A dog needs hip surgery when its hip joint disease has reached the stage where surgery is the only possible solution.
Hip dysplasia is a genetic disease that primarily affects large and giant breeds of dogs but can also affect medium-sized breeds and occasionally small breeds. It is primarily a disease of purebreds, although it can also occur in mixed breeds.
Hip dysplasia causes serious misalignment of the hips due to a poor fit of the bones.
In the early stages of the disease, veterinarians often recommend feeding an affected dog glucosamine and chondroitin. These two products have been shown to help some dogs but do not work for all, just as some humans benefit from these same supplements while others do not.
A safer and more effective supplement is Winston’s Joint System. Dogs suffering with joint diseases such as arthritis, bursitis, OCD, hip dysplasia and other degenerative problems with the shoulders, elbows and hocks experience immediate and long-term relief. Winston’s Joint System is a combination of three, totally-natural whole food supplements developed by a Naturopathic Doctor for his own dog. It provides many of the raw materials essential for the synthesis of the joint-lubricating synovial fluid as well as the repair of articular cartilage and connective tissue. Within the first 30 days of treatment, dogs on Winston’s Joint System show noticeable and often remarkable improvement.
Types of hip surgery
If the only possible solution for your dog is hip surgery, there are several procedures available depending upon the severity of the dog’s condition, age and assessment for recovery.
The different types of surgery currently available cost from $2,000 to $6,000, plus additional costs for follow-up care and long-term medications.
If surgery is the only solution, it is important to understand the benefits of each type of surgery before selecting the best option for your dog.
• Triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO) is a type of surgery recommended for puppies that have already developed hip dysplasia. Puppies between the ages of 8 and 18 months old usually don’t show symptoms of degenerative arthritis that is often present in older dogs with hip dysplasia. Because of the absence of arthritic conditions, young puppy’s hips can often be successfully repositioned. Repositioning of one hip frequently results in the natural correction of the other hip, and surgery may be necessary on only one hip joint. This type of surgery is expensive because it requires the skills of a board certified surgeon.
• Femoral Head/Neck Osteotomy (FHO) is best recommended for dog hip dysplasia in very active dogs or those that weigh 50 pounds or less. During surgery, the femoral head will be cut off, allowing the joint to heal as a “false joint” Dogs that weigh little, and those that are very active experience quicker healings. This procedure is one of the least expensive options for dog hip dysplasia surgery because it is quick and does not require the skills of a board certified surgeon.
• Total hip replacement (THR) is only recommended for dogs with hip disease that would not respond to other types of surgery. Since dog hip dysplasia affects the most important part of the hip, the entire hip must be replaced with a prosthetic. This type of surgery has been performed for years with a very high success rate. However, complications occur in about 10% of all surgeries. This type of surgery is highly invasive and requires long-term care of the dog. One positive result of the surgery can be that only one hip replacement may be necessary if the other hip responds beneficially to the surgery.
• DARthroplasty (dorsal acetabular rim) is a fairly new and controversial surgery using bone grafts to rebuild affected sections of the dog’s hip. The surgery is usually performed on dogs who have just begun to develop arthritis and are too old for Triple pelvic osteotomy. Long term performance of this type of surgery on a dog’s hip is still not clear.
• Juvenile pubic symphysiodesis (JPS) is a preventative hip dysplasia surgery performed on young puppies before they reach five months of age. During surgery, the pelvis is prematurely sealed to allow the hip sockets to rotate in alignment. There is much disagreement among veterinary surgeons as to the success rate of this type of surgery, mainly because it is performed on dogs that have not yet developed dysplasia.
Since 1990, Winston’s Joint System and Winston’s Pain Formula have helped heal over twenty thousand dogs from all over the world. Our staff specializes in hip dysplasia, arthritis and all joint, pain and mobility issues.
There is an excellent chance we can help your dog, so please contact us at: www.dogshealth.com or call our toll free number at 888-901-5557.