considering surgery - Page 2

 Thanks TIG,

I did a search on motor oil, and it sounded pretty harsh, so I have no plans to use it.  He is on fish oil.  I used to use Nupro joint supplement, may go back to that in addition to his Syn-Flex.  He chews on his paws, not terribly, but sometimes licks his pads and the skin gets pink between the toes.  In that case I use corn starch to dry the paws and that seems to help.  

 Radar had a hip replacement at the U of Ga when he was 2 -- he accommodated well to the prolonged crate rest and came home free of pain meds for the first time in his short life (altho he was on pain meds for a few days while at the hospital).  He did very well -- in addition to the excellent care that he received, he is a very "drivey" dog and I think that his positive attitude was a definite plus.  We are now considering replacing the other hip.  This is not something to take lightly, and I was scared about replacing the first hip and worry about doing the second.  But Radar has done very well so far.  Please feel free to PM me if you need more detailed info, sorry I do not know who to recommend in NY.  Good luck!
PS -- Radar gets Synovi G3 soft chew supplements, they seem to have worked very well -- you can order them off the Internet.  Also, when you check out prospective surgeons, it is worth asking if there are any clinical trials that you could participate in -- it might get you a substantial reduction in your bill.