# hip disp - Surgery for 10 yr old dog?



## debdeb (Mar 2, 2011)

i have a 10 year old german shepherd he is up for having total hip replacement does anyone have any insight on having this procedure? does anyone have any thoughts on what the quality of life is when getting this done?


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Can you post his x-rays? How poorly is he walking/pain level? What meds is he taking?

It's pretty major surgery for a 10 yr old dog....


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Coming from someone who had one done on our dog, I personally wouldn't put a 10 yr old through it...JMHO


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## PupperLove (Apr 10, 2010)

I think a decision needs to be made based on his age, life expectancy, quality of life now, quality of life after, and consider the risks and recovery time. It's alot to think about, but if I were in your shoes, I probably would not opt for surgery. I would work a balance of diet and pain medications and suppliments if possible. Sadly GSDs usually live to be around that age (it just still seems so young!)...idk, it's a tough call....good luck with whatever you choose for him.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Here is an older dog I believe that had the THR: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/senior-dog/122393-hip-replacement-zappa.html

Three part series (the link is to the first one) on pain management in dogs: Pain Control in Dogs and Cats: The More It Hurts, the More I Hide It

I would also join and check out: orthodogs : Discussion of canine orthopedic issues

Good luck - we can't see your dog, so can't really give a very good recommendation. But stick around!


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

only my opinion , but I also would not do it. This is not minor surgery for even a young dog . I would throw anti inflammatories, MSM, Glucosamine, Chondroitin , into the diet . Surgery is an ordeal . Tissue regeneration is significantly lowered with age . I would give the best life for the time remaining , best food, best beneficial supplements . You can give MSM topically as it is absorbed into the skin. There are some sports formulaes which have cayenne or essential peppermint or lavender oil which are soothing . (good for muslce aches and sprains and carpal tunnel syndrome). Of course there is the old aspirin stand by for the bad days.
Good luck in making your decision.

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

We had a THR done on our GSD mix when she was just over ONE year old. It was a very major surgery. Four months of VERY limited exercise (which would really impact the muscle tone on an older dog), and another 8 months before she could resume all her normal activities.

If you have an orthopedic surgeon telling you to go ahead and get a THR done, try to find a second opinion. It is just a huge surgery for an older dog, with a year-long recovery. 

Good luck. It's a tough decision to make.


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## debdeb (Mar 2, 2011)

*hip disp 10 year old gsd*

my dog with the bad hips that is 10 years old- we are currently giving him all the medicines i think we can give (glu, aspirin, vit c, arth pills, rubbing him with old wives remedy of wd 40) he can take a few steps then he has to sit, he cant stand long enough to go pee by himself. he is lifted or carted everywhere except in the house, we try to let him walk. his xray shows 1 side very poor and the other not too well. his blood work came back like that of a puppy (very good), so having a hard time deciding about this. thanks for all your input :help:


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## crboggs (Nov 13, 2010)

We put an elderly (11 yo) dog through major surgery exactly once. It took her about 4 of her remaining 9 months to rehab and recover. We'd have been better off managing her situation and letting her go peacefully rather than putting her through that...

We swore we'd never do it again.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

We had a GSD, Chazzy, that had a tumor on her leg. It was very small at first and my vet said it was in a very difficult position to do surgery and the healing would be very hard. Anyway we kept an eye on it and it never bothered her, unfortuantely it grew. I think she was about 8 when it got really big. At that point I think my doctor regretted not taking it off when it was small & she was young. At 8 years old we agreed that the anesthesia alone was to much of a risk and we didn't do the surgery.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

debdeb, I am sorry you are going through this. It is awful. My friend is a breeder and her house dog was almost ten when she finally agreed to have this surgery done for her. She came through the surgery all right, but within a week or two started having major seizures. Never had a siezure before, no epilepsy in the lines. She ended up having to put the dog down. 

An older dog on this site had osteosarcoma, and they decided to go ahead and amputate. Unfortunately, the dog did not completely recover and had to be put down. 

No one can make this decision for you, but your dog has had a typical German Shepherd lifespan -- 10-12. Is it kinder to put the dog out of its pain, or to put the dog through months of pain and recovery with the prognosis being poor at best? There is not really a right answer to this question, especially if the dog has two or three more years tacked on to its life.

Whatever you decide, I am sure you will make the decision out of love for the dog. Again, I am so sorry you are going through this.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

How big is your dog? Would an FHO be an easier surgery? I have no idea but think a second opinion is a great idea.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

debdeb said:


> my dog with the bad hips that is 10 years old- we are currently giving him all the medicines i think we can give (glu, aspirin, vit c, arth pills, rubbing him with old wives remedy of wd 40) he can take a few steps then he has to sit, he cant stand long enough to go pee by himself. he is lifted or carted everywhere except in the house, we try to let him walk. his xray shows 1 side very poor and the other not too well. his blood work came back like that of a puppy (very good), so having a hard time deciding about this. thanks for all your input :help:


I don't think you should be doing the old wives remedy. 

What arthritis med is he on? 

Do you have any vet rehab type places like this: TheraVet - Rochester Rehab, Equine and Canine Health Care ? Because the physical therapy could make a total difference for him. If you say your general location we could all look. 

There is also Adequan - that can do a lot for dogs it works for. And for my dog it worked great. 

I do not walk away from internal surgeries on older dogs who are strong just because of age. I would be concerned about ortho surgeries because they do seem to require some effort to recover from. 

I would want to see a vet rehab person to see what could be done.


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## debdeb (Mar 2, 2011)

*10 yr old wiht hip disp*

inresponse to your question about what arthritis medicine he is on it is called (devawaxx i believe) his weight is app 105 lbs. we live in wv and are going to of course we are going to have a consultation with the drs at the virginia tech vet hospital before proceeding with any surgery. he is just such a driven dog, he doesn't let anything stop him. we have been putting him on a wheeled bed to take him to the building he stays in with our other dog while we are at work and he gets off of it because he would rather walk. i'm not sure if the walking he is doing is making it worse. he drools alot and i dont know if this is from pain or the medicine?
thank you for your input


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

I have a 10y gsd with severe HD. She is a foster and both the rescue and I agree we will not be putting her through that kind of surgery. She has had to have 2 surgeries so far- she was spayed and had to have a rhinoscopy for nosebleeds. Anesthesia alone was EXTREMELY hard on her both times. Harder than the surgeries themselves. This last one, the rhinoscopy, took over a week before she started acting her normal self. I can not imagine how hard hip replacement surgery would be for her.

As someone who as seen and assisted with that surgery in humans, I've seen how incredibly brutal it is. I imagine it is similar for dogs. Please think very hard about putting your beloved friend through this.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

For some perspective, after having put ours through it when he was a strong young boy with a very well respected ortho surgeon.....he subsequently had to be euthanized due to other problems not directly related to the hip replacement..we decided we would never put another dog through that kind of operation and rehab again. It's just too much IMHO.


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## Byron (Nov 12, 2011)

Hmmm physical therapy is quite helpful in this scenario which can recovered and heal the pain but it will take time to work but results are quite impressive


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