I have a 2 yr old JRT who has hip dysplasia in her left hip....

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Question by Tinker
Submitted on 12/16/2003
Related FAQ: rec.pets.dogs: Canine Medical Information [Part 2/2] FAQ
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I have a 2 yr old JRT who has hip dysplasia in her left hip. She is quite active and does agility. We 1st noticed she was walking stiff legged after an agility trial this past fall. We treated her with anit-inflamatories and finally had her xrayed and found the hip dysplasia. She now doesn't walk as stiff legged, but hops on 3 legs for awhile, and then puts the leg down and will walk normally for awhile. The vet is considering the removal of the hip head, he says she will be able to do agility again after her rehab is done. Is this possible? She still runs as if nothing is wrong, as long as she is running and playing, she looks normal. Any ideas on this, as she is a competetive agility dog, with a bright future, and we just don't know if we should wait and treat, or do the surgery. Thank you

Answer by Denise
Submitted on 5/1/2004
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The procedure is called a femoral head ostectomy. It's a very common procedure. If your dog was younger they could do a TPO ( tibial plateau osteotomy) which would be more beneficial. In answer to your question... I would go ahead with the surgery. The problem is only going to get worse. In time it will be bone rubbing against bone, if it isn't already. This can be very painful. It depends on how bad it is now as to how well she can perform. If you elect to do the surgery please follow through with the physical therapy. I work for a specialty vet. We do mostly bone surgeries. We have a licensed physical therapist, as well as an indoor pool to swim the dogs. In fact it would do the dog a world of good to start swimming him now. Start with 2-4 minutes at a time about 2 times daily, work up to at least 10 minutes of swimming at a time. Good luck, Denise Here is a link to our website if you'd like to read more about physical therapy. Dr Shealy is my boss. He is a board certified orthopedic surgeon. He's awesome!! www.vss.org

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<< Back to: rec.pets.dogs: Canine Medical Information [Part 2/2] FAQ

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