The first few months after we got Roxie were not easy. A 4 month old and a 2 month puppy are not the easiest job one can have, but we managed pretty ok. As the days and months began to pass be began to notice some things about Simon. He was awfully clumsy. When running and playing with Roxie, if he tried to come to a quick stop, most times he ended up in a somersault. He also seemed to sit funny with his legs splayed out instead of being directly underneath him. We had mentioned these problems to our regular vet, who said that they were most likely growning pains and he would outgrow it.
We were well aware that Golden Retrievers as a breed have high incidences of hip dysplacia. We were aware of this, and although it was one of our greatest fears, we were reassured by the fact that we had done everything right in getting him and that the odds were pretty slim that he would be afflicted with the terrible disease. We actually called the folks that had gotten him for us, and they re-assured as well that it was highly unlikely there was anything wrong with him.
So, we continued business as usual. One day in late May, Simon fell while playing outside and let out a yelp. He got up off the ground but proceeded to limp on one of his back legs. We took him to the vet and he could find nothing wrong. By the time we got him home, he was walking normally. These incidents went on for months until near the end of July I began to hear "popping" sounds coming from his hips when Simon walked. I could also feel them popping in and out. The vet had told us, that if his symptoms continued by the time he was 8 months old, that we probably wanted to bring him in for x-rays.
So in early August, Simon went in to his regular vet for x-rays. The x-ray revealed that our worst fears had come true. Simon had hip dysplacia. Our regular vet referred us to a surgeon to better diagnosis the severity of his dysplacia. He said they do often treat with only medication if it is mild dysplacia, but that he was not in a position to make the diagnosis, so we made an appointment with the surgeon.
The surgeon our regular vet recommended did not have the worlds best bed-side manner. He took a quick look at the x-ray and said Simon had severe hip dysplacia on the left and mild on the right. He spent a few minutes feeling Simon's joints and watching him walk as well. He said he would operate on Thursday on the left hip and then we would see how the right hip developed. We made the appointment to bring Simon in that Thursday. We left the surgeon's office sure we were doing the right thing, but not so sure that this was the right guy to do it. We did some research and contacted other vets for surgeon referals. We received a few, most further than 2 hours away, but one located about 25 minutes from us in Ventura, CA called Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group (VMSG). We made the call to make an appointment and took Simon in for a consultation.
The first thing we noticed about this hospital was how friendly the staff was. They were very concerned and gave Simon a lot of attention. We were put in a room and were quickly acquainted with Dr. Bruecker. He was amazing with Simon. Even got down on the floor with him.
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