My dog's hip pops after FHO surgery. Is he lazy or is it serious?

I would definitely recommend taking him to your veterinarian for an exam. An abnormal gait and 'popping' could be a sign of hip dysplasia causing subluxation of the hip joint. Luxating patellas, or kneecaps that pop in and out of the joint would be another possibility. You have a few more options for treatment if these joint problems are caught early, so I'd recommend making an appointment soon.

Yes it will heal if you keep the area clean. Gradually over a week or so the skin edges will get closer together and finally heal over. The popping noise may be the movement in the hip area since there hasn’t been time yet for a false joint to form. Over time the hip area will form scar tissue to support the femur in the hip area. If you’re concerned I certainly would take her back for a recheck to make sure there isn’t a problem with she surgical implants. Once the pelvis is healed and you are able to increase her exercise I recommend an evaluation and treatment program with a Rehabilitation veterinarian to get her leg back to as normal as possible. They will give you exercises and may recommend hydrotherapy to strengthen her leg muscles. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sadie.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is never wrong to seek a second opinion. Without all the medical records, X-rays and examining him myself I cannot tell you anything via this platform but you can certainly seek the opinion of another vet in your area. There is no harm in doing that. I'm glad Brownie seems to be doing well but, in my opinion, the knee popping could be an issue (if not immediately, possibly long term). Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It is likely a good idea to have the hip examined and X-rayed by your veterinarian to check for dysplasia or other potential deformities in the joint. Depending on the severity of the issue, your vet may also recommend starting Twinkle on a joint supplement early to help keep the joint healthy and slow down or prevent damage to it or other measures to help keep the joint stabilized and healthy.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Roscoe. These could be signs of hip dysplasia. The first thing to do is have him seen by a vet for x-rays. This will confirm if he has hip dysplasia. If he does, the vet can discuss treatment options for him such as pain medication and joint supplements. I'd take him into the vet this weekend or Monday. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Gus wants to lay on the incision that is ok. Continue to monitor the area for any heat, swelling, redness, or discharge. If you notice it, take him back to the vet. Also, continue to restrict his activity for as long as the vet said so the incision can heal. Good luck and kisses to Gus!

Legally, I am not allowed to give you a diagnosis, but based on the x-rays you posted, I suspect that your vet told you that Sly has significant hip dysplasia and arthritis in both hips. I'm sure that came as a surprise to you since Sly is only showing some limping after resting. Dogs are very stoic and do not show us pain as we would expect. Since you have just started Sly on a glucosamine and chondoitin sulfate supplement, you certainly could wait and see how he does on that, but I suspect you will need to add some additional supplements or medications to resolve his limping, so don't be afraid to talk to your vet about those. We frequently use fish oil, MSM, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and many other drug combinations for arthritis. I also highly recommend physical rehabilitation and acupuncture. Although we expect our dogs to cry in pain, most dogs with arthritis pain act exactly like Sly and only limp after getting up. Our goal with treatment is to get them to the point that their pain is so well controlled that we don't notice them limp at all. I hope that helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.