Is Hip Dysplasia treatable in dogs?

Question

My female boxer of 7 months was recently diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia in both of her hips. The vet basically made it sound like her opinion was to put her to sleep. I am very upset about this. I have gotten very attached to her and want to know if there are more options. She told me that surgery costs an average of $3000 per hip and is not guaranteed. Is this true? Has anyone ever had this problem? How much does it really cost for the surgery? Anyone ever heard different? I am desperate for other options. We don't have the money for the surgery right now either.

Answer 1

i have been in the breeding of pit bulls for most of my life and i hate to say this but in most cases it is best to put the dog down.regardless of breed.however my first pit ever came from a litter that all the litter mates had to be put to sleep at a vets.advice at between 3 MONTHS TO 6MONTHS .AND I NEVER PUT MY PUP DOWN.AND HE WENT EVERY WHERE WITH ME .at the age of about 1 year he not only could pull me around on my skateboard at over traffic speed his hips were clean and the vet had no answer why.he lived 12 years and never had a hip problem .as your dog is still young if its not in obvious pain,feed it the best food you can and walk it every day.however if it is in pain the operation wont help much if at all and the best thing you should do is put the dog down and buy another with the promise to your dog that you will name the new pup after them.the fallen angel of mans greed rather than to preserve a dog and its breed is a shame.

Answer 2

If she is that young and the hips are that bad, than your only option is to have her hips replaced. The surgery is very expensive, but it usually does help the dog. I would try to find a vet that is willing to work out a payment plan so that you can have the surgery preformed and then save your money. She should not have the surgery until she is 2 years old because she will not be done growing until then. During that time, I would have you vet prescribe a strong anti-inflammatory (like Deramaxx or Rymidal), and I would put your dog on supplements called Cosequin and Duralactin. You could also try a new product called Adaquan, it is an injection that the dog receives a series of that helps with the pain.

Answer 3

Hi. I have had an older dog with hip dysplaysia. She was too old for the surgery and lived with it for about a month before we put her to sleep. Pain medicines and surgeries are the only ways to treat it. The vet gave you an accurate idea of the cost and chances of it going perfect. Vets can put you on a pay program where you pay it bit by bit. Also sometimes can do little bitty programs to help raise money. If you have a really good vet your in good hands. It's a hard problem to watch. With my own dog it was painful to watch her try to walk so we wouldn't let her stand on her own. I would put a towel under her back end and carry it while she walked and when she wanted to. She died at 16 1/2. She was a black lab and was one of the best dogs I will ever have. The vet care has since been improved greatly and it's more than likley going to suceed rather than fail. What ever choice you make know it isn't a bad one. Your a wondeful person for keeping her alive and comfortable. Don't let anyone tell you to let go but you. You have to be ready and stand strong on your feet. With this some hard decisions may lay with you but if you don't stress yourself out and beat your self up over it your going to make the right choice. Please take care of yourself.

~Blade~

Answer 4

Find a vet that specializes in surgery for things like dysplasia and get a second opinion.

If your dog of 7 months is that bad and in that much pain, you probably have to do something. 7 months is very young to diagnose dysplasia, so it could be very severe.

There are other surgeries that cost less, but aren't always indicated for a dog like a Boxer, only a vet can tell you, but get other opinions.

Is she in a lot of pain? Perhaps if she isn't in a lot of pain, acupuncture can help until she is full grown and you have a better handle on things.

BUT, get a second opinion first!

Answer 5

Hip dysplasia can be treatable...depending where you live and who you get to do the surgery and what type of surgery is performed it can cost anywhere from $1500 - $6000 per hip to do surgery. You can also try acupuncture. I would suggest getting a referal and getting her seen by an ortopedic vet.

Also was the hip dysplasia diagnosed by x-ray? If not then she may not even have it or have it as bad as diagnosed since the only way to diagnose hip dysplasia is x-rays.

Answer 6

The litature says that you leave total hip replacement until they are older as it may not last their full life otherwise.
The cost sounds abouth right to me
Cartrophen injections, glucosamine and non steriodal anti inflammatory drugs will all help with pain reliefe.
Keep your dog thin as more weight causes more problems on joints - the best sort of exercise is swimming as it non weight bearing.
Also look into hydrotherapy and other alternative medicine.
In the long term this dog is going to cost you a lot of money, however while you can keep it comfortable without surgery you might as well try.

Answer 7

I am sorry for the pain your pet is going thru I really am. But here is another vet and MONIES story. "Oh yes we can do the procedure but you have to have $$ up front" and hardly ever a payment plan right. And I am sorry but that's what they have and you can take it or leave it, type of conversation! "Was that the basic jist of the conversation with the vet?" I am very sorry to put this here, but people need to see, read and hear the thing that vets 'do for the rights of animals'. Uh yeah right! I had a dog (a Siberian) and as I went out to the backyard I found him laying on the ground and he was in pain, whimpering laying listless, and as I took him as an emergency to my vet, and before I could even get to see the vet, the nurse, tech, or whatever, asked me how I planned to pay for the visit I said "I forgot my wallet trying to get my dog here ASAP" and she said "I'm sorry without payment we cannot see the dog" I told her what the heck I have been here before, she said "no money no vet" so I said stuff it and other assorted words and went to 2 other vets immediately, the same day 1 right after another within 20-30 mins. THE SAME THING!No offering of payments oh no hell no just no money no vet I even offered to have my wife come and bring my wallet yet no dice son of a guNS#$$%$! My dog died in my arms, and as to what was wrong, I dunno! SOOOO vets to me are money grubbing !^$#@&%# and no I am not kidding I am very serious.

Answer 8

no the surgery is not a guarantee but if you are able to afford it why not try? hip dysplasia is nasty and can be debilitating. it can cause sever pain just from sitting wrong. if you cant afford the surgery sorry to say but it might be best to go with what the doctor said. the same goes if the surgery doesn't work.

Answer 9

My dog is half German Shepard, and (I think it is called hip dysplasia) this is quite common for this species. My dog had trouble walking on his hind legs for the longest time. Then we gave him some glucoscemene supplements with his food or stuffed in some cheese, and that seemed to really help. He no longer gets around by using only his front legs.

Answer 10

There are various medical and surgical treatments available that can ease your dog's discomfort and restore mobility.

Medical treatments such as weight loss, moderate exercise (slow leash-walk or swimming) and anti-inflammatory medication will help to alleviate the pain and inflammation around the hip joint.

If medical treatment fails to improve your dog's condition, surgical treatment might be appropriate. Your young dog might benefit from a triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO).

Maybe you will like to consult a second opinion. Try another vet and see what they can do.

Good luck.