Hip Replacement in Dogs

Replacement Surgery, FHO, and Rehabilitation Therapy are All  Discussed

 

 

 

 

 

 

Femoral Head Ostectomy and Hip Replacement as a Cure for Hip Disease

 

If your pet is having trouble getting up or down, walking stairs, or walking in general, he may have a severe hip arthritis or hip dysplasia. Animal Medical provides boarded surgical relief of hip issues in dogs for first time clients, referrals, or second opinions.

 

Jump to ‘FHO or Femoral Head Ostectomy surgery’
Jump to ‘Cost of Hip Surgery’
Jump to Rehabilitative Therapy

Hip Replacement

 

If you have been told by your veterinarian that your pet requires a hip replacement to end debilitating pain and mobility issues related to hip arthritis or dysplasia, Animal Medical can offer both a second opinion and the surgery itself at our medical center.  Hip replacement is typically only recommended for advanced stages of hip mobility issues, but advancements in technology mean that the replacement will last the lifetime of the pet.  A total hip replacement is a bit of a misnomer.  In the surgery, only the ‘ball’ and ‘socket’ part of the joint are replaced. The video below does a great job of showing and explaining the full procedure.

 

 

Femoral Head Ostectomy

 

Femoral Head Ostectomy or FHO surgery is the surgical removal of the ‘ball and neck’ portion of the femur that fits into the socket of the hip and then relying on the muscles attached to the top of the femur to act as a false joint. Despite such a drastic sounding procedure, dogs recover well. Scar tissue eventually fills in the gap between the hip and the femur and the muscles in that area toughen to provide good support.  Your pet will not have 100% of the mobility her or she once had and the leg will be slightly shorter than the opposite one, but you will see a huge improvement in the way your dog behaves now that he or she is pain free. Mobility will also increase substantially.

 

Cost of Hip Surgery at Animal Medical of New City

 

Hip surgery involves working in an extremely sterile environment to avoid bone infections. Approximately 1000 dollars worth of equipment is used to perform the surgery and roughly 800-1000 dollars worth of materials are used in the surgery itself including suture material, plates, screws, and advanced pain medications. This is not inclusive of the cost for materials and support team time before, during and after the surgery. Total cost of hip surgery at Animal Medical of New City starts at $2900, but can be as high as $5000.00. Of course our medical and administrative team members are always on hand to help you find a solution to manage the cost of cruciate surgery.

 

Rehabilitation

 

We’re lucky to have rehabilitation services right here at the practice. Led by Dr. Lisa Schenkel and her team in our Physical Medicine Department, both you and your pet will be under the careful direction of an experienced veterinarian and licensed veterinary technician throughout your pet’s recovery.

24-48 Hours after Hip Surgery

24-48 hours after the surgery, your dog will most likely be reluctant to eliminate as frequently as he or she did before.  Walk your dog on a leash only to eliminate.  It’s normal for your dog to limp on the operated leg or to hold it up.  Please keep your dog crated at all other times.  Watch for an angry red color at the site of the incision, swelling and heat, all of which may be a sign of infection.  Ice the site as we instructed you to do upon discharge. Administer any medications as directed.

2 Weeks After Surgery

In the next 2 weeks, you can continue to leash walk your dog.  Slow walking around the house without a lease is okay, but supervise your dog during this activity.

1-3 Months After Hip Surgery

Within 3 months of your pet’s surgery, continue to leash walk your pet slowly so as to encourage use of the leg.  Do the exercises that Dr. Lisa Schenkel directed you to do with your pet including any incline-walking exercises. Running and play are discouraged

4-6 Months After Hip Surgery

Within 6 months, you can allow your dog light exercise off leash.  We still discourage round playing at this point.  If you have a naturally energetic dog, reach out to Dr. Lisa Schenkel in our Physical Medicine Department for instructions on what you should do.

More than 6 Months After Surgery

Your dog can resume normal activity, but avoid play that causes your dog to make sharp turns or that puts a lot of stress on the hip.  Reach out to Dr. Lisa Schenkel for continued evaluation of your pet’s recovery.

 

Want A Diagnosis or Second Opinion?

 

The Animal Medical Veterinary Team has more than 30 years of experiencing treating hip problems in both dogs and cats. Left untreated, your pet’s hip issues will worsen. Your pet will experience chronic downward spiral of joint inflammation, arthritis, irritation, joint inflammation, more arthritis and so on.

 

Surgical repair of the hip is a practice that has been around for decades now. Our team at Animal Medical is very experienced with this type of surgery. Your pet will be safe in our care and his or her pain managed very well.

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