Femoral Head and Neck Ostectomy - Page 2

 The problem with total hip replacement is the possibility of rejection of the prothesis.  Than you have to go back to surgery and have the arthroplasty (femeral and neck ostectomy).  But when it works..it's like having excellent HIP

Steve.. I don't know why the confinement..where I work..after the surgery we only ask for rest for a couple of days..not weeks..It is just like having new fonctionnal HIP..

Thanks for everyones in put. It's not an easy decision either way. Cost is very much a factor. Thank you.

To put her to sleep is the kindest thing with severe Dyplasia, For what real gain to put a Pup through Surgery and then no one can say it will not suffer later on in life
My Heidi had an accident in the Garden I did not see what happened, but she had severe injuries to her Neck and Spine
The Vet did not give her any chance, Then I took her to one of the best Bone specialists in Belgium,
He said you could help her a little but later she would suffer and he did not think she would ever walk properly again, So i had the little girl put to sleep
It is now a week since i had her put to sleep and every day my conscious tells me what i have done, and i say  to myself did i do the right thing for her
Then i think ahead in time and i say Yes,i did do the right thing, But it hurts like hell and i was thinking of the Pup not myself
I have only told one Guy on here as i could not bring myself to mention it to you Guys,
But i will not go into details because i do not know what happened myself i was working in the loft at the time, And i do not want to be reminded of it anyway, It is bad enough when i walk out the back door every day and she her empty Pen
Steve

I just read about your loss and want you to know how sorry I am for you. I know the hurt you feel. I had to have my dog of 12 years euth. cause of a cancerous spleen rupture. go get another puppy : I could never imagine  being without one. I am so sorry for your loss and am sure you did what was right!

Dear Steve, My heart just fell when I got to the name Heidi and I just thought Oh No it can't be. I ache for you and the heartbreak you are going thru. It is hard enough to have to make that dreaded decision for one of your old ones that has had a full wonderful life but  for such a wee young thing and all the hopes and dreams they bring with them .... We mourn your loss with you.  The thing I hate most about Fate is that it always seems to kick the nice guys in the teeth. I used to believe that dogs were given to us to help us through life.  I now believe that often we are given a dog because they need something from us. I think Heidi came to you because she would need someone to be strong for her. Peace.  Beth

Spirmon, I am sorry also for the heartache you are going thru. A couple of thoughts if I may.
 
First of all take a deep breath and slow down.  This is NOT an emergency and you have time to make a decision. I do not know what your vet has said but all too often the conversation about operations for HD states that a decision must be made immediately and the operation must be done of the dog will live a life of excrutiating pain. More often than not neither of these is true.  So again - take your time and do exactly what you are trying to do here - gather info.

May I ask why the x-rays were taken? Were they routine prelims or did the dog present with a problem ( and if so what was it?) and the xrays were suggest as a diagnostic tool? Has the dog shown significant gait abnormalities or pain?

Unfortunately my computer will not let me see the photo of the xrays so understand my comments come from that place. Do know however that w/ xrays positioning is everything. A normal hip can be made to look dysplastic by bad positioning. The Leerberg site has a page with examples that show that.  So a 2nd opinion is always a good idea. Find a vet that excels in taking good xrays and then pay the extra $35-50 to have a board certified orthopedic radiologist take a look at it. Next understand that dogs do not read xrays humans do. If you will search the db you will find dozens of threads where we have discussed this before. The vast majority of dogs w/ HD live perfectly normal long lives w/o surgery or extreme interventions. The last dog of my own breeding who had a solid hip cleared pedigree and came from a sire known to produce excellents (tho I now know that may not be as great of a thing as some think) had the worst xrays I have ever seen. They would give you the willies. He lived to be 14+ and was a fantastic wonderful herding dog until the age of 13 .What got him in the end was late onset DM. He is typical of the majority of dogs with HD.

Again, take some time. Listen do your dog and what she is telling you. Be aware that some young dogs w/ HD do go thru an adjustment period as they grow where they may become symptomatic but when the growth spurts stop they stabilize and do not have future problems. Obviously if they are symptomatic they need to be supported with pain meds thru this time.  Sometimes a simple Arthritis strength Ascription 1 or 2x a day is sufficient.

This is in the end however a very indiviualized decision between you and the dog.  There is no right way and very few wrong ways. I used to say no wrong ways but there is a poster to this bd who you will probably read in some of those history threads that imho used very poor judgement. So gather the info and  listen to your dog and your heart.

If you can let us know the answer to my questions it might help us to have a clearer picture of events.  Take care.

You might be interested in the Yahoo group CanineHD. People there have had all manner of hip suregeries done, TPO, FHO, THR. Money is an issue for all of us. The decision to operate, to use conservative management, to do nothing, or to euthanize is intensely personal.

Learn as much as you can about the proposed surgery, its risks, its success rate, the recovery/rehab requirements and whether you'll have the time and the stamina to adhere to them perfectly, and keep in mind that getting a different dog does not exclude the possibility of it, too, having hip problems.

Best of luck to you and your pup!

First off thanks for everyones input. I do appreaciate it. Baretta has had a funny gait and periods of limping that was dianosed as pano and treated with meds and light duty, which seemed to help. However she started holding her right hind leg up and rarely put any weight on it. The vet I use is well versed in taking OFA xrays. Positioning and retaking the xrays would not change the fact that she has no hip sockets. They are the worse hips I have seen. Picture quailty may be poor as I took a picture of the xray from the computer screen and up loaded that..  I would not let this girl suffer and it's obvisous that her hips would only get worse without treatment.  I have owned several Dyplastic dogs that have lived a healthy ripe old age. So I know some can lead a rather normal life with out surgrey. With all this said, I have contacted the breeder and they want her back.  So she will be rehomed and live a happy as possible life. Thanks again. Norma

Steve, I am also sorry to hear of your loss. It's never easy.