Dog got hip dysplasia may need a Triple pelvic osteotomy is the surgery worth it for better quality of life?

Question

i have insurance so its not the cost its worrying about putting him through such a big operation if it is not going to change his life much

Answer 1

It sure is if U love your dog like one of the family. Think about what U would want if U were faced with this dilemma and it was YOU we were talking about.

And good luck with your decision.....remember that love is worth more than money!

Answer 2

It is very encouraging to see another pet owner ask this question. I really believe that just because our insurance covers the cost from our point of view, it doesn't necessarily mean that the treatment is best from the animal's point of view.

I once had a young cat who repeatedly broke his leg. Although the insurance covered the cost of expensive repair work, the experience taught me that the animal's quality of life was about the here and now. The promise of a better quality of life in a few weeks when he had recovered meant nothing to the animal. It meant something to me and that was selfish. In the end, I asked for the leg to be amputated rather than go through further corrective surgery because on balance, and enough though the vet was confident that the leg would be saved, I felt that a further 6 weeks confinement for this young animal was not acceptable. At this age the rest of his life would not be sustantially impaired with the loss of a leg as

I can imaging that this is an incredibly difficult decision for you. You don't mention the history of your dog's problem but as you think about the best action, take into account the success rate of the procedure, the recovery period, the temprement of your dog, the age of your dog, and the procedures that the dog has already been through. Will you be able to care for him enough during the recovery period? What other options has the vet offered you? Weigh up all these factors and try and make the best decision from your dogs point of view.
I hope you get through this tough time what ever your decision and I'm sure that an owner who is sensible enough to ask this question in an open forum will do the right thing.

Answer 3

If the hip is out of joint, then you might not have a choice but to do a TPO or a FHO. Is this dog only dyslpastic in one hip? How clinical is this dog? Those are things to think about. If the dog is clinical and has a real bad hip, you might need to have it done. I have seen dogs though that have ended up more clinical on the side that they had the TPO done on after surgery. It is a long road. Just go to a respected orthopedic vet for this please.
This is to the person that said your dog was born with HD. It was not born with it!!! Now genetics play a part in HD yes. But, you can breed two OFA excellent dogs together and get an entire litter of dyslpastic pups from the breeding. I just replaced a pup recently for a man whose 2 year old came back with one good hip and one mild hip by OFA. That boy is out of 2 OFA good parents with OFA normal elbows. You can not x-ray a pup and see anything on the x-rays until about 4 or 5 months of age when it comes to hips. So a breeder can not x-ray a litter of 8 week old puppies. Now an experienced breeder can see by movement on their pups at a young age, loose hips. When I am looking at pups, I am looking at structure and movement over color. Dogs are not born with HD.

Answer 4

I agree with one of your other answerers, you really need to have a lengthy discussion with your vet over this one, I have been so lucky with my German Shepherds so haven't had to face this thankfully, it all depends on your dogs age and general health. But if all is well and your dog is young enough and if I was in your position then yes I think I would take this risk on my dogs behalf I love them too much not to try, but on the other hand you have to be realistic about things and if the vet doesn't advise it then take his lead, get a second opinion even but you have to make the decision at the end of the day.
Pills and potions (which I use on occasion) will NOT do much for bad hip dysplasia!!

Answer 5

Simply put (unless the dog is much older or ill) the answers is YES.
My dog had the surgery that removed the top part of the bone that rides in the hip. She walked into the vet in 3 legs and walked out the next day after surgery on 4. She was able to run and play again after healing.

Answer 6

I had a rott who had hd so bad at 5 months he could not bend his back legs. We had what is called TPO's done on both hips, They saw the pelvis in half and replate the femure bone correctly and plate and pin everything together. This is 2 seperate surgeries. and 6 months of recovery. 4 months of quiet crate time At a year I'm they will do a different kind of surgery. Get all your details on recovery time, a large crate with soft padding or comforter, a wire crate is best sohe can see you at all time. but be assured he is not alond and quiet time means better healing. Depending on what they do. is what will take shorter or longer healing time. Dogs come around very quickly and adjust, But its up to you to keep him under retraint. take him out for potty breaks (on lead or a flexi) and contain his mobility until the surgeon is assured all stitches are set. then its time to learn to walk and gain back muscles to help the hips and legs themselves. We started with very short walks I mean 10 - 20 yards and each day walked a little further. It was a long loving plan. & so well worth it. my guy passed at almost 12 years of age. he waked, ran and played, his whole life. It pays to do the best you can and take the time. Therapy to them is love and patience. as well as your guidance in when and when not to be loose. best regards.

Answer 7

I'd say yes. TPO can make a huge difference to quality of life if it's used it the appropriate situations (depends on age of the dog, the degree of dysplasia, angles of the hip, etc...in a young dog with no degenerative changes it can actually stop the dysplasia progressing and return the hip to normal development).

If your vet (is he seeing an orthopaedic specialist??) thinks that he is a suitable candidate for TPO, then long-term prognosis is very good-excellent. If you do decide to go ahead, just make sure you follow post-op instructions closely...proper management following surgery is almost as crucial to long-term improvement as the surgery itself. Swimming is fantastic because it the dog to maintain mucle mass without causing excessive concussion and pain early on.

Good luck to you and him :o)

Answer 8

Your dog didn't 'get' HD, he was born with it from parents who had it. This shows the value of buying susceptible breeds only from responsible breeders who have their breeding stock hip scored.
Nobody can really give you a definative answer unless they have had the same op' done.
I would say talk this over with your vets if you trust them to give you an honest reply. I'm lucky with my vets. I always ask my vet "if this was your dog what would YOU do?" and then I ask about the long term prognisis. Your vets are really the ones to answer your questions.
If it was MY dog, and it was covered by insurance, I would certainly be considering it.
One of my dogs had legge perthes disease 11 years ago. She was operated on to have the top of the femur removed. I still have her and you would never guess that she'd had this done as she runs about like a mad thing after the other dogs. She doesn't limp or anything else. Before she had the op' she would cry when she tried to get up and wouldn't move about much.

Answer 9

The surgery will work. So it depends on the age of the dog and her health as to wether I would do it.

Another option that is less invasive and easier on the dog is Gold Bead Implants. There is a lot on the net about this so do some research. I had one dog done for other reasons and I can say that it did stop her pain. She no longer needed pain pills.

Answer 10

Well....Depends to some degree on the age of the dog. I have seen the op. be highly successfull, giving the dog a new lease of life. If your dog is old, it may be kinder to take the other option, but if he/she is maybe 7 or younger, I would go fot it.