Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Is FHO a good idea?

Species: Dog
Breed: mix breed 35kg
Age: 8-11 years
my 11 year old 35kg male dog suffers from severe hip displasia & pain relief medication is no longer effective. it has been suggested by our vet that a femoral head ostectomy is the next stage. we are concerned that at his age the trauma of the procedure outweighs any benefit he would receive.(a hip replacement op has also been suggested but as pensioners the cost of this is outside of our finances)
your comments would be much appreciated


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

These are always very tough decisions!

I do find that most dogs recover extremely quickly from a femoral head ostectomy (FHO). When this surgery is done, the head of the femur is removed. This removes the part of the bone that is sitting in the hip joint. The result is that there is no bone rubbing on bone in the hip joint and pain is greatly reduced. You would think that dogs would have a hard time walking with no intact hip joint but they almost always do extremely well.

You may want to ask your vet to look into a new procedure called hip denervation. Our orthopedic surgeon has been doing this and it is a great surgery for older dogs with hip problems. What he does is he goes into the hip joint and scrapes off the nerve endings in the joint capsule. There are almost no side effects and the recovery time is fast. I have been recommending this for my older patients with hip dysplasia.

I hope everything goes ok!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Lump on kitten's chest. Hi I have a kitten and he has developped a very hard lump on his chest, its on... (27925 views)

Questions about seizures and MRI. Dr., We are in a dilemma and don't know what to do. Our pet, BooBoo, our beatiful... (66053 views)

Constipated or urinary issue? Hello Dr Marie. I am contacting you about our cat Linus again. It is 4 am here.... (12503 views)

Heart medication questions. My dog’s name is Yoda. He is 16 years old. But for his heart, he is in good... (7387 views)

Boxer fainted. My 1 1/2 year old boxer fainted or collapsed yesterday evening as he was walking to... (10311 views)

Cat fell from the balcony. HI,Please,i Know i Didnt paid you! But i dont have credit card,and i think my cat... (11738 views)

Not eating and tired cat. My kitty is a very playful cat. Runs, jumps and cuddles all day long. He is looking... (54325 views)

Achilles tendon problems in cat. Chloe recently started walking with her heel down to the ground on the right side(2... (13026 views)

Runny eyes in a persian. Hi there I just recently got Chewey who is a extreme flat face persian and his eyes... (21325 views)

Lump after vaccines. ...Hello! My name is Jessie and I have a Teacup Chihuhua named Zeep. He is about 10... (16498 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.