So glad he is home and doing OK, sending him a big hug.
Hopefully our story will cheer you up a bit Thierry. Our Lab was 2 when we took her on from a rescue. We were out walking one day when she stumbled and was suddenly in awful pain. To cut a long story short, it transpired that a large flap of cartilage had separated. She was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia and ended up having the flap removed via arthroscopic surgery. Her other elbow also became affected, though not as badly, and she didnt need any surgery.
Here's the bit that might cheer you up: she is now 9 and a half. She is happy, brilliant company and her discomfort is minimal, even now she is an old lady. When she was young, I always thought that her elbows would have an enormous impact on both the quality and length of her life. But with care and good treatment, here she is as an older lady.
Things that might help/have helped include:
Hydrotherapy: wonderful and the thing that has helped her most. She only swims for 6 minute with a rest in the middle, then a jacuzzi, and thats been plenty long enough for her.
Pain relief: Metacam has worked for us (with regular blood tests of course), but if its not right for you, am sure there are many others to try.
Supplements: salmon oil, glucosamine and chondroitin, green lipped mussel, turmeric, boswellia, cod liver oil (and probably loads more I cant think of).
Good quality food with joint supplements in it.
Exercise: nice steady walks rather than frantic running around, being a bit more sensible in the cold and damp. Not throwing things for her - the sudden starts and stops make her worse. Getting her warm and dry when we come in. Not swimming in cold water in the winter.
Acupuncture: made a surprisingly big difference, and she didnt mind it at all.
Am sure there are lots of other things, and of course every dog is different, but I can remember being where you are now and how horrible it is. Here we are over 7 years later and its been much better than we dreaded.
All the best 