Quote from Marybeth:
"Krista, if you're still out there, I'd love to hear how Tasha is recovering..."
Ditto.

Hi Marybeth,
I have a couple of curiosity questions: what breed is your pup? how old? What led up to the HD diagnosis, was your pup having a hard time getting around?

Please don't feel obligated if you'd rather not share this information. I have a now 7-month-old pup who has a very wobbly rear leg but I have opted to wait and see how he does on his own (unless he exhibits obvious symptoms).

Mike

Krista, I'd like to hear how Tasha is doing as well if you're still out there. I've got one recovering from TPO too.
Mike, what does your pup's leg do exactly that bothers you? PM me about it if you want. I'd be happy to tell you whatever I can about my dog and the surgery.

Hi Guys,

Sorry it took me so long to check back in but it has been quite a journey! Tasha had the TPO on her right hip on Mar 3rd and then the left hip on Mar 16th.

Upon scoping, the right hip had very slight damage to the outer edge of the acetabulum and some tears and fraying of the round ligament. The surgeon was able do the procedure with a 20 degree plate. We brought her home the next day. We set up a 2.5 x 4 ft folding wire crate in the living room and placed our mattress next to it and spent all weekend together. Using a sling and leash she was only out of her crate to walk into the backyard for business purposes. The first two days of walking to the backyard were accompanied by quite a bit of screaming. Armed only with Derramax (an NSAID) as a pain reliever, I felt she was in more pain than necessary. By Sunday she was acting funny, rapid breathing, panicky, stressed. Had to add small doses of Acepromazine (2.5 - 5 mgs every 5 hours as needed) and then she was great. All her incisions healed quickly and her attitude dramatically improved by day 6.

Mar 15th was back to the vet to get X-rays to see how the pins held and decide whether/when to do the next surgery. All 6 of her screws were still perfectly embedded (Stats show pin loosening between days 1-7 in 60% of surgeries). They reported she was 75% weight bearing on the right leg. We left her there and they did the left hip the next day.

Since we found the first day particularly hard to deal with last time, we left her in the hospital for 3 days. We also asked for another pain killer (tramadol) and the experience was easier for all of us... The large incision on this leg was bigger and uglier than the previous hip (there are 3 incisions for this procedure) and not really well closed in my opinion. We have had weeping and opening but on her post-op checkup they chose to leave it open and put her on antibiotics. The checkup xrays again comfired complete embedding of all 6 screws... A blazing success to quote the surgeon.

This weekend we started daily sling-assisted walks. 5 minutes to start and then 1 additional minute per day... She has accepted her cage like a den and goes into it even if we try and leave her out on the bed for a little hands on time. She is happy, perky, playful and most of all seemingly pain free when she sits, lies down, rolls over on her back, etc.

Not once has she turned and growled at her butt like she used to... Is that pain relief? Who knows. After $8k I'd like to think it is....

Marybeth, hang in there! My worst day was having to take her back once she was finally feeling better to 'start all over again' in my eyes... I dd NOT want to do it.

Jen, do you have to have the 2nd one done? How far along are you guys?

Mike, is the leg wobbling still going on? Getting worse?

Krista

Hi Krista,

Thanks for the update. What an ordeal! Really glad to hear that Tasha is recuperating and doing so well. Be sure to keep posting on her progress whenever you can. Did the surgeon(s) give you an estimated amount of time when she can resume a normal activity level?

Yes, the leg is still very wobbly -- I am watching him carefully and still no obvious signs of pain. We'll see...

Mike

Hi. Krista, I'm glad to hear that Tasha is recovering well. It is such a long recovery time, that is the worst part. I was wrong before, my dog Duncan had his right hip done first on March 11th, not the left. The actual surgical procedure was Right triple pelvic osteotomy using a 30 degree Slocum plate. On April 8th, he has his left one done. Krista, I'm so glad Tasha's screws are healed properly. That's what I worry the most about Duncan. This past weekend, having relatives over etc., he was pretty active and we could tell by yesterday that he was limping more than usual on that leg. We did not crate him only because we didn't crate him when he was pup. We have a nice setup in the garage and when we go to work we put him in there with toys, food water etc.

Mike, Duncan is a Golden Retriever. We met both parents when we got him, but didn't even think about hip problems at that time, but I do know that it's genetic. When he was about 7-8 months old, I noticed him crying when he was laying down, especially after we'd been outside running around. He couldn't get up and when he did, his legs were very stiff and wobbly and had a hard time walking. That week, my vet took the xrays under sedation and he definitely had HP. The thing is is this: this surgery is completely a preventative surgery. We could have elected not to do the surgery and take the chance of him never having problems. Our vet said a lot of dogs him HP and lead a normal life. But, then there's that change that he could develop severe arthritis and really have a hard time getting around. We did not want to take that chance. By that time, TPO would be too late and he'd have to have a hip replacement. If I were you, I'd take him in for xrays. That's really the only way to see if he has HP.

Jen, how is your dog doing. I understand having the second leg done is worse than the first. That's why they scheduled it for 4 weeks apart.

Thanks.

Krista, glad to hear Tasha is doing well. MaryBeth, same with Duncan. I've got my fingers crossed for you both.
My GSD was an odd case. This dog was never lame, never showed any of the classic HD signs. Showed no signs of pain or instability of her legs. At 4 1/2 - 5 months old, she had an odd hard lump show on her right hip (it was totally dislocated). After finally getting a good diagnosis on her, I took her to Dr. Roe at NC State (I highly recommend this man) and had a full diagnostic done on her hip status and consultation. His conclusion: right hip socket totally shattered, the ball was OK. Other possible old fractures of that leg were noted on exam. Best guess, whelping accident or trauma soon after birth, and it finally gave way and dislocated. Total hip replacement was chosen. I had the left hip worked up to see what we'd be getting into as far as HD. Her left hip showed a Penn Hip distraction index of 80-90%, very, very loose, no arthritic changes, some damage possibly caused by the problems with the right leg. TPO was advised and chosen.

Overall diagnosis: severe hip dysplasia. Reccommendations: TPO on the left, followed with THR on the right in about 2 months. My main concerns were her temperament (not great) and what her left hip status was. Dr. Roe and I discussed the possibility of using 2 TPO plates with her to hold better. Unfortunately, they couldn't get 2 in there. The decision was made to do the TPO first (age, cost & will it work on this dog).

Her TPO was done about 2 weeks later. She was prescribed a morphine type drug for the pain & to keep her calm. Rotation 25 degrees. Her recovery was pure hell. On us, not her. The day after she came home, the problem was controlling her. The drugs had very little effect, and she showed no signs of pain or discomfort past the first week. She did have weeping of the main incision & infection in the inner thigh incision. Both finally cleared up after about 2 months and antibiotics. Muscle atrophy is very evident in her left leg.
She has not been back for her 2 month follow up due to other issues, but with the problems with the main incision healing & her recovery attitude, I suspect she's had some screw loosening or shifting of the plate. She has not had her other hip replaced.

Overall, I think the surgery itself was a success. Recovery wise, physically she has done better that I expected but not as well as I'd hoped. She is a very high drive dog, very energetic, also very aggresive. The confinement after surgery did not help her temperament issues (I was afraid of that & discussed it in depth with Dr. Roe). I recently made the decision that the best thing I can do for her, is to not put her through the hip replacement surgery and to have her euthanized. She will live out what short life she has left in peace and with what comfort I can give her.

Good luck with your furkids!

Jen,

I am really sorry to hear about your GSD. Do you think her temperment might be linked to the chronic pain from the right hip? I can't imagine a puppy growing up with a dislocated hip would have a very rosy outlook on life. Did your surgeon mention femoral head osteotomy rather than a THR? I hear the recovery off those is pretty easy in comparision to the TPO...

My girl is sweet but for the 1st 2-3 days after each surgery I really had to watch her. Taking her cone on/off, taking off her fentanyl patch from her rear foot, she became snappy and bit me several times as I tended to her. She never seriously hurt me but it was the first time I had ever seen her act aggressively toward me. I rationalized it by saying I would be super crappy if someone broke my pelvis in three places (actually I can be super crappy even without pelvic surgery but that's another matter <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. Fortunately her disposition turned around in a matter of days.

The decision to do these types of surgeries is so complex... You have to factor in money, ability for aftercare, the wildcard of projected disease progression, and did I mention money? I can't tell you how many people were shocked I elected to do these surgeries rather than just put her down. It is a very personal case by case decision and I was pleased to have this forum to bounce around my ideas and concerns.

I wish you lots of good quality time with your pup in the near future!

Krista, good luck with your girl, it sounds like she's doing really well. I'm sure the pain after surgery is pretty severe even with drugs and who can blame them for being snappy. Be patient and follow the protocol. A tip, keep the hair shaved off the incisions.

I got the same reactions you did. It's just a dog, and is a dog worth that much money? Still, I'd suggest HD surgery as an option any day for the average pet owner. For most, it works very well and they have a healthy, happy pet for years to come. The decisions we have to make with HD (or any other problem) are not easy and they are very personal. It all depends on the circumstances and the people and animals involved. There is a lot of second guessing, what if's, and sadly, money is a major factor for most people. It takes a lot of long, careful thought as you well know.

I actually took my girl to two different surgeons for opinions on what to do. She really is an odd case and no decision about her has been easy. I picked their brains, did a lot of research and spent about a month really agonizing over it before deciding I had to at least try.

We will never know if my girl has genetic HD or not. It's impossible to tell what, if any problems, she did or would have had in the left leg that were caused by either genetics or compensating for the bad right hip. One surgeon said she didn't have genetic HD, the other said yes based on the Penn Hip distraction. It really makes no difference.

We did discuss FHO as an option and I ruled it out for her. Reasons, her size lowers the success rate, and her temperament and activity levels. I had serious doubts that an FHO would hold up. If an FHO (or even the THR) failed, the only option left was amputation. I considered that too. FHO recovery is different in that they want the dog up and walking quickly to encourage the false joint to form. It works best on dogs under about 45-40 pounds, but again it depends on the dog.

I chose to do the TPO first because of the age factor and it was a cheaper surgery with about the same recovery as the THR. It would also give her one good hip for sure while the THR was healing. They wouldn't do the THR until at least 8 weeks post TPO. The TPO may or may not have been necessary, but I did it as a kind of "test run" for lack of a better term. She stayed at the hospital 3 days afterwards.

My girl's temperament problems may very well be linked to chronic pain. Her right hip looks so bad on film that the first question I was asked by every vet and surgeon was "when did she get hit by a car?". The hip didn't dislocate fully until the lump showed up. From looking at her xrays, I have no doubt that the femoral head was rattling around pretty badly before that though. I have to wonder how much pain she could have been in as she has never shown any lameness or reluctance to do anything, ever. She has essentially an FHO in her right hip now, so it should not be painful. But, pain is a personal thing and dogs have different thresholds just like we people do. She is a very hard, tough bitch. In hindsight, the only clue I may have had is that she is very much a "do not touch me" dog, even as an 8 week old puppy. But, it's also a real clue to temperament when a 6 month old pup has "caution, will bite" notes in 6 different vet's files. Physically, she's recovered very well from the surgery. Mentally, she's suffered.

Spending the weeks recovering in a crate was torture for her. The following weeks with very limited exercize were torture as well. The E-collar lasted about 2 minutes her first day home before I ripped it back off to stop her violent thrashing. Better to let her lick. In the crate, she bit and dug at the bars. Screamed non-stop. Yes, she is crate trained. Out of the crate, control was her prong and a drag line. Always, non stop pacing, whining and screaming. Not from pain, but fustration. Keep in mind, she was on morphine twice a day. I can not put the dog through that recovery process again. She just couldn't handle it. Too much drive and energy and none of it being relieved.

I have a very high drive, aggressive, sharp young dog that now I will never fully trust. With the family, yes, anyone else, no. She lost out on months of very important socialization with the dislocation and TPO surgery. She's also showing signs of developing some fear problems since then. Not surprising considering what she's been put through at the vet's. I've spent months working with her and haven't seen any major progress. I believe she will only get worse as she gets older and matures. This is core genetic temperament. Pain, confinement and frustration have enhanced it, but it wasn't the cause.

I may sound hard, but I do love this dog. I am sorry I've decided not to keep trying with her and to put her down. I feel like I've failed her in some way. But, I love her enough to see that her future is not what I would want for her, and let her go. I can't sacrifice the dog mentally to save her physically. For me and for her, the means won't justify the ends.

Now that I've written a book, 'nuff said.
Again, good luck and let me know how she does!

Jen, I'm so sorry for you, your family and your pup. It sounds like you've done everything you could and beyond. What an ordeal you've been through. I hope for the best for you and your family. Krista, you are so right. So many people can't understand or even fathom why we would even go though this and spend this kind of money on a dog. I too had people say, just put him down. I've always been a cat person (have two) and when we got Duncan I didn't realize how attached I would become to him, he's a part of our family and is just a loving and fun dog with an awesome personality.

I'll let you know who his 2nd TPO goes. I'm already dreading of taking him and dropping him off. I just hope and pray that the plate in him right now is AOK when they xray that!

Take care!

Marybeth,

Thank you for sharing the information about Duncan. I am watching my pup for symptoms like the ones that you described. I have not seen any signs of pain in my pup yet, just a very awkward gait. Even if X-Rays were taken and HD was diagnosed I would not opt for TPO unless there were obvious signs of pain (then I would consider TPO). I have known dogs diagnosed with HD as puppies that lived normal, active, pain free lives.

I am glad to hear that things are going well with Duncan's recovery. Hopefully the second TPO will go just as well -- I will be very interested in hearing how it turns out.

Mike