July 20, 2017

Hello furiends and loved ones—

The past two weeks have been wonderful and heart-warming. Thank you to everyone who are currently helping us in our battle to treat my hip dysplasia (HD). As an update, we have seen a sixth vet last July 11 upon the recommendation of another malamute owner. His malamute was also diagnosed with hip dysplasia on both sides and he advised my pawrents that instead of immediately opting for the Femoral Head Osteotomy (FHO)[1] surgery (as what the other vets recommended), is for us to try the approach he used to treat his malamute’s dysplasia. The said non-surgical approach involves the injection of Cartrophen Vet.

The vet he recommended, and hence, the sixth one we saw throughout this ordeal, was the only one who administers the aforementioned shots. Cartrophen Vet (100mg/mL pentosan polysulfate sodium) “is a prescription only, injectable, sulphated sugar of plant origin. It has many sites of action within the underlying processes of the arthritis disease which helps maintain joint health, including preserving joint cartilage. It is therefore classified as a disease modifying osteoarthritis drug (DMOAD).[2]" Sharing the good results from his own malamute’s HD treatment, my pawrents decided to give Cartrophen Vet a chance. Given that the FHO is a procedure ideally for small dogs and since other procedures like Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO) and Total Hip Replacement (THR) are not available here in the Philippines, FHO is considered as a “last resort” or a “salvage procedure” for canines with severe cases of hip dysplasia. That is why the non-surgical approach was most certainly worth a shot.

The dosage, according to Cartrophen’s website, is as follows: “Cartrophen Vet has an optimal clinical efficacy in dogs at 3mg/kg of pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS) administered sub-cutaneously on four occasions at intervals of 5-7 days. [3]” I had my first shot last July 11 and my second one last July 17. For the first week, I was not allowed to do any physical activity in order to build cartilage health. As of this week, I am allowed to have very short walks on soft surfaces, but my hips need to be massaged for comfort twice a day.

For transparency, we have attached the receipts of the two shots administered as of late; with the first shot amounting to Php 4,700.00 and the second one at Php 4,300.00.

We are anticipating the last 2-3 shots to complete the initial dose in the succeeding weeks (with the remaining shots priced at Php 4,300.00/each). We are hoping that this non-surgical approach works so I won’t need to undergo the FHO surgery anymore. Rest assured that all your kind help will be used solely toward the ongoing treatment of my hip dysplasia. Given that the medication and expenses for prescribed supplements are continuous, we have kept all the receipts of our vet visits and medical expenses for your reference.

In the event that the Cartrophen Vet approach does not work, we may still have to proceed with the FHO surgery as initially planned and upon the attending vet’s advice. We will continue to keep you posted on the progress of my health in the forthcoming weeks. My pawrents and I could not be more grateful for all the kind assistance you have given to help me overcome my HD.

I wuv you all.

Ocean

For day to day updates, you may follow me on instagram @oceanthemalamute and facebook /oceanthemalamute.

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[1] http://www.topdoghealth.com/library/orthopedic-surgery/articles-surgery/femoral-head-osteotomy-fho-dogs/

[2] http://www.cartrophen.com/for-dog-owners/what-is-cartrophen-vet/

[3] http://www.cartrophen.com/for-vets/dosage-usage/