X-ray Opinon - Page 3

Can you send the dog back?

I can, if I wish to just dispose of the dog. But I would like to give this fabulous dog a chance at a happy, loving, fun-filled life. So I will be keeping him. Contract states I can even with the replacement. He's a special pup.

Consider NOT neutering this dog.  NOTE: I am not recommending breeding him, however, the hormones will go a long way to helping him maintain muscle strength which will help compensate for the poor hip joints. 

HD need not mean a horrible life or necessarily require surgery.  Find a good vet that can help you look at all the options and what is best for your dog.

Returning a defective dog is certainly the path of least resistance for any buyer, but not always an option when there is already an attachment to that dog. I'm not quite sure how this breeder could have failed to notice the lameness and lack of rear development in an 11 month old, but at least the OP will get another dog without having to return this dog first. Many breeders do require that knowing full well that most buyers are not going to return a dog in order to receive another. Breeders usually have a different attitude about that - new dog doesn't work out, dog goes back.

This OP is a dream dog owner, the sort of person that every breeder here should want to see with one of their dogs.

GSD4dogs....that would be a great idea, however that is part of the contract of keeping him.  I am allowed to keep him, but I have to show proof of neuter.  We are still in negotiations, and will make a final decision once I get the OFA official results.  We all know what it will be, but she doesn't trust the 2 vets diagnosis.  And that is fine.  I was going to send them in anyways to make sure others are aware.

Blitzen....that is my thought too.  How did they not notice this??  He isn't TERRIBLE, don't get me wrong.  But I certainly noticed within a few days of owning him that something wasn't quite right.  And I had multiple people ask me if there was something wrong with "his back end" as even though they aren't breeders or even dog owners, they spotted something as well.  Makes it quite obvious to me. 

Thank you for your kind words Blitzen.  It's nice to have the support of others, as I have come across some people who's opinion is to just return the dog and wash my hands of him.  I just can't do that.

jlb4oda, i don't know if you can take any comfort from these two
points, but I offer them in that spirit in case they help:
 
I had a GSD, a bitch;  she was 'retired' to me as a housedog by
my mentor, her breeder, because she had a Hip Score of 29:31 =
60.  I know our UK scoring system is unlike you are used to, but
it means that neither would it get a German A stamp, nor would
OFA have cleared it !  Because she had been a successful showdog
and was given to me, she was neutered by her breeder at 3.5 years.  
Her weight was excellent and her muscles were in good condition,
and I kept her that way;  she became my companion dog
and an Obedience competitor, lived to almost 14 years, and not
until the very last year of her life did she show any deterioration in
the movement of her rear end.  So it can be fine, as long as you
don't expect them to scale 7-foot fences, and watch the diet.

I have walked around the streets of London and elsewhere with a
multitude of dogs who all had perfectly good hips.  I could be rich
if I had taken a pound off everybody who said to me they thought
there might be something wrong with whichever of those dogs'
rear ends.  There are a lot of folk about who think  ALL  GSDs have
hip problems;  and what they expect to see, they think they DO see;
so please, be cautious and take the bulk of those comments from
self appointed (non) 'experts' with a pinch of salt.  There is actually
very little to see in a young dog's stature or movement that confirms
hip dysplasia, unless that dog already has a very advanced case of
arthritic change caused by HD.  This isn't to say that radiographically
​you don't have a problem,  but it does I hope put things 'in proportion'.

PS absolutely agree with Blitzen, you sound like a fine example of a
committed dog owner, 'good on ya' for your attitude.
 

I think some things are meant to be - you needed a dog and this puppy needed a loving home.

Thought I would update everyone that the results came back as Moderate HD.  :(  But he has been on some joint supplements for a month now, along with restricted diet, not to mention monitored exercise.  He is doing great!!  He is such a happy boy!

You may want to consider a Vasectomy instead of neutering the dog.  That way you still get the benefits of testosterone production.