# Willa's in Pain



## Samson'sDad (Apr 21, 2014)

Hi all...

I have a question about our little girl, Willa. Willa is now about 13 weeks old and has started experiencing pain in her lower left front leg. She will be totally fine and then out of the blue she will shriek in pain and limp for like 2 seconds and then be totally fine again. Well this started last week, happened a couple times over a few days and we thought maybe we could make it to her next vet appt. on Thursday.

Well last night it happened like three times in a row over the course of like 2-3 hours... then this morning she was walking on our couch and it happened again. This time it lasted like 15 seconds of pure yelping. She peed this time as well. Then all of sudden it stopped and she jumped off the couch and started playing.

We are taking her to the Urgent Care this morning but wondered if these symptoms sound familiar to anyone? She's a hefty girl and we love her... just super concerned. She's the little one. The other two are her brothers, Samson and Charlie.


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

I'm sorry your girl is in pain. Let us know what the vet said.


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## Samson'sDad (Apr 21, 2014)

*Thanks...*

I will let you know... its so said when she is pain and there is seemingly nothing we can do in that moment


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Aw, poor little baby. I am so glad you are taking her to the vet now instead of waiting.


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

Please let us know what is going on, I hate to hear of a dog in pain. Poor Girl!


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

Wishing you the best of luck for Willa. Let us know how you make out.


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## Samson'sDad (Apr 21, 2014)

*Growing Pains...*

So we took Willa in this morning and did a full examination of the legs and joints and found nothing wrong... they didn't do x-rays so I'm not 100% convinced. However, they sent her home with some pain meds that should help. She goes in again on Thursday for her vaccine boosters and they said they would check on her again. 

On another, equally terrible note, they think she will likely develop hip displaysia. So we are meeting an orthopedic specialist a week from today to figure out the best approach on that. I'm sure they will also do some x-rays which will make this dad feel a little better.

I work for Colorado State University so we are fortunate to not only have a great Vet Teaching Hospital with every specialist you can imagine right at our fingertips but all services come with an employee discount! Looks like I'll be getting my use of that with poor Willa... 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts! I'm sure we will be back again with more updates  Here's another picture of our sweet baby girl...


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## JulieP (Apr 21, 2014)

Ahhh, poor little thing. You must be devastated about the possibility of HD. I'm brand new to the forum and Goldies having got Wilson just a month ago. Hold my hand up that I didn't do a huge amount of research on Goldies before getting Wilson but was aware of the hip problems. Hope it's good news from the specialist for you! xx
Edited as forgot to say what a gorgeous photo... Someone's got an eye for a good shot!


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## Samson'sDad (Apr 21, 2014)

*Photo*

Thanks Julie - Would you believe it was taken with an iphone! We were pretty pleased with ourselves as neither one of us "has an eye for a good shot"  Sometimes you just get lucky when you work with a beauty like Willa-Bee!


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

Looks like a fine little pup...sorry for his troubles. Both my wife and I are Colorado Natives, and know that CSU is one of the best Vet resources in the country...so that will give you dog a good shot at a normal life.

Where did you get this pup from? What breeder? Did they have all of the health certificates? Just curious....

Good luck!


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## Samson'sDad (Apr 21, 2014)

*Breeder*

We got her from Willy's Mountain View Kennels... She came with a health guarantee but it explicitly says no refunds... aside from that what would I do? I'd never give her back because of health problems... so those guarantees, in my opinion, are about as good as the paper they are written on.

We haven't contacted them yet, but plan on doing so soon.

Colorado Golden retriever, labrador and goldendoodles breeder


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

I hope the pain meds help her out. I hope you get better news from the specialist. You are certainly in the right city.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

Samson'sDad said:


> We got her from Willy's Mountain View Kennels... She came with a health guarantee but it explicitly says no refunds... aside from that what would I do? I'd never give her back because of health problems... so those guarantees, in my opinion, are about as good as the paper they are written on.
> 
> We haven't contacted them yet, but plan on doing so soon.
> 
> Colorado Golden retriever, labrador and goldendoodles breeder



Thanks, I hope she get's better and the pain subsides...

When I spoke of health certificates, I was not referring to any guarantee. 

These are a series of tests that breeders should have on their breeding dogs. They certify that the parents hips are good, along with other potential health problems that can be past on to future generations. Did they have any of these certifications?


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Willa*



Samson'sDad said:


> So we took Willa in this morning and did a full examination of the legs and joints and found nothing wrong... they didn't do x-rays so I'm not 100% convinced. However, they sent her home with some pain meds that should help. She goes in again on Thursday for her vaccine boosters and they said they would check on her again.
> 
> On another, equally terrible note, they think she will likely develop hip displaysia. So we are meeting an orthopedic specialist a week from today to figure out the best approach on that. I'm sure they will also do some x-rays which will make this dad feel a little better.
> 
> ...


Your Willa is just adorable. Maybe it's just growing pains. Praying for her!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I'm sorry to hear about Willa's pain and possible HD. 

You are fortunate to have the expertise of the CSU Vet School and the discount to help with the expenses. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and her. 

She's a beautiful little girl, great picture. 

BTW, a little trivia for you. I don't know if you're familiar with the photographer Annie Leibovitz, but she thinks the IPHONE is great for taking pictures. 

BriPhoto: Annie Leibovitz photographs Brian Williams with iPhone - Rock Center with Brian Williams

Best of luck with Willa, hope it won't be as serious as you think.


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## Samson'sDad (Apr 21, 2014)

*Update on Willa...*

So Willa's pains went away after about three days and the pills to control the pain were super helpful. She is such a happy girl these days! 

We met with the Orthopedic Surgeon today and she does seem to have a large amount of laxity in her hips. She turns 4 months on May 17th and the plan right now is to do PennHip Xrays that day with JPS surgery at the same time. The surgeon seemed super hopeful and positive about the surgery but the x-rays that day will give us a better idea.

Any experience with JPS?


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

Thanks for the update...we are all hoping that she comes out of this in good shape!

Good Luck


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## rhondas (Sep 10, 2010)

@Samson'sDad

I hope one of the experienced vets or breeders on this forum respond to this thread.
However, it is a well known fact that puppies (and especially Goldens) have a lot of laxity in their hips. She is only a bit older than 3 months. To do any type of surgery at 4 months old amounts to malpractice in my opinion. There is a reason why prelims are not even rated by OFA until the dog is 1 year old.


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## RYAC (Mar 10, 2014)

Samson'sDad said:


> We got her from Willy's Mountain View Kennels... She came with a health guarantee but it explicitly says no refunds... aside from that what would I do? I'd never give her back because of health problems... so those guarantees, in my opinion, are about as good as the paper they are written on.
> 
> We haven't contacted them yet, but plan on doing so soon.
> 
> Colorado Golden retriever, labrador and goldendoodles breeder


Just curious, were they able to provide you with health clearances on the parents of your pup? Which would be Hips, Elbows, Eyes, and Heart? I could not find anything on their website. But they may have provided it in a puppy packet when you picked her up. If you were able to find these, it may give some insight on what your puppy could be prone to. Based off the breeding genetics.

Edit: Sorry goldlover68, I didn't see that you asked the same question.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

rhondas,
Actually dogs have to be 24 months before the OFA Xrays can be taken, not 1 year. Penn hip can be taken earlier, but they are no guarantee and are only preliminary.

I wish the OP a hopeful future with their beautiful pup. I also have 3 goldens and enjoy having a full house!


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## Samson'sDad (Apr 21, 2014)

@ rhondas 

I was worried about doing surgery on a puppy too but the alternative is more frightening. This surgery seems to have few possible complications and has a high rate of success. The doctor mentioned that laxity is normal in pups but that the amount in her hips, in his experience, will likely lead to dysplasia. From other pups I've had, I can say she carries her hinds differently... Stretches her back legs a lot ... And always sits to one side.

So do I do this minimally invasive procedure and have an 80-90% chance that it will work and she will grow as a normal dog with no pain or arthritis and still have the option to do the other surgeries if it doesn't work? Or do I wait two years, by which point she could have severe dysplasia, pain, and arthritis all in the name of not doing surgery on a pup as young as she is? 

I could be wrong, but in my head I don't see the downside of trying this procedure and seeing if it works?


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## rhondas (Sep 10, 2010)

@Alaska7133

A dog must be 2 years old to get an OFA rating but OFA prelims will only be provided for dogs between 1 year old and 2 years old. If you send in xrays for a dog younger than 1 year, they give you a "consultation only" - I know because my breeder requires prelims at 8 months old and the results were not provided as prelims.


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

She's so young,,,,get another opinion before any surgery.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Yikes, I would not allow surgery on a four months old pup either. They have so much more growing to do and I am not a vet but I don't think they can really tell if a dog has HD yet at that age.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I personally would not do this surgery on my puppy. The reading I have done on it has not convinced me that it truly prevents hip dysplasia or, more importantly, that the puppies who had the surgery would actually have developed hip dysplasia later.

Laxity in young puppies is very common, especially in Goldens. Without bony changes, shallow acetabulum, etc., I just would not do it.

It is a prophylactic surgery and my understanding is that the pup must be spayed/neutered at the same time.


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## Candyjanney (Aug 26, 2011)

Hi! I wanna know how your girl is doing. I know this thread is old. I also got my boy from willy's mountain view kennels almost 4 yrs ago (flew him to Boston). I found too late that this kennel is less than reputable, but fortunately my boy is healthy..


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## Samson'sDad (Apr 21, 2014)

*Update on Willa*

It has been a long time since I posted so thanks for the prompt for the update. I lot has happened since the last post and so I'd love to to fill you in on our path with Willa. I know that one thing I was always curious about was cost... so I am going to provide that as well so others who might be in the same situation can get a ball park figure... That always felt helpful for me.

Well, we decided to do the JPS. There was no long term risk involved and it was not very invasive so we went for it. All said and done (with the Penn-Hips) it cost us about $800. Then we went home and hoped for the best. 

We went in to have stitches removed a couple weeks later and they wanted to schedule for an additional PennHip extra to track progress at 6months... this is about $400 bucks... we said no. A normal X-ray is significantly cheaper and provides enough info to see how she is doing ... the penn hip was just for their study (at my expense) so we said no.

A couple months went by with very little complications. We switched her to mostly adult food to slow her growth and weight gain. She was doing great. Then one day she started with a light limp which kept getting a little worse. We watched her closely and I think wishful thinking had us hoping it was growing pains but deep down we knew something was up. It was getting close to her spay appt. so we decided to ask about it when we brought her in for that.

Well a few days before her spay we woke up in the night to her crying because she couldn't get up. Her shoulder was hurting too badly. We got her up and moving around and gave her some aspirin. By morning she was almost not limping at all. We still brought her in to the ER. They gave her some pain meds and made an appt. with orthopedics for when we dropped her off for the spay.

Orthopedics recommended we do a CT Scan to check her shoulder for Osteochondritis Dissecans while she she was under anesthesia for the spay. This was a TOUGH choice because we knew it would give insight into her hips and her shoulder but it was EXPENSIVE! About $800 for the scan alone! We decided it was a good idea considering all factors and went for it... all in all that trip for the scan and the spay was $1200 bucks.

Well sure enough she had Osteochondritis in her left shoulder. Apparently during growth a piece of cartiledge broke off inside her shoulder joint leaving a divot in the bone and a chunk of cartiledge floating in the joint. So we did the arthroscopic surgery to fix this permanently ($1800). This came with a significant recovery and one shaved leg 

4 weeks after this surgery we went in for a check on her hips and they had not improved from the JPS. (We already knew this because we could hear and feel them popping when she moved around.) So, she went in the next day for a Triple Pelvic Osteotomy on the left side. I was terrified about the recovery but it wasn't that bad. She walked pretty good right away... and by about 3 weeks she was walking pretty normal *significantly restricted activity* This was about $3200 (she had some acid reflux complications and an extra day in the hospital)

4 weeks after that surgery she went in and had the same surgery on her other hip. ($2500) This recovery was a little worse because her other hip wasn't fully healed so she had a hard time even standing for the first couple days. We are 4 weeks out from that now and she is doing AWESOME! No more popping or limping or pain. She still walks a little funny but it gets better everyday. By Christmas she should be almost normal again. In fact, yesterday (for the first time ever) I saw her raise her left leg (the first TPO hip) and scratch her ear! It almost brought a tear to my eye because its one of those everyday normal things she was never able to do.

And now - she should be all good! I pray everyday she won't need anymore surgeries. No dog should go under anesthesia 5 times before they are a year old and I am thankful she pulled through no problems each time. I never imagined she would be as resilient is she has been. Such a little trooper! I think in a month we can finally start to do some training - She is a little naughty from being so spoiled and while you are in constant recovery training is difficult - especially since the doctors said no extra treats to keep her lean.

I've attached a photo... she is such a beauty with a princess attitude!


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

Thanks for the update! She is beautiful. Fingers crossed that her recovery is smooth here on out


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## Goldylover2 (May 1, 2014)

I just read your story about your little girl. I'm so glad she is doing better and will be back to normal soon. You guys sure are the right parents for this little pup. You just don't know what the outcome would of been with different owners. Especially owners with less financial means.


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## Harleysmum (Aug 19, 2014)

What a beautiful girl and very lucky to have you guys to take such good care of her. Have you had any contact with the breeders about the issues you have had?


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Willa's beautiful, I am so sorry for everything you and your girl have been through. 
I am glad to hear she has come through her surgeries so well and is on her way to becoming the wonderful healthy girl she was meant to be and you can enjoy each day.


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

What a lucky girtl to have you! Glad she's doing so well!


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## Doodleguy (Dec 4, 2015)

I wish the OP would respond to the questions about if he saw certificates for the parents or had talked to the breeder at all.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Since the website doesn't list any of their many dogs' names, there's no way to find out if they have clearances..but I'd bet not- because the site does not claim to be ethically correct in any way.


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## Samson'sDad (Apr 21, 2014)

*Certificates*



Doodleguy said:


> I wish the OP would respond to the questions about if he saw certificates for the parents or had talked to the breeder at all.


Hey Doodleguy...

We did not see or receive certificates nor did we ask for them. I guess we learned our lesson. Willa is so beautiful and has the sweetest disposition and is so easy to train Now that we are passed the surgeries and she is healthy, we don't really look back. I apologize for not responding sooner to your question.

The one side effect of her surgery seems to be some residual nerve damage around the base of her tail... It drives her crazy about once a day. They told us at CSU from the beginning that this could happen. We love our little girl and even though she put a pretty serious dent in our savings, we wouldn't change it


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