[yorkietalkjilly]

Boy, if I could possibly prevent LP when the pup is 3 days old by some negligible procedure that wouldn't cripple or harm the dog but could possible prevent the development of that occasionally awful condition, I would.

My neighbor's dog was almost lame from it before she finally had it surgically repaired and the little thing went through h - e - double-hockey sticks getting over that surgery and rehabbing. That dog suffered a lot before a diagnosis was finally sought. If I could prevent that possibility through some simple procedure when the dog is newborn, of course I would.

A procedure like tail docking or dew claw removal on a 3 day old pup is a far cry from a full-length leg amputation and not even in the same ballpark metaphorically. One takes seconds and requires no anesthesia, surgery, rehab and the other is as major surgery as one can get without cutting into the torso or skull. But a negligible procedure like tail docking or dew claw removal on an infant pup who has no peripheral neurological maturation to possibly prevent injury and weeks or months of pain and surgery and weeks of rehab - yes, I would. And I think the dog would thank me for it if he could to try to avoid all that he went through before surgery and before his diagnosis, waiting for surgery while on medication, then the procedure itself, immediate miserable p/o course, and then later trying to get over it, return to functionality.

I think preventative medicine is preferable where a small procedure can potentially save a big problem later. And I am certainly not alone and haven't been over the years - many compassionate people felt and feel that way. Think of the dogs that injure body parts and don't have YT-type owners who go for weeks or months without notice and in pain, suffering silently until and if somebody notices and maybe, maybe gets noticed and some help. If I could prevent that from a simple procedure, nicking a ligament or some such thing while the dogs was hours old, I would.

In the old days when a dog broke its tail, the owner usually just whacked it off and tied a rag around it! The dog got well - or not. Dogs often went - and no doubt today in this country - still do, with torn-off dewclaws and dealt with them on their own. Eventually someone realized that something could be done to easily prevent those kinds of things and did it. I only wish there were some other similar simple things to do to help dogs avoid injury, pain and worse. But a lot of us over the years have and will continue to get what we can done minimally early to prevent our dogs' very possible suffering.