Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP) & Hip Dysplasia - Page 1

We received some bad news on our female German Shepherd and I'm hoping others may have (unfortunately) dealt with this and can offer some advice and direction.  

The OFA sent us a letter for her elbows stating UAP/DJD II.  My vet has been on vacation this past week so I haven't received clarification yet on what it all means thus far.  I know what UAP is because of web searches and have read where some people have chosen to have elbow replacements done.  Her hip information hasn't been posted yet and we haven't received the letter yet, but we were told by a vet tech that the result is subluxation, shallow acetabula and unilateral pathology.  

This beautiful girl comes from a decent pedigree and we are shocked and saddened by this outcome.  My question is this- what would you do if this was your dog?  What have you done with other dogs in this condition?  She is 4 years old and we are going to have her spayed since she should not be bred.  She shows absolutely no signs of being lame either with her hips or her elbows, however I've read that this will most likely cripple her terribly.  Any information would be appreciated!  Thank you!

Let her live out her life if she is not showing any signs of being lame. My second German Shepherd had very bad hips and she lived to be 12 1/2.  JMO.

Dawn

I agree with Dawn I have a dog with grade 3 elbows, 0:0 hips, he does not show any clinical signs, I just treat him like any other dog.
Pam

I would just let her enjoy being a dog especially since she's showing no signs of lameness.  My now 5 year old male was diagnosed with UAP at a young age (7 months) and I acquired him anyway.  The breeder offered to pay for surgery but after 2 ortho consults it was deemed that he wasn't severe enough to warrant the surgery.  Basically, the surgery wouldn't improve  his quality of life at that point.

He shows minimal signs of lameness.  A slight bobble of the head to the left when running since it's his left elbow but it is barely detectable to someone who doesn't know what they're looking for.  He runs and chases his ball just like any other dog.  He does limp when walking on hard surfaces so I try to keep him on the grass and soft surfaces as much as possible but that's not always easy when I take him for his walks.  He's great when we go hiking though. 

All said and done - his quality of life hasn't been affected in the least with the UAP diagnosis.  If he does progressively get worse and show more lameness then I will not hesitate to take him to an ortho surgeon to have the joint cleaned out.  I'm more worried about arthritis at this point than anything else.

Good luck to you.

Having a dog with FCP  I agree with ALL of the above but I would also start looking at things I could do to help her as she ages ;  i.e  good supplements ( our ortho has told us Cosequin is the best) along with weight management, diet, exercise, etc.

I am hoping I get the years that other posters are describing    :)   !

 Thank you so much for taking the time to post your thoughts!

Your experiences give me much hope that we can keep her comfortable!

Sorry to hear this diagnosis, but it isn't necessarily as bad as you think. Your girl may just live out her life with no signs or symptoms at all.  I had an old girl who had the same thing, plus DJD in her hips.  She was fine when young, but at about 8 she started limping.  we put her on Flexi-Cose and she improved so much that she was RUNNING and acted like a young dog again. She passed away this last spring of old age.   I now recommend Flexicose for canines for any dog that is having any problems or is diagnosed with any joint problems.

Best of Luck to you and your girl!

 

Peggy