Large dog's hip pain worsening, meds not working. Is surgery an option?

Question

I have a reg vet but I need a diff opinion my dogs hips are bad the ball joint on one is worse than the other the ball joint is flattened out on the tip his Dr says no surgery but the meds he gave him are not helping he's getting worse but he's a big boy big boned. Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | neutered | 4 years and 8 months old | 135 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

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.

Large dog's hip pain worsening, meds not working. Is surgery an option?

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