Dysplasia took its toll on Russell. Carol Lowenhaupt of Decatur, GA found Russell, a Labrador and German Shepherd mix, in 1992. He was nine months old and homeless. Carol fell in love with him, and decided to make him a part of their family.
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| Carol Lowenhaupt with Russell in 1994. |
As a puppy, Russell had plenty of energy. He ran and jumped like other dogs and enjoyed playing at the beach. At the age of three, Russell began to show signs of pain and discomfort. “His hips began to slump, and he would drag them across the floor when he walked. His behavior changed significantly. Whenever Russell was in pain, he would get very anxious “huddling under my legs and trying to climb into my lap. It hurt him to climb stairs and he often fell behind on long walks,” said Lowenhaupt.
She took Russell to the local vet who diagnosed him with severe dysplasia. Russell would need expensive hip replacement surgery. Lowenhaupt’s veterinarian told her about a new medication for pain called EtoGesic®, produced by Fort Dodge Animal Health. In fact, Russell participated in an EtoGesic clinical study. “It was amazing,” she explained, “After he went on EtoGesic, his personality totally changed. He became happy, relaxed and more playful. Best of all, his mobility improved to the point where he could climb stairs easily, take long walks and play for hours. And he never showed any side effects from the medication.”
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| Russell in 2002 at the age of 11. |
At age seven, Russell had his second hip replaced and continued on EtoGesic. “Gradually, he was more mobile. You could tell on his face that he was no longer in pain,” said Lowenhaupt. “Russell will be 12 years old in January and has been on EtoGesic for nine years, now. EtoGesic has helped to give us many happy years with Russell, and I look forward to many more to come.”