My GSD is only 4. She limps a little, sometimes. My feeling is to hold off on the recommended surgery until such time that my dog really needs it. She's a little gimpy, sometimes, but is otherwise a happy dog. But when it's clear she must have it, I am inclined to go through with it. Do I really have a choice? I don't think so.

The vet said the hip replacement surgery is 99% successful. I'm skeptical but hopeful that she is right.

I would appreciate any input and resources that any of you can give me. Thank you.

I know how it feels to get that diagnosis. Sorry for the bad news.

2 things to consider here though. Dogs can't talk, so even though your dog is not limping all the time, you are not able to determine that she is not in discomfort all the time. (they can tell through advanced blood panels, but most of that is studied at Vet Schools)

Second thing is that surgery is easier for the dog to recover from at a young age, there are less risks with the anestesia, etc.

If you know your dog is dysplastic, and already limps from time to time, I would heavily consider the surgery. If not, I would at least be setting aside a fund. You know the day is coming, be prepared.

My Giant is dysplastic, but does not limp or show signs and is now 10 yrs old. If her hips go I will not attempt to put her through the surgery. She was maintained through proper weight and moderate excercize. If your dog is carrying any extra padding I suggest getting it off ASAP.

Well, we (GSRMD) just had a rescue dog operated on about two months ago and I am very amazed at the results. So I definately would go for it!

Thanks a million for the quick responses. I have have kept her in reasonably good shape by watching her diet and making sure she gets plenty of exercise. I'm glad I did or perhaps her situation would be worse. Obviously I need to do my homework on this. It sounds like there is hope and I'm thankful for that. I'll start saving for her operation. Thanks again! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Until when you can do the surgery there are a lot of options that you can consider as far as supplements. Glucosamine, Glycoflex, Cosequin, etc. Glucosamine/chondroitin is probably the cheapest since you can give the human supplement to your dog. I don't have the dosages on hand, but they shouldn't be hard to find.

I agree that doing the surgery earlier is better. Good for you to look into it so throughly.

Scott - as others mentionned, you may not "see" the pain. Does your dog have difficulty rising? Going up or down stairs? Does it lie down more often than not? Sometimes the clues are in the subtleties. And make sure the dog is lean, any extra weight at all exacerbates the problem. I think if the dog shows signs, even not obvious, at a young age, surgery is the very best route. The older they are the harder it is to "bounce back" from surgery. I would give supps - and I do for my merry band of misfits (2 with broken hips), and surgery is pricy, but even the salvage type surgeries wll elimate pain, will not improve gait and the dog may be "gimpy" but who cares as long as they are painfree - that is the main concern. I'd also see if your own vet can give you a referral to a local vet college. Good luck!

there are other options as well including suplements to add to her food. how severe is her dysplasia? both hips, one hip?
the OFA (orthopedic foundation for animals)is one of the best references on HD.
HD treament options
there are many supplements to choose from most have glysomine. some examples of these
are gycoflex and peak stride
peak stride link
I give peak stride to my 11 year old and it does help him.
You might consider getting another opinion before getting a hip replacement. There are vets that specialize in canine orthopedics such as Dr Henry De Boer. He also has some articles on HD.

I agree and humans supps are cheaper - I give mine MSM, glucosamine, vitamin E and C - LOL you name it. I think a vet college is a great option too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'm a nurse practitioner in an orthopedic surgery practice specializing in knee and hip replacement and re-do replacements (which is much more complex), so this topic is of great interest to me. My surgeon has a dog-size hip replacement as his key chain! Just a few main points as they apply to people which should be just as true for dogs: 1. Surgery is done only to alleviate weight-bearing pain (as opposed to deformity or limp). 2. There can still be a limp after surgery due to the walking muscles being cut and then having to heal. 3. In people it's a very good and predictable surgery as far as outcomes. 4. Get a good surgeon who's done lots because there are several technical aspects that affect the outcome. 5. Glucosamine will improve 30% of the people, which is about equivalent to the placebo effect. No truly scientific proof to back it up. Not a bad thing to try, though. No known adverse effects. For people, have to take it 3 times a day for 2 mo. minimum to know if it will help. (My surgeon is a Harvard grad with a PhD in physics from MIT who did biomedical research on cartilage....just so you know I didn't make up the info. on the glucosamine!) 6. No supplements of any kind will rebuild cartilage or slow the deterioration of it, but good diet, ideal weight, etc. is good advice. 7. No surgery is risk-free. Risks of major joint surgery are infection, damage to nerves or blood vessels of the leg (which are in close proximity to the incision and surgical exposure), blood clot which potentially can be fatal, leg length difference, leg rotation difference, loosening of the artificial hip requiring further surgery (which is more complex), and risk of anesthetic.

Here's a web site that might explain two of the surgery options.
hip dysplasia surgery options

TPO (Triple Pelvic Osteotomy) dogs do remarkably well post surgery. In most cases by the next day an improvement in use of the affected leg is seen.

THR (Total Hip Replacement) dogs still do well, but the results are not usually as dramatic. But, they are walking by the next morning also.

Anna Carson