Bulldogs World

I am writing to hopefully gain some insight on my 10 month old's condition Starting Thanksgiving day T-Bone started limping and yelping. He was put on Rimadyl for 2 weeks 100 mg daily, he was negative for lymes disease  and they could not locate where the pain was coming from, the Vet told us then it was essentially growing pains. Around day 10 on Rimadyl he was very painful and I suspected it was his left front leg. An X-ray was done and first it was suggested that he had a fragmented coronoid process and at the same visit they ruled that out and diagnosed him with panosteitis.  We were then referred to an orthopedic specialist who ordered a CT scan and now tell me he has elbow dysplasia.

"In the left elbow there is moderate particular remodeling of the medial and lateral epicondyles of the humerus, thickened remodeling and sclerosis of the medial coronoid process and sclerosis in the subtrochlear bone of the ulna. In the center of the joint, adjacent to the humeral trochlea lateral to the base of the medial coronoid prcess of the ulna there is a small linear mineral opacity. On sagittal and dorsal place reformatted images, there is a 1-2mm step between the articular surfaces of the radial headand the ulnar coronoid process. No abnormalities are identified in the right elbow."

So the diagnostic impression is "left elbow  incongruency and small intra-articular bone fragment suspected from the medial coronoid process with chronic moderate secondary joint disease."

What these specialists suggest is that that do a scope procedure to remove the fragment and then do a possible procedure called dynamic proximal ulnar ostectomy to free the proximal segment (top) of the ulna and attempt to improve conguity of the elbow joint surface.

T-Bone now takes 50 mg rimadyl twice a day and he has not been symptomatic since starting this medication, I was also giving him gabapentin and tramadol but completed them.  I have also been keeping him from running/playing  as advised by Vet.  When he was in pain/limping it was so severe he could not get off his side and would scream as if I was shutting the door on him at even the slightest movement. 

Does anyone have experience with this diagnosis? I am OK with doing the arthroscopic procedure in order to move the fragment (which both orthopedic surgeons have told me is an opacity on the x-ray, not that there definitly is a fragment), however this second procedure-the ulnar ostectomy seems very invasive and it's difficult to really consider such an extensive measure when if you saw him right now he seems just fine. That may be the rimadyl working though but I can't stand to see him hurting again.

Thanks for your time reading this!!!