Surgery For Extreme Hip Dysplasia

[Trisven13]

Samson's owners (foster failures) have had some x-rays done of Sammie's legs and we have discovered the problem (you may recall we suspected muscular dystrophy). He has two problems, the first of which is the worst case of hip dysplasia that our vet has ever seen - I saw the x-rays and this poor dog has NO HIP SOCKET at all - the bone is essentially straight .

He has also has very bad arthritis in his front elbows (backyard bloody breeders should be shot!!). The arthritis is very bad for an 8 month old pup but can be worked with.

What his owner wants to know is what sort of success have others had for surgery to hip dysplasia - she doesn't want to put Samson through this if it won't give good results. If it is worth the surgery he will have done it on Thursday.

Only posting as she has no internet access.

Trish

[InspectorRex]

Does the Vet think he might have Elbow Dysplasia also?

I feel for Samson's owners as I had to PTS a 9mth old puppy in 2004 with severe HD.

The surgery has a very long rehab program and can be very taxing, both emotionally and financially for the owners as well as very taxing for the dog.

For me , i would not put a dog through the surgery as it is not guaranteed 100% success. Humans go through enough pain with hip surgery and we can tell others when we have pain and discomfort- a dog cannot

JMHO

[cowanbree]

I have done the one where they totally removed the hip socket and the hip is held in place by muscle. Worked very well and minimal rehab time. I understand there are issues as they get older as the muscle tone lessens but I will face that in 10 years. Until then she can enjoy life pain free

[Athena GSD]

Hi Trish,

There are a number of operations done these days for dogs with hip dysplasia. Do you know which one it is? There are ones that aim to create a better joint (including hip replacement) and ones that aim to reduce the pain in the hips. Of course each different surgery has different risks and benefits.

As for the elbows, it does sound like elbow dysplasia, which can be treated but will never be cured. I would be concerned about extra strain being placed on the front legs once the hips have been operated on.

I would strongly encourage these owners to voice their concerns with the vet doing the operation. The vet should give them an idea of their success rate and likely prognosis.

I hope that is helpful.

[Ashka]

My Chow girl had both her ball joints removed after a car accident. I taught her to walk again by lifting her by her tail to keep most of the weight off the back legs as they healed. No future problems at all and she could beat the boys in a running race for years.. Her front legs were always stronger which helped.

With the front leg problems the pup has I wouldn't put the extra strain on them.

(Nearly 30 years ago, there must be more options now)

Only their vet will really know, hopefully one with the pups future health & happiness in mind not just $$s

[Trisven13]

The surgery will be the one where they completely remove the ball of the joint - I think that is the one where the muscle takes over???? Sounds like what Minty the CGAS greyhound puppy had done.

We have seen x-rays of the elbows and the vet has said that it is not elbow dysplasia, rather severe arthritis of those joints. She says that they can be treated quite easily and are a very minor problem (comparatively) - it are his hips that need the work and are causing him the extreme pain.

Time and effort are not a concern for his owner, nor is money, but she doesn't want to put him through the surgery if it doesn't have good results.

Edited December 18, 2006 by Trisven13

[Paula-]

Yep, Minty had the top of the femur removed and the hip socket de-nervated. The surgery went very well, Minty's had three weeks of confinement/limited exercise and is now starting to slowly increase that - a false joint needs to form to stablise the leg but he's using his leg more and he's not in pain.

[malleerr]

Hiya,

Our RR who is now 20 months old had both ED & HD - we had ulna osteotomy's done on both front elbows at 4 months, and had a TPO which failed her a week later when her pelivs collasped on her resulting in the Femoral Neck and Head excision done on both hips. Thats the one where they cut the ball right off.

A year on and Mallee is running around playing getting up to mischeif and really just making up for all her lost time. If we had our time over again with her we would have never done the TPO and just opted for the FNHE - shorter recovery time, and not as full on as having your pelvis cut up and pinned and stapled.

Mallee had a long recovery time but that was due to all the damage to the pelvis, that is probably something i would ask the specialist about, she was crated with no exercise at all and only loo breaks on a sling for 6 months....i believe though under normal circumstances the recovery time is only around 8 weeks. Its hard work especially if both sides are done at once, but well worth it in the end i think.

If you have any questions just let me know and i will answer them if i can.

Edited December 18, 2006 by malleerr

[Dogsfevr]

I wouldnt consider the arthritis as minor & if the dog is in pain now at this age it isnt going to get better & now matter what the only way to help is via drugs.

I have seen a dog with bad arthritis & it was in alot of pain despite all help

Whilst i havent had a dog go through this i have owned a dog that required spinal surgery & the after care etc is very hard work & i was lucky & worked from home.

I agree the owners should certainly have a very good chat with the vet & have a severe family chat,the surgery can weight a tad longer if there not fully comfortable.

PTS isnt easy but there are times where it is a good option

[Rebanne]

I have a friend whose dog had the ball removed some years ago. After a long hard recovery dog did lead a good life.

With all 4 legs involved to some degree I would not be putting Samson through this.

What about the others from the litter? You said Lucas was going the same way a month or so ago. I've been cowardly and never asked for fear I wouldn't like the answer but I would hate the thought of him suffering too (or any of them).

Poor pets, they didn't ask for this

[Trisven13]

Owner has discussed this thoroughly with the vet and her partner and they have opted to give him the chance. They hope (of course) for a great result but if this doesn't work then he will be pts. Samson is very much their child and they want to at least try.

Lucas is being x-rayed in about a week Rebanne and if he shows to have the same problem then his brother Ibrah, who was adopted, will be x-rayed (at our costs of course) as well.

I haven't heard from Rozzie as to whether either of the two pups she took have had problems but if x-rays show problems in all 3 pups here then I would expect problems with those as well. We are desperately trying to contact the vet who initially vaccinated them (they were surrendered with vacc cards) to ensure that the person who bred them is aware and DOESN'T ever allow this to happen again. Not sure if it will make a difference but we will see.

[Athena GSD]

I'm glad they have opted to give Sammie a chance. :D

Most dogs do seem to do well with the femoral head and neck excision.

I would be concerned about the arthritis in the elbows though. A good product to use is "Osteoeze Active" which contains chondroitin and glucosamine. It is available in most chemists. It helps to rebuild the cartilage and reduce joint inflammation rather than just mask the pain.

I would also recommend looking into a course of Cartrophen injections.

I hope the surgery goes well.

[ILuvAmstaffs]

Good on the owners for giving this dog a chance. It sounds as thought the dog may also have ED as well as there is arthritis present already.

My boy has just had surgery for ED on one leg. They removed the offending fragment that was causing the arthritis & did an ulna oestectomy so that the bones now sit correctly.

As for the arthritis, I was told by his surgeon that it's not a huge problem (obviously it would be better if it wasn't there) and it can be managed with cartrophen shots during the cold months if needed & by adding supplements to their meals. The recovery so far has been fantastic. He literally ran out to greet me at the vets & hasn't been slowed down much at all. We are only 2 weeks into the recovery, but so far everything looks very promising.

Bear in mind though, that there is no guarantee with any surgery, so you really need to find a vet you can trust & go with whatever treatment they suggest. For me, I wasn't happy with the first specialist, so took him to Syd Uni Vet Clinic & found them to be wonderful.

I don't know a hell of a lot about HD and this probably will sound like a strange question, but I saw a man on TV with a dog thats 2 back legs were paralysed & it was getting around fine in a little trolley like thing that acted as it's back legs. I'm wondering if there is anyway that one of these trolleys could be used to help the dog be as mobile as possible IF the HD cannot be treated. Anything is worth looking into before having the dog PTS IMHO.

Edited to add:

Goodluck with the surgery. And give Sammie a big hug for me!

Edited December 19, 2006 by ILuvAmstaffs

[Dogsfevr]

I have had a dog with a trolley & it isnt any easier,my dog hated it & was terrified,you had to supervise at all times as they can get stuck in corners,areas extra & not get around,out or move,some of the trollies if they tip over dont release the dog & there stuck in the trolley until found/removed plus ofcourse the other thing to consider is just like humans each dog has a level of survival & will.My boy had the will & i had the means of being at home but it was like looking after a disabled person 24/7,whilst he was still with me for another 7 yrs certain activities etc where halted due to the dogs disabilities because as he aged his needs became more high maintance.

I command anyone that gives a dog a chance aslong as people fully understand what they may be committing themselves too for the next 10 plus years,even house /yards arent always suitable & you need to readdress (if the trolley is used) or arthritis is there with stairs etc

[ILuvAmstaffs]

I have had a dog with a trolley & it isnt any easier,my dog hated it & was terrified,you had to supervise at all times as they can get stuck in corners,areas extra & not get around,out or move,some of the trollies if they tip over dont release the dog & there stuck in the trolley until found/removed plus ofcourse the other thing to consider is just like humans each dog has a level of survival & will.My boy had the will & i had the means of being at home but it was like looking after a disabled person 24/7,whilst he was still with me for another 7 yrs certain activities etc where halted due to the dogs disabilities because as he aged his needs became more high maintance.

I command anyone that gives a dog a chance aslong as people fully understand what they may be committing themselves too for the next 10 plus years,even house /yards arent always suitable & you need to readdress (if the trolley is used) or arthritis is there with stairs etc

Sure thing Showdog. I was merely suggesting that all avenues should be looked into b4 deciding on how to proceed.

[Trisven13]

You're right Showdog and they did consider a trolley but decided that Sammy would not be happy with this. This surgery gives him the best chance of a longer, less painful life and that is what they were aiming for. I don't know what it is about this boy but having fostered him myself as a puppy he really is something special - when you rescue a lot of dogs there are not many that really hold a place in your heart but Sammy has done that from the day he came here and did the same when he went to his current home.

Trish

[Mossie]

Owner has discussed this thoroughly with the vet and her partner and they have opted to give him the chance. They hope (of course) for a great result but if this doesn't work then he will be pts. Samson is very much their child and they want to at least try.

Lucas is being x-rayed in about a week Rebanne and if he shows to have the same problem then his brother Ibrah, who was adopted, will be x-rayed (at our costs of course) as well.

I haven't heard from Rozzie as to whether either of the two pups she took have had problems but if x-rays show problems in all 3 pups here then I would expect problems with those as well. We are desperately trying to contact the vet who initially vaccinated them (they were surrendered with vacc cards) to ensure that the person who bred them is aware and DOESN'T ever allow this to happen again. Not sure if it will make a difference but we will see.

Hello Trisven13

I have been frantically reading posts on this forum for assistance and advice on how to best help Lucas and came across your post. Would you be able to provide me with a copy of the report from Lucas's x-rays from December 2006. Since adopting Lucas in mid-2007, I have visited the vet several times as Lucas seemed to have trouble rising after resting and walked differently to any of my previous fur babies. I am sad to advise that following x-rays in October 2007, Lucas has been found to have hip displasia - like his sibling - and our vet has described his hips as 'just awful' - possibly the worst she has seen in her career. The right ball is not in the socket at all and both hips have arthritis. She also believes that he will have had this condition from birth - otherwise his hips are even worse than originally diagnosed. I have entrusted his care to Chris Preston and have an appointment next week for Lucas' hip surgery. Chris will have to decide what surgery to perform on which hip first - this will be difficult as both are in a very poor state. Lucas is the most beautiful boy - I feel privileged to have him in my care - but am saddened that his previous x-rays were not brought to my attention as one of the surgery options in no longer available to him due to his age (nearly 2 years now).

Tasha, the pup I adopted at the same time as Lucas, has also had her share of problems. This beautiful little girl underwent elbow arthroscopy to remove chips in both her elbows on 23rd November 2007 - Chris Preston also performed this surgery. Elbows have recovered well and we are now investigating the limp in the back right leg afer initial x-rays did not reveal any abnormality. She is just gorgeous and still gradually coming out of her shell. Not sure what she went through before she was rescued but it must have been horrible - she is most fearful of men and very cautious when meeting other dogs.

I will try to attach some photos of my beautiful babies for you (fingers crossed - this is my first post ever so not sure if it will work).

[Poodle wrangler]

Good luck with Sammy. Lucas, too.

What's the approx. cost of this kind of surgery?

I truly don't understand why vets are saying arthritis in elbows is "not a problem" .

Surely hip surgery places extra strain on elbows during recovery?

Arthritis is a degenerative joint disease i.e. gets worse over time, but isn't a problem?

Talk to any human with arthritis and they will tell you it's a big, painful problem.

You know those human drugs they took off the market? A lot of people say they'd rather take their chances and shorten their lives than live with the pain! (other options of course, but sometimes a particular drug is more effective for some people).

[Mossie]

I had no idea what costs were involved until I actually met with the surgeon to discuss treatment options for both of my new fur babies.

I hope you are sitting down!

The double elbow arthroscopy to remove the chips lodged in each of Tasha's elbows cost $2500 - that was for the surgery alone - the initial consult/x-rays with the vet were extra, as was the first consultation with the surgeon and the Metacam (anti-inflammatory) following surgery.

Lucas' total hip replacement, for one hip only, will cost approx. $5500 - that also is for the surgery alone and does not include the initial consult/x-rays, first consultation with surgeon nor any additional treatment required after the surgery to aid rehabilitation.

In addition to this both Lucas and Tasha will require dietary supplements and most likely cartrophen for the remainder of their lives (Lucas being 2 years now and Tasha is 12 months).

With regards to arthritis, there are many natural supplements available that are very effective in managing arthritis in both doggies and humans. I have found that there is some trial and error involved as what works for some does not work for all and occasionally some of the ingredients do not agree with some doggy tummies.

[Staff'n'Toller]

Is it a general Vet doing it?

My boss is an excellent Orthopaedic Surgeon (isn't a specialist but has done many courses and has a keen interest) and we don't do hips- we refer them on.

It would be well worth their while getting referred to an Ortho Specialist and discussing techniques and outcomes if they haven't already. A Specialist can give them a more realistic idea of prognosis and quality of life purely because they have done many more of those surgeries on many more animals of varying ages.

Mel.

Edited January 10, 2008 by Staff'n'Toller