My dog broke her hip. What's the best way to help her recover?

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Jenny! Unfortunately, Jenny needs to be kept still in order for the fracture to heal. She should be crated, no stairs, no jumping, no furniture and leash walks to yard to potty then back in. We completely understand your frustration and Jenny's but in order for her to heal with out complications this is absolutely necessary. You can give her things to chew on in the crate: Himalayan dog chew, filled Kongs, Marrow bones or deer antlers (with caution as they can crack teeth) or raw hides if they don't cause tummy upset. There are sadly no activities that she can do until she heals in the next 6-8 weeks. If you are having trouble keeping her calm call you Vet and ask for a sedative. Good luck!

Its hard to know without seeing the X-rays... if the hip is fully dislocated, it would be unusual for him to be fully bearing weight and not showing a significant abnormality in his gait. If it is "sub-luxated," meaning the head of the femur--the "ball" part of the ball and socket joint--is not well seated into the acetabulum--the "socket" part of the ball and socket joint. When the acetabulum/"socket" is very shallow, the hip can be "sub-luxated," and these dogs can continue to seem to have a very normal gait/not show any limp or problem until arthritis becomes problematic with age. If it is fully dislocated (fully luxated), a surgery called an FHO (femoral head osteotomy) can be considered even weeks after the initial injury. In this surgery, the "ball" part of the ball and socket joint/the head of the femur, is removed surgically, removing the source of pain. The muscles in the area typically do a great job of compensating and allowing these guys to get around quite well. However, a true REPAIR of a dislocated hip would not be possible if its been weeks or months since the injury. (A true repair of hip dislocation is generally done through a surgery called a toggle pin. ) If a hip dislocation is diagnosed right away, sometimes (about 50% of the time), they can be successfully reduced (put back in place) and we can get them to stay without surgery. Here is some information out may find helpful. https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/hip-luxation Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Maya. She will need to see her veterinarian again or you may consider seeking a second opinion. I am concerned that the fracture did not heal properly. She will likely need x-rays to determine how the leg has healed and then I suspect she will require further treatment. In the meantime, keep her very quiet to avoid any further trauma to the limb. I hope this information helps!

Hello, thank you using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry for your concerns about Madiidda. Her x-rays show very severe subluxation of the one hip, & a very shallow acetabulum of the other. This will never get better on its own, & as she ages, she will experience more & more pain possibly to the point where she may no longer be able to walk. A lot has to do with how you manage her growth, weight, exercise/conditioning, and use of joint supplements & pain medications. You may not be able to afford the surgery now, but perhaps in a couple of years, you might be able to. The important thing is to keep her a tad underweight, regular gentle exercise, & start her on a good glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supplement. Omega fatty acids can be of some benefit in helping the inflammation in her hips. Work closely with your veterinarian about weight control, medications, & possibly even a veterinarian who practices some alternative modalities such as acupuncture & massage therapy. Here in the US, we even have specialists in canine rehabilitation medicine, where underwater treadmills, water therapy, & special balance exercises can all help to strengthen the muscles around the hips to make life better for Madidda. I wish you all the best that she does well. She is a beautiful girl.

For such a young dog, I recommend to have Boogie examined by the veterinarian. Dysplasia is something that tends to get worse over time and if you take appropriate action now, you may be able to avoid or slow this down. He will need an exam and radiographs to begin figuring out your options. At home you can put Boogie on an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets. A joint supplement would also help. Lastly, a prescription diet for joint health will also be beneficial but they cannot fix the dysplasia. Here is a link with further information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/hip-dysplasia-in-dogs-diagnosis-treatment-and-prevention/ I hope this helps.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry that Baxter has this issue. The right hip has severe dysplasia (the x-ray is not marked so I am assuming it is the right one). The other hip looks OK. The only way to fix this is with surgery - either a FHO procedure or a total hip replacement. You need to speak to your vet about options. There is no medication to reverse, cure or stop the progression of this disease. Surgery will definitely be needed.

If the hip is out of place it will not heal unless it goes back in place and often times that can’t happen because the soft tissue structures are damaged and unable to hold it in place. He will lose muscle mass from not using that leg and pain can affect their appetite. There is a procedure called an FHO that removes the pain and a piece of bone to give them range of motion back in their leg and lets them walk on it again