all he is getttting his teeth cleaned as well.
Miss Tulip had both her parwllas done and she did fine except for her itcy stitches which she decided to remove on her own .. She is a character!!
Donna had Poodles at one time and besides Tulip she said they were the most wonderful dogs and the most fun she had ever had..


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Tucky and I thank you for the good wishes. I'm getting him groomed tomorrow at Miami's best groomer, now open on Sunday, because I know that's going to be impossible with the cast he'll have to wear. Nobody likes a stinky dog, and he deserves a bit of pampering.
Paula


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

I dropped off my oldest dog (age 12) Tucky this morning for surgery. He was completely groomed and kept comfy with T-Touch massage while waiting in the Dr.'s office. 

I'm a very worried mommy waiting by the phone, and I pray he comes out of it better than he began, you guys know how I feel about sedation. It scares me. 
Paula


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Please keep us informed how Mr.Tuck is doing.:hug:


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

I understand how you feel perfectly ... It is so hard when these guys have to go in and have surgery .. We feel so helpless ..
It sounds like he is getting the best of care and he has a very loving and nuturing mommy ..
He is in our prayers for successful surgery and speedy recovery ..


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Thanks, I just called the vets office, he doesn't start surgery until after 2:00, so why did he have me drop him so early. I'll post this evening how he is, it's nice to know Julie and Cosmosmom that you are there and he's in your thoughts too. 
I need something to calm my nerves, this is too much. It's hard to believe how much we love our pets, it's like they were our children, especially the sweet ones like our havanese and my dear Tucky.
Paula


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

We're sending best wishes to Tucker


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

Paula,
Wishing Mr. Tuck a successful surgery and an easy and quick recovery. I know it's so hard to wait for a call from the vet so try to keep busy.


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

Paula, sorry to hear about Tuck...Please keep us informed...


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Paula, I'll be thinking of Tuck today!


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

Absolutely they are our children .. AS to dropping them off early - it is for their convenience in a way but they want to make sure he is ready to go and has his I/V in place .
Also the longer they are at home the chances are they could have acess to things they do not want them to have pre op such as food and water .. Also the surgeon wants them prepped sedated and ready to go in case he has a case that runs shorter than expected ..
I agree try and keep busy I know it is hard .. Maybe go for a walk with the cell phone closeby .. or maybe a great time to bake a pumpkin pie .. Not my strong point either but you just need to be busy .. 
I know it is so-oo hard ..


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

That's a good answer, it makes total sense, this morning I couldn't give hime food/water,so EVERYBODY didn't eat until this afternoon. I'm not a baker of pies, but the thought of planning a baking session makes me laugh and takes my mind this worry. Why do we worry, it's such a waste of energy. Sigh.
Paula


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Hang in there Paula!


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Any word on Tuck yet?


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## MopTop Havanese (Sep 25, 2006)

I know waiting is the hardest part!
I hope he has a quick recovery~ I will be thinking of you today~~


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

It's 4:36 and I just called the vet's office. He's in surgery as we spoke. The Dr. will call me as soon as he's able, the waiting has been hard today, thanks for being there.
Paula


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

That must be hard, considering they lead you to believe that his surgery was in the morning. I am sure he is doing great, keep busy, and I am sure they will call soon. I think the only difference with these guys and are kids, is that we are usually allowed in the rooms, and testing areas with our kids. Our fur kids are by themselves so we worry more!! I am sure he will do great!


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Thanks, as the song says, the waiting is the hardest part. My husband has been so sweet today, I'm glad he's home on vacation this week.
Paula


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

I just read this strand to my husband, Jody, he said "that's why we like dog people, they're very nice" and that's a FACT, you guys are so very nice.
Paula


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## Kathy (Nov 9, 2006)

Hang in there Paula, keep us posted.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Paula I'm sure that Tuck will be just fine! Hang in there.


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

just checking on Tuck..Hang in there Paula...


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

OK, Jody made me a Cosmopolitan (yes, we still like that drink VERY occasionally and this is one of the times I want one) and I am much more relaxed. 

At 5:06 the vet's office called me and Mr. Tucky got through the surgery with no complications. He is now sleeping from the pain medication, I'm very relieved. Dr. Wise will call me when he is able and I can get details.

Hugs, thanks so much for the support, you helped me get through this trying day. My husband is impressed at how people from all over the country pull together to help each other in times like these. I'll let you know tomorrow how he's doing. It's nice to know you care.
Paula


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Yay - Tuck did good!!! When do you get to take him home? Does he have to stay overnight? If he does, have a second Cosmo - it will help you sleep!


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

This vet has a 24 hour emergency clinic and Mr. Tucky will be spending the night, I will probably get him as early as they will let me tomorrow. The road ahead is hard, therapy etc. but maybe some day we'll see him in the rally ring. He's such a good boy.
Paula


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Glad to read the good news, Paula!

Enjoy the Cosmo!







(Wrong color, but you get the idea.)


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

One is enough, now I'm ready to get Jody out to do some shopping. Can you believe it's almost Thanksgiving? 
Thanks & Hugs from Miami
Paula


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

Paula, 
That's great news that Tucker did well. 

Since you are going out shopping, he needs a new toy, don't you think??


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Great idea susan. Toys are great and treats too. I'm going to buy some of Oxyfresh product I saw on another strand. He had his teeth cleaned today also thank goodness because his breath was terrible. I had him in a pink stroller/crate and you almost couldn't get near his face. The vet said he had a chipped tooth, which was cleaned well. :brushteeth:

Tucky is not a big fan of toys because he's so old but he loves good cookies and rawhide chews, and that is just what he'll get tomorrow when he comes home. 
Paula


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

YAY! Glad to hear that good news about Tuck.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Good news about Tuck and although it is a long road ahead, I have known many poodles who make good come backs. There was a young girl with a poodle that I met at an agility trial. Her dog had bad hips that required surgery but she came back to agility after almost 2 years of being out and she was able to complete her title.

Keep us posted,
Amanda


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

That's great news...I'm sure he will be happy to see you tomorrow..


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Good to hear your Tuck is doing well! I hope he has an easy recovery period. Try to get some rest this evening, so your ready to cater to his every whim tomorrow! He's a guy right? and we know what that means.. LOL


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

:hug:Great news Paula!:hug:Lil' Mr.Tuck made it through his surgery with flying colors and he'll be home soon!That's wonderful.......see you worried too much!(I know how it is):becky:


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

That's great news! :grouphug:

I bet Tuck will be SO happy to be home, and I hope a speedy recovery!

Kara


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

Let us know how Tuck is when you get him home today.


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Tuck slept through the night, he's been so sweet and quiet. I hope that's a good sign. Dr. is making rounds right now so I won't get to hear specifically when he's going home until after 9. I hope we can bring him home this afternoon. You can bet he's going to get a delicious dinner tonite.
Paula


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Tucker is going homeHe's getting picked up after 2:00. Tonite he'll eat chicken breast with powdered egg yolk the whole shebang. Dr. Wise rocks! I was told to keep him quiet, and tonite he'll sleep in his own bed.:whoo:


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

Yeah!!! That is great news. I know you will feel better with him in your care.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

Yeah ..
So happy to hear that all went well and he is now home where he belongs .. 
See sometimes a cosmo helps !!


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## havjump (Apr 18, 2007)

Just read this thread Paula, and so happy to hear the good news that all went well with Tucker:whoo:
Time to exhale!!


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

How is he doing at home now? And how is it keeping him from trying to play with your little girl? Was she thrilled to see him as well? I have always found that to be the hardest part!

Amanda


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

:whoo:He is home and doing great!What FABULOUS news!:whoo:


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## KristinFusco (Jun 5, 2007)

So glad to hear that Tucker's surgery went well!

This is such wonderful news 

~KRistin


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Tucky update:
Rough night, lots of whining softly, slept in bed with me, he's so sad looking. Now resting lots. We all had steak for dinner, he has his appetite, a good sign. No desire to play no desire to eat his rawhide chew, but he's getting his rest and the whining has subsided. I have to realize this healing process will take awhile, I'm so glad he's home. I left to get my son from school and he was at the door waiting for me wagging his tail, I'm glad he's on the mend.
Paula


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Paula, poor little Tuck! Make sure to give him an extra belly rub from me and lick from Kubrick! It's hard to see them suffer, but he'll get much better very soon, I'm sure! :kiss:


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

So glad to hear that Tuck is doing better!!


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