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Comment by Crystal Williams on June 8, 2012 at 3:42pm

Thank you very much for sharing your experience. I will definitely post updates.

Comment by Geri & Sidney on June 7, 2012 at 11:30pm

Sidney has hip dysplasia. Two years ago he had FHO surgery; he went to a surgical specialist here in San Diego, and stem cell therapy was never even brought up...just the surgery or long-term pain meds. WE opted for the surgery and it was most definitely the best choice. He is 100% healed and goes on hikes and even went sheep-herding the other day.

I know how worried you must be. We were devastated when we got Sidney's diagnosis. Please let us know what you decide to do and how it goes.

Comment by Crystal Williams on June 7, 2012 at 7:46pm

Right now the stem cell therapy is $1,800. The hospital here has been doing this procedure for two years but I'm not sure if that makes them experts.

Corgi experts are sparse in my town. The vet I saw owns a Corgi but that doesn't mean she specializes in their health. A second opinion may be the best way to go.

Maya usually has a slight limp after we hike or go on long walks. Extreme weekend exercise normally causes it. That's why I was pretty easy to convince about the dysplasia. The xray also had the right healthy hip to compare to and you could definitely see the socket was wearing down.

Comment by Mochi on June 7, 2012 at 5:16pm

Costco has really cheap supplements for dogs & horses (in comparison to every other website I've seen).

Comment by Jennifer Markley on June 7, 2012 at 1:25pm

I think it's well worth looking into.  I know they've had success with stem-cells in multiple areas of humans and animals.  If it helps, then to me it's worth it.  I don't know of the long-term effects, but if there was a way to harvest  Maya's own stem cells, then I would think the risk of cancer is fairly low.  I looked into doing sclerotherapy with Jackson for his torn ACL.  They inject a saline irritant into the joint and it creates scar tissue that helps stabilize the joint.  Problem was, no one in Iowa was doing it.  I don't mind going with new therapies.  My german shepherd mix was in a research study at the North Carolina vet school for the vagus nerve stimulator for seizures.

I agree with getting a second opinion.  Go to a specialist and get the final word from them.  Whatever you decide, let us know!

Comment by John Wolff on June 7, 2012 at 12:48pm

Stem cell therapy sounds like snake oil to me.  "Step right up to the Big Tent here folks, partake of this new miracle cure, only $999,999.99...."

Do glucosamine/MSM/chondroitin supplements.  Maybe an antiinflammatory to get through this episode.

Get a 2nd opinion from a vet experienced with Pembrokes?  I've read that all normal Pembrokes exhibit hip structure that meets the criteria for borderline hip dysplasia.  Your vet may be totally correct, but I've heard that if you show any normal Pembroke x-ray to a vet, they'll say, "Yup, hip dysplasia".

No previous symptoms?  Could this be a trauma that will heal?

Crawl to conclusions.  Don't jump to them.

Comment by Melissa and Franklin! on June 7, 2012 at 12:17pm

I know they do it with a lot of success in horses. I would be interested to see what the results were in dogs. In horses and people who are much longer lived I know they are worried about what the eventual end point of the stem cell is going to be, meaning is it going to turn into cancer in the future. Since dogs don't live all that long (unfortunately!) I don't think this is an issue at all. Is the vet near you who does it some type of specialist or teaching hospital? Its not widely offered so that's why I ask. If they are just a general clinic doing it I would want to see credentials that tell me how they learned to do this and make sure they know what they are doing!

Comment by Jane on June 7, 2012 at 12:13pm

Is your vet extremely familiar with corgis? I personally would send xrays to OFA or PennHIP for a more conclusive opinion before I did any type of surgery or expensive treatment.

Comment by CorGeek on June 7, 2012 at 11:57am

I have no idea...but my 3-year-old has very shallow hip sockets with the beginnings of arthritis. So, I'm interested in anything that you find out.