Canine Hip Dysplasia - What are the Options Available?

The are, to this day, four major surgical procedures that can be used to treat Canine Hip Dysplasia. Three of them are common enough to be presented to the dog owner in any veterinarian's office; one is fairly unknown still. The age and size of the dysplastic dog will determine which option is best for him.

Triple Pelvic Osteotomy
The preferred option for younger dogs, a Triple Pelvic Osteotomy is best performed when the dog is between six and ten months of age, while the bones are still forming. The pelvic bone is cut in three places, and re-shaped to form a "hood" over the femoral head, preventing it from luxating out of place.

Femoral Head Ostectomy
The choice of many for smaller dogs, this surgery is extremely sucessful in dogs that weigh under fifty pounds at full growth. Under anesthetic, the head and neck of the femur are exposed, and removed, with any remaining edges filed down for smoothness. The now-empty hip socket is also filed to eliminate the worn-down edges. The end result is a "floating" joint, where the bones no longer meet, but rather float in place on a cushion of scar tissue, muscles and ligaments.

An FHO (Femoral Head Excision) can be performed on dogs larger than medium-sized, but the success rate depends on the dog's mobility and activity level, and his weight. Keeping your dog lean and trim will improve his chances of a successful operation.

Total Hip Replacement
A Total Hip Replacement (THR) replaces both the femoral head and neck, and the hip socket with a prosthesis.

DARthroplasty
DARthroplasty refers to the harvesting of bone strips from the ilial wings, and grafting them onto the hip socket to form a hood to keep the femoral head in place. Results using DARThroplasty have so far proved very successful.

As always, your veterinarian will be happy to help you decide which is the best option for you and your dog.