NUANCE!!! What Does Hip Dysplasia + Spay Timing + ChatGPT = ?, "Mark & His Big Mouth"

Linkedin Article with Comments

OK, this is my first time trying this!

If you've been following me you'll know that for my first couple "Blog" posts I went with the super lazy and boring route of just writing a Google Doc and linking it in my Linkedin post...

But I've been seeing more of these "Linkedin Articles" and thought they looked nice. So I wanted to try it, at least until www.TheDigitalDVM.com is up and running (thanks so much to everyone that voted!! I bought the domain, just haven't made the site yet).

So... 

"NUANCE!!! What Does Hip Dysplasia + Spay Timing + ChatGPT = ?, 'Mark & His Big Mouth'"

What the heck am I even talking about here?!

Over the years of going to dog parks with my parents (also both vets), I've gotten pretty good at keeping my mouth shut when people talk (good or bad) about vets and their pets' "illnesses" (real or fake) within earshot, especially since stopping practicing and transitioning into Veterinary Software / PIMS over the past 4 years or so.

But last week at the dog trainer I just couldn't help myself...

My wife and I adopted a stray pitbull from Texas a couple years ago and have done EXTENSIVE training with him (a story for another post). My wife especially completely fell in love with process and is now an apprentice trainer at the company we used (www.a-balanced-canine.com if you're in the South Jersey area - they're AWESOME). 

All of this is to say that we go to Basic Obedience Class with him every Saturday, following Puppy Class, which my wife also attends, and sometimes even teaches.

But I digress... how does any of this relate to my crazy title??

So there I am, just minding my own business, trying to keep my dog from whining or pittie pterodactyl screaming at the puppies while waiting for his class to start, and I overhear...

"Yeah, I'm a big runner and I really wanted to take her on runs with me, but I know I can't since she's a golden retriever..."

...no one corrects her... 

My wife and the dog trainer both shoot me a look like, 

"YOU GONNA STEP IN HERE VET GUY?!"

UGH. 

"Wait, what?? Who told you that? And why? Because of hip dysplasia? Not EVERY golden gets hip dysplasia..."

And we're off!

I'm explaining OFA or PennHip radiographs for early detection of hip dysplasia and potential corrective surgeries like a JPS ("Juvenile Pubic Symphysiodesis" - this is where ChatGPT first came in to play cause there is no way I was remembering that third word from vet school 😂) or a TPO (Triple Pelvic Osteotomy) that can be performed at a young age, often at the same time a spay, IF there are concerns for hip dysplasia on early screening tools (don't ask me which require an Ortolani sign... like I said I'm not clinical anymore...).

"But my vet said not to spay her until after the first heat."

🤦🏻

Facepalm.

And NOT because this is necessarily wrong.... but... 

NUANCE!!!

This is where I really started relying on ChatGPT.

There I am, in the middle of the dog training center, haven't practiced in 4 years, allowed a lot of this info to exit my brain, don't have any of my textbooks or vet school notes handy, and I'M THE ONE THAT INITIATED THIS CONVERSATION! I COULD HAVE JUST LET IT GO!! 

But... 

ChatGPT TO THE RESCUE!!!

Damn this thing is good...

But what about the spay timing question??

Dang. 

That is better than I could have managed even given an hour of alone time with my old vet schools notes and textbooks...

So now what??

The owner LOVED all of this and of course asked "Can you send me that??" 

So I did! And said what every ridiculous pharmaceutical company commercial (so insane that they are a thing in the US) does... 

"Please consult with your doctor [veterinarian]"

But what did I learn from all of this?? Or rather, what did I already know but this experience just CEMENTED for me?

1. NUANCE!!!!

   
   

   1. SOME golden retrievers get hip dysplasia, SOME don't...

      
      

   2. SOMETIMES it is "best" (pros & cons!) to spay before the first heat, SOMETIMES after...

      
      

      1. Depends on that particular dog AND the owner!!!

         
         

2. CHATGPT IS THE BEST!

   
   

   1. Thank God AI cannot do a Physical Exam... yet...

Thoughts???

The main reason I even post things like this on Linkedin is to share with like-minded colleagues and see what interesting things people bring up in the comments!!

__________________________________________________________________________________

Mark Massaro, DVM

"The Digital DVM" (coming soon...)

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