URGENT: Need help and advice for canine brittle bone disease

[Christine]

I have a beautiful husky mix listed under Urgent Rescue http://www.handicappedpet.net/helppets/ ... 16&t=15625

I just heard back from the contact that his brother has been adopted, but Shadow is now Urgent and I know it is because of this devastating description. I have Googled with little success other than it seems that hip dysplasia comes up each time. Is it possible that this is actually what he has? I would never want to mislead anyone, but the brittle bone disease description sounds so much worse than hip diysplasia.

I wrote back and asked the contact for more information about what treatment, meds, etc. has been given and required. I also thought I might contact my vet for some more information. We've got to give this a different spin and include more details. Look at him, he looks so healthy and happy. He and his brother were turned in because the owners moved, not because of this.

[cricketsmom]

I have not encountered any patients through our clinics with this condition, but looks like it's a legit condition that's genetic. I would assume that this dog would do just fine in a quiet home without stairs or kids. And a soft, heated bed would probably be nice, too.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Dogs with this genetic condition have very fragile bones and loose joints. Their long bones tend to be slim, with thin outer layers, and they break easily. In humans, it is called 'Brittle bone disease'. A telltale sign is when the whites of the eyes have a bluish tinge.

from: http://www.jointpainindogs.com/dog-joint-problems.html