Surgical Alternatives for Hip Dysplasia

I have owned 4 Labradors and out of those one suffered from hip dysplasia.  The first indication that Amy had any hip problems was when she was in for hip x-rays at 3 years old to obtain a hip certification for breeding purposes from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).  She was an excellent retriever and just as good as a pet.  She ran and jumped and swam just like she was born for it.  I was in a state of shock when my Vet said that he wouldn't even submit the films to OFA because her hip formation was very poor.  That was the day I really learned about the devastating effects of hip dysplasia.

For the next 3 years Amy showed no signs of any abnormality with her hips.  She ran and retrieved like she was in perfect health and not feeling any pain.  When she turned 7 she started to exhibit some very minor signs that something might be wrong.  She couldn't just jump up from a laying position, she actually seemed to experience some discomfort when she stood up.  It was very minor at first, but over the next year it became a little more pronounced.  A visit to the Vet confirmed my suspicions.  It was indeed the hips doing what we feared was the inevitable.  That was about 1992.  The options were few.  I inquired about hip replacement, but the costs of doing 2 hips were out of my reach.

Amy was retired from doing any strenuous exercise even though she continued to have more and more pain.  In 1994 I bought another Labrador puppy to replace Amy, since I knew she was running out time.  When I brought home my new dog Brandy she still needed to have the remainder of her puppy shots.  I called the Vet who had taken care of the litter and since he was a mobile Vet I had him come to my house.  That was one of the most fortunate experiences that I could have had.  As he finished giving Brandy her puppy shots he notice my older dog and commented that she was way too young to be suffering like she was.  As luck would have it he had worked with another Veterinarian who specialized in orthopedic surgery and assured me that he thought my dog's condition was "fixable" and "affordable".

A few days later I was in the office of the orthopedic surgeon getting Amy examined.  After she was x-rayed I met with him again and he explained how she could live pain free and lead a relatively normal life with a procedure called a "femoral head ostectomy".  I had never even heard of this procedure even though had talked to several Vets about surgical options. 

This Vet was truly passionate about helping animals with his surgical skills.  His name was Dr. Robert Fuller at Midtown Animal Hospital in Sacramento, California.  He has since retired, but it was readily evident that he really enjoyed doing this surgery because it gave dogs pain free years to live out their lives.

Most Vets will tell you that the only way to effectively fix a dysplastic hip is to replace it with a prosthetic hip.  It seems to me at the time the cost of replacement was about $2000 per hip.  I had a femoral head ostectomy done on both of Amy's hips for under $1000 (that was in 1994).  The surgery is done on one hip at a time so that hip can heal before the other hip gets repaired. 

I have read that this type of surgery is "barbaric" and many times doesn't relieve the pain completely or the help dog's ability to walk.  Well I can only go by my experience with my 70 pound 9 year old (at the time) Labrador.  Her surgeries were a great success and gave this deserving dog an extra 5 years added on to her life.  She actually did a little bit of hunting, only pheasants on dry and even ground and limited to a maximum of 30 minutes, but it was just like the good old days for her. 

After the surgery Amy didn't have the gait of a normal Lab.  When she walked slow she looked pretty normal, but when she sped up she actually had a hopping motion like a rabbit.  There wasn't enough stability in her hind end to allow her to run using her hind legs in an independent fashion.  Didn't seem to bother her though.  She was given the gift of 5 pain free years.

I was very fortunate in meeting the right people at just the right time to help Amy with 5 more wonderful years.  I believe that her surgery was successful for one reason.  The Veterinarian was passionate about what he did.  He believed in the surgery and was committed to a successful outcome.  Passion and commitment usually lead to success.

If your pet suffers from hip dysplasia explore all your options.  If you want to try surgery then find a surgeon who has the passion and commitment for the procedure that you choose.  If that Vet is not truly passionate about doing the procedure then find one that is. I was fortunate that I found the Vet with the passion and it played out to be an extra 5 years for Amy.