Pharaoh needs surgery

[Camberaoh]

Yup my poor boy has to go under the knife. As most know i was testing him in schutzhund but after training last week he seemed sore on his back end. We always knew he had hip dysplasia but everyone even the vets assumed it was mild because he rarely showed problems. Well i didnt want to continue with the training without xraying his hips jsut to be sure. And of course i get the worst news possible, His hips are severe. After running in the back and crying like a baby, the vet found me and told me of some options we can have for him. One is a total hip replacement.. 3-5000 dollars.. i dont have that the other is a surgery to remove the femur head so it isnt grinding against the socket. She said most dogs arent suitable for this surgery because they would refuse to use the leg afterwards and it would get stuck in the held up position. But since Pharaoh has so much heart and drive she feels he would be a good canidate. He has to lose 5-10lbs first (no he isnt fat he is fluffy!) Has anyone else ever had to do a hip surgery before? How was the recovery? how much better did your dog feel after? Pharaoh rarely shows pain so i wonder if the surgery would be worth the risk. He is already on a glucosamine/creatine/msm suppliment and it has helped alot. I am just so upset i never wanted to hear that my boy was in pain. She also said he has already develpoed arthritis around the sockets also. If you can call his sockets, sockets anyway.. the are supposed to look like this C his look like this ( .. so anyway does anyone have any experiance with this?? Please tell me my boy is going to be ok! I am so scared that in a few years he wont be able to stand and i would have to put him down due to quality of life!! i know i am dramatic but this is my baby!

[FourIsCompany]

Sara, I'm so sorry! We have the same situation with Cara. One hip is severe. I don't think she's a candidate for the surgery you're talking about, though.

But it's such a hard decision and such a personal one... I don't really have any advice, just wanted to sympathise and let you know that I'm thinking of you...

[frankie]

Oh Sararee,
I am so upset to read your sad update. I cannot offer any advice on the hip ops, but all I can do is send you some of my best wishes and hopes that all works out. I wish I could help more but am not knowledgable enough. But I do know how much loving a dog means.
All I can do is send you the most positive vibes I can that all works out well.
Regards

[Camberaoh]

Thanks for the support guys, i really need it right now. I am just frustrated because it think the reason i waited so long to xray him was because i was scared of the answer... and i get the worst one possible. Bene, both of pharaohs are bad but one is worse.. the worse one is the femur one and that surgery is only 500 .. lol i said "only".. omg everytime i go to work my bill goes higher and higher there.. its like i am just working to pay my vet lol not to get paid. Oh well we gotta do what we gotta do for our babies right!

[weezyNollie]

http://www.gcvs.com/surgery/fho.htm -- here's some good info about the FHO.
And here's a clip too:

Femoral Head Ostectomy
The choice of many for smaller dogs, this surgery is extremely sucessful in dogs that weigh under fifty pounds at full growth.
zSB(3,3)

Under anesthetic, the head and neck of the femur are exposed, and removed, with any remaining edges filed down for smoothness. The now-empty hip socket is also filed to eliminate the worn-down edges. The end result is a "floating" joint, where the bones no longer meet, but rather float in place on a cushion of scar tissue, muscles and ligaments.

An FHO (Femoral Head Excision) can be performed on dogs larger than medium-sized, but the success rate depends on the dog's mobility and activity level, and his weight. Keeping your dog lean and trim will improve his chances of a successful operation.




If you are really capable (financially i mean.. )of doing the THR it's better for the dog. Granted your vet THINKS your dog will recover, but what if it doesn't?! Then you have a bigger mess to deal with?

[Dax]

Sorry to hear about Pharoh.. Big hugs and cuddles coming his way via cyberspace.

[Camberaoh]

Originally Posted by weezyNollie

http://www.gcvs.com/surgery/fho.htm -- here's some good info about the FHO.
And here's a clip too:

Femoral Head Ostectomy
The choice of many for smaller dogs, this surgery is extremely sucessful in dogs that weigh under fifty pounds at full growth.
zSB(3,3)

Under anesthetic, the head and neck of the femur are exposed, and removed, with any remaining edges filed down for smoothness. The now-empty hip socket is also filed to eliminate the worn-down edges. The end result is a "floating" joint, where the bones no longer meet, but rather float in place on a cushion of scar tissue, muscles and ligaments.

An FHO (Femoral Head Excision) can be performed on dogs larger than medium-sized, but the success rate depends on the dog's mobility and activity level, and his weight. Keeping your dog lean and trim will improve his chances of a successful operation.




If you are really capable (financially i mean.. )of doing the THR it's better for the dog. Granted your vet THINKS your dog will recover, but what if it doesn't?! Then you have a bigger mess to deal with?

What do you mean weezy? if i do the THR i have a bigger mess to deal with if it doesnt heal or the FHO i have a bigger mess to deal with if it doesnt heal? I suppose its true for both surgery's though. How many large breeds have you seen have the FHO? seems that most recommend smaller breeds for it. Pharaoh weigh's in at 75 lb's and i want him to lose at least 5 before having the FHO. Thanks for the info its great!

[golden&hovawart]

My Pyrenean Shepherd had the operation of Femoral Head Ostectomy and it was a great success.He was able to walk,right away.One of the things that we did, was a lot of swimming and walking.After the operation, the vet told us not to have him jump anything, for the rest of his life.He was also kept at a very light weight, about 11kgs for 19 inches.
He had no problems following us for long bike rides and lived up to the ripe age of 13,5.
My father's Border-Collie had the same operation.he was a bigger dog about 60pds and it also was a success.He was used by him as a sheepdog and never slowed down.He also lived up to13,5.
The only thing they both had,was a limp when the weather was about to change.Both dogs were done by the same vet.
I hope this help and I'm so sorry about yr dogcos he is gorgeous.
Also,when he just came out of the operation,he was walked at an extremely slow pace so that he had to put the weight on the leg and he wasn't allowed off the least until he could run with all 4 legs on the ground.I hope this helps,good-luck.Laurie

[BratBoxers]

Sara, Im so sorry i really hope he will be ok. (((Hugs)))

[weezyNollie]

THR or TPO heal prety well.. especially THR, because they put a prosthetic in there.

FHO's are done very frequently, I don't know if its because of the recovery. Or because they cant find the right candidate, etc, etc?

You're right, either one could have a poor recovery. But it seems that FHO is more likely. Mind you, most dogs recover from orthopedic surgeries quite well if you follow the surgeon's post-op instructions. Like quiet rest, yet keep them moving to keep the muscles strong. Etc etc.