A Story of Christian

Pam Voit, Owner

Christian was a last minute choice for us when we went to Trout Creek to pick up our new female puppy, Gracie. As we were leaving the Scott home, I asked Edwin if perhaps he happened to have a tiny male pup for sale. We went back to the kennel and he pulled out this pitiful creature that greatly resembled a bullfrog. Weighing in at a mere pound, all of which was belly, he wasn't much to look at. But somehow I saw something in this funny looking puppy that told me to take him, and so we did.

As we had hoped, it didn't take long for him to start blossoming into a lovely young pup with lots of energy and love packed into a very compact body. He did us proud with his presentation at the AHTC Specialty, taking a Group Three in Junior Toy Puppy at a mere 4 months of age. Yes, our Christian had transformed from that pitiful looking bullfrog into a handsome young prince in just two short months. What I saw in him was coming true and our hopes for a show and stud dog were about to happen. Christian was my perfect toy dog with his looks and wonderful personality...he seemed to have it all and quickly captured the hearts of our entire family and all he met.

Our hopes sank though when his adult teeth began to come in undershot...this would surely ruin his chances in the show ring and his potential of being a desirable stud dog...this couldn't be happening. We waited patiently and our hopes were rekindled when his teeth settled in with a fairly decent level bite. Whew...a major hurdle conquered.

The next hurdle would be his passing the test for "patellar luxation". We were a bit concerned as his mother and uncle displayed this problem. I held my breath as the vet manipulated his knees over and over and gave a sigh of relief when Christian was given the okay...the coast was clear. Once again our hopes soared as we saw the potential he now had to become our winning show dog and potential sire of winning offspring. We were ecstatic!

Then out of the blue our hopes sank again. For a week we watched as our little pup became more and more lame on his hind leg. We thought perhaps it was simply soreness from the knee manipulation, but he got worse and worse and we made another trip to the vet. Through manipulation and questions, Doc found nothing and put him on painkillers for a week. We all agreed on the possibility of soarness from the knee manipulation from the week before, but as it turns out, we were all wrong. Christian got to where he couldn't use his hind leg at all and my once happy and active puppy couldn't even get up to play. It broke our hearts to see the pain in his once sparkling eyes as he laid there wagging his tail to greet us. Off we were to the vets again...this time for an xray.

Even a layman could see that this picture was not good...not good at all! I wanted to break down and cry right there in the examination room as I saw the plans for my little pup quickly fly away. Legg Perthes...it showed its ugly destruction in not just one hip but both hips. This painful and crippling disease had hold of my puppy and would tighten its grip tighter and tighter as time passed. The bone in his hip would begin to crumble and deteriorate and cause him unbearable pain until we did something about it. We had two choices now...have our precious little pup put down or opt for expensive surgery.

Our dreams were gone...Our burden began. Thankfully one hip could wait for perhaps a year and so even without knowing where the money for the operation would come from, we opted for the surgery. There was no way I could even consider having this loving little puppy put down. As I write this story... Christian is having his surgery and I still don't know where the money will come from...but I don't care. I only know that even though he'll never be a show champion or a top producing stud...we still love him just the same. The something special I saw in him when I first laid eyes on him wasn't his ability to become that champion...that something special turned out to be the abundant love packed away in that teeny tiny body. That love is far more special than a room full of ribbons and trophies or a litter of little Christian look-a-likes. Yes, our hopes were crushed, but our love will survive and grow for our handsome little pocket Prince.

Update One: The hip surgery and neuter went very well for Christian and he healed from both quickly. We have had a time trying to get him to use his leg though and can tell it is still painful from his reaction when we try to gently stretch it out. He gets around great on the three legs but we know he really needs to start using his sore one to build it back up. He has done well so far by not bothering the stitches at all and his attitude changed completely after the surgery. Other than not wanting to use his leg, we have a happy puppy again that wants once again to play.

What was done: I talked to "Doc" and asked him exactly what had been done in the surgery. He explained that when he "went in" there were fragments of bone around and that the ball was crumbling. He removed the ball and neck and then took a bone file and filed down the rest of the bone around the femur to make it nice and smooth. The ligaments which criss cross the hip in three directions will build up and form a false socket and then Christian should eventually be walking as if nothing had ever happened.

Update Two: It is now 8 days before Christmas and I sit here watching Christian trying to move around the house. My hopes have once again sunk as I notice the muscle in his other leg is being lost. He still is not using the leg that was operated on and seems to be having trouble with the other now. He is also carrying himself much differently than he was. He is spending more time sleeping and has lost a lot of his playfulness once again. I feel so sorry for my poor baby boy as I cannot comfort him or explain to him what is happening. Of course I am immediately on the phone to "Doc" and as I had suspected there is a great chance we will need to go in and have the other hip operated on much sooner than we had anticipated.  We had thought we would have about a year, maybe more, but things don't look too good at this time. Though things are not looking good...we will hold out hope that we can make it atleast to the new year before having to go back into surgery.

Update Three: We watched and watched day in and day out hoping we would see improvement in Christian, but things just appeared worse. His left hip bone was now protruding as badly as the right one and he was really beginning to slow down. His left leg even began to look deformed because of the way he was carrying himself to accomodate for the pain when he walked. Atrophe was setting in in both of his legs and his little rearend could fit easily in the palm of my hand. There were times we would even see him on his front legs alone to maneuver his hind end to a comfortable position. My heart was breaking once again....what were we going to do now? It was Christmas Eve and there was little we could do at this point but wait. I was not willing to simply sit by and let my little buddy suffer without doing something, so I did what my heart told me it was time to do.........PRAY. Not that we and many friends weren't already praying, but it was time to pray with all of our hearts and souls and begin the laying of hands on this pup, if it was going to count. And so I did.......

Update Four: It is now New Years Eve and I am happy to say that Christian is doing better. The last four days he has attempted using his right leg (the one that was operated on) and has actually gotten some life back into him.  Last night he began using the right leg as if there was nothing wrong and was running around the house like his old self. He was very playful, playing tug of war with Gracie and the kids and things are looking up once again. Today he is a happy boy full of energy and life and other than a hop or skip occassionally, he is really adapting to his leg. Using his right leg is helping his left leg and perhaps he won't have to face another surgery.  Our prayers for healing are being answered and as we continue with our prayers we will keep the faith that God has the power to heal our little boy and if it be His will.....in time, Christian will walk again, painfree.  As I said before....miracles DO happen!

Update Five: Well the holidays are well behind us and Christian is still getting along very well.  We have now added a new AHT addition to the family and he and she are becoming great buddies.  They tear around this house like little whirlwinds and it is so good to see Christian running and playing like a normal dog. Granted his gait looks funny and he looks weak in the rear, but he is getting around.  I think we will eventually opt for surgery on the other hip so that he will be able to build up his rearend and not have to compensate for his weak left hip.  But atleast at this time, he is not in pain and gets around with no problem. Thanks to all who prayed for out little pup....I know each and everyone of them were heard.

Update Six: This will be the final update until it comes time for Christian to have another surgery.  He is doing extremely well at this point and we continue to be optimistic about his progress.  He runs around as though there is not a thing wrong with him.  He can run and play just like the others, but does fall over easily if the others try to play too rough. He doesn't have the power in his rear to jump up on the couch or the bed, however that certainly doesn't stop him from trying.  He still has a scrawny rearend and walks rather stiff legged and people notice he isn't quite right in the hind-end department, but we don't mind.......atleast we have a happy young dog that in other circumstances wouldn't even be here.  We are truly blessed to be owned by this lovely little fellow.

In the case of Christian, I do not find fault with Mr. Scott and the breeding of the dogs that produced Chris. I have total faith that he did not have any idea that Christian's parents were carriers of this disease. To my knowledge, this is the first case we have seen. But now that we have found a case of Legg Perthes and are learning more about the disease....I make this plea to all breeders.

Please learn as much about this disease as possible. Contact OFA and have the information mailed to you. Then before you breed...STUDY YOUR PEDIGREES. If you have a known carrier or an affected dog...DON'T breed it! Any dog that is a littermate of an affected dog is considered to be a carrier and it is adviceable not to breed any of them. Please don't take the chance of producing another pup with this terrible disease and putting another family or child through the heartache my family has been through......thank you, Pam

We have learned alot through DNA as to this particular mating that produced Christian and his sisters. As it turns out both parents have atleast Grade 2 Patellar Luxation as well as carry the gene for the LeggPerthes Disease. And now I find out that Christian along with the LeggPerthes Disease has Grade 3 Patellar Luxation and suffers from hyperextension of all his joints as well. Yes, this was definitely a bad breeding but not an intentional one. Mistakes do happen on occassion and it is what we do with those mistakes that counts.

DO NOT BUY A PUPPY FROM ANY PARENT OR SIBLING OF MY CHRISTIAN AND EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT THIS DISEASE BEFORE DEALING WITH ANY BREEDER - THEN ASK ALOT OF QUESTIONS.

If you do not know what questions to ask a breeder then go to my segment on Buying Your First Puppy or feel free to email me personally.

I love my Christian dearly but I also know what he is going to be looking at in the years to come....arthritis and pain....and more than likely a shortened life because I will not let this little guy suffer. He deserves so much more.

On a lighter note....Christian is doing very well right now. He gets around as well as the other dogs though he doesn't look as graceful doing so. He can now jump up on the couch...though it is a very big production doing so. He is a very animated little guy with such spark...I am so thankful we decided to go through with the surgery and not put him down. You can still tell he is weak in the rear as far as looks but that doesn't seem to stop him. He's been a real trooper and I wouldn't trade him for the world.

Thankfully, Christian is the only "reported" case of LeggPerthes Disease, but there is some bad breeding going on out there and I have been hearing more about it each day. Lately I have heard a great deal about many cases of Patellar Luxation as well as hyper- extending joints.  It is my fear with the bad breeding I have heard about we are going to see another case of LeggPerthes.

** Beware the breeder you deal with and I know with an educated mind and a whole lot of questions you will end up with a healthy happy well adjusted American Hairless Terrier in your family.

Update 2004:   We have now heard of another case of Legg Perthes Disease and my understanding is the parents of the dogs that produced the puppy are products of, yes......a dog closely related to Christian.  As I have said before BEWARE!

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