My dog has hip dysplasia, but isn't in pain. Do I need surgery?

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.

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.

There are a variety of treatments for hip dysplasia depending on clinical signs. I would first perform radiographs to assess for comformation. There are surgical procedures that are performed in puppies prior to the development of osteoarthritis for severe cases, but they typically need to be performed before 9 months of age. I think the most important thing is to interpret physical exam and radiographs in the context of clinical signs. I have some puppies with a radiographic diagnosis of hip dysplasia who are asymptomic for years and other puppies with negative ortolani sign, minimal dysplasia on radiographs and severe clinical signs. So, don't jump into surgery if Gary is not showing clinical signs. For my puppies with radiographically confirmed hip dysplasia and clinical signs, I typically manage them medically as needed and start physical rehabilitation. I hope that helps! Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Hip dysplasia is an orthopedic condition that sometimes require surgery though some cases can be managed with medical therapy and physical therapy. In most cases though, surgery is needed at some point. With the knee issue, you may be referring to patellar luxation which also most of the time requires surgery when it is severe enough though comfort can be improved with pain control and anti-inflammatory medications. I recommend that you have Coco evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

Poor Copper! I'm sorry to hear that he's having so much trouble with his hips - especially at such a relatively young age. Without being able to examine Cooper in person and review his x-rays, it's hard for me to say whether he would be a good candidate for surgery or not. But, I can tell you that hip replacement surgery in dogs is very commonly done for severe hip dysplasia and similar issues, and the results are usually excellent. Being a large, big-boned dog should not be a problem in terms of being able to have surgery done, in my experience - most dogs who get THRs (total hip replacements) are large breed dogs. If you're interested in finding out more about this option, including a professional opinion on whether Copper would be a good candidate for the surgery, I would recommend asking your vet for referral to an orhopedic surgeon. The surgeon should be happy to evaluate him and look at his x-rays, and can tell you for sure whether this would be an option for him or not. Since he's having so much trouble getting around at only 5 years old, I think it would be well worth it for you to look into this.

I would consider at his age a referral to a veterinary surgeon to discuss any surgical options particularly for his hips. This might delay the onset of arthritis in the future. Depending on what's causing his elbow dysplasia surgery may be an option there as well. You could also get the advice of a surgeon as to which is more likely to cause issues the elbows are the hips. I would also recommend starting him on a joint supplement now and potentially omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. All supplements and physical therapy are great surgery might be your best bet at long-term comfort.

It's possible he will need pain killers for the rest of his life indeed and those pain killers could give him an excellent quality of life, he could go back to normal as long as he is on them. i would recommend taking him to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked.