OT: just when I did NOT need more stress, my Chow has really bad hip dysplasia

I contacted the breeder (they have a 3-year health guarantee) and I verified that as long as I provide them a copy of the vet report and xray now, they will give me a puppy free of charge whenever I am ready for one since the dysplasia was detected within the 3 years.

That doesn't make me feel any better about Khan's problem, of course, but at least I will not have to spend close to another $1000 for a new puppy.  She did warn me that Chows seem to have a lot of problem with Rimadyl (ulcers) but that they well with a dreug called Deramaxx which is twice the price (the cheapest I found it online was $95/month!) but much easier on their stomachs.

Lora

 My old Lab was on Deramaxx and he was like a new dog.  It IS expensive - the way I handled it was giving it as prescribed while he was painful, then 1 every other day.  Usually I only had to give it everyday if it was really cold or constant rain.

Lora,

So very sorry to hear what is going on with you lately.  I have no suggestions with regard to the therapist situation, but glad to hear that you at least have an interim therapist.

As to the job stress, I can certainly relate as I left my job of 17 years (the week of my surgery) 2.5 years B4 full retirement due to such a stressful situation that my health was severely being affected and have been struggling ever since.  So I hope that you will be able to hang in there a bit longer 'til the employment situation improves somewhat.

With regard to Khan, the rimadyl will take awhile to kick in and although i am not familiar with the newer (more expensive meds mentioned above) they sound like something that would at least buy you some time temporarily, along with a good glucosamine/condroitan formula that you can purchase through any Petco, Petsmart, Agway, etc. which should also be very helpful.  If/when you are in need of surgery at a later date, you might consider opening a CareCredit account (it's a medical credit card, covers veterinary, as well) which would allow to pay for the surgery and then make monthly payments on the credit extended.  As with any credit account, if you are able to pay more than the minimum at any time, it will obviously lower your overall expenditure.

Lastly, as a former breeder, rescuer and as a purchaser of dogs through many breeders across the country, I have NEVER come across a breeder that allows you to keep the original dog PLUS a replacement puppy.  The contract reads REPLACEMENT puppy!  Which means that you RETURN the original dog to the breeder.  Most breeders count on this portion of the contract, as the majority of dog owners will NOT be willing to give up the dog that they have raised and fallen in love with.  Perhaps the breeder might be willing to at least help out with the vet bills instead of a new puppy (also some breeders have reduced pricing arrangements with their vets, due to the large volume of consistent visits, and you might be able to use their vet for the procedure).  But please start him on the glucosemine/condroitin formula right away (I can't find my bottle to tell you a good brand, I may have tossed it after i lost my big guy 6 weeks ago).

Best of luck and i hope everything works out well for you and your puppy,
d

Khan has been taking the Rimadyl and the Cosequin DS for almost a week, and seems to be more lively and getting around a bit better.  I'm not sure how the Cosequin can really help much given that the ball on one hip is at the top of the socket, but I will give it to him for a while while I do some research and confer with another vet.

I talked with the breeder about the policy.  She confirmed that she does not expect me to give Khan back, and that as long as I provide her with the letter from my vet and the xray documentation before the end of the guarantee period, I will be able to obtain a new puppy free of charge whenever it works best for me, depending on how Khan responds to treatment (the timing of a new puppy is subject to her having a red male available in a litter, of course, since she breeds all 5 colors of Chows).  I have been very impressed with this breeder and the wonderful temperaments of her dogs, so am very relieved to find that I do not have to relinquish Khan in order to get a new puppy.  I will likely not get a new puppy until Khan has to be put down, though.

Lora