Does your animal have a painful hip condition? FHO surgery may be a promising treatment option for your animal.
Hip problems in our pets can occur due to genetics, old age, an injury like a fracture, or a combination of those factors.
When genetics are the critical factor, hip dysplasiais often the cause in dogs. Hip dysplasia causes your dog’s hip joints to develop abnormally. Legg-Perthes disease is another condition that can affect your pup’s hips. In cats, trauma or aseptic necrosis is the most common cause.
All of these conditions can cause mobility issues and pain for your animal. Surgery can improve this; we recommend discussing this with a vet in Edmonton.
How Do the Hip Joints Work
Your hip joints function like a ball and socket, and it is the same for animals. The ball is located at the head of the thigh bone (femur) and rests inside the hip bone’s acetabulum (socket portion of the hip joint).
In animals with hips that function, the ball and socket usually work together, allowing easy and pain-free movement. When injury or disease breaks down or disrupts your normal hip function, pain and other mobility issues can result from rubbing and grinding between the two parts. Inflammation caused by a poorly functioning or damaged hip joint can also reduce your pet’s mobility and quality of life.
If you have a small dog or cat, FHO (femoral head ostectomy) orthopedic surgery may ease your pet’s pain and restore their normal mobility.
To be a candidate for FHO surgery, the animals must be a certain weight and size. A smaller pet’s weight will be advantageous in this scenario since the false joint that will form after surgery can more easily support a smaller frame than a larger or overweight pet.
The FHO Surgery Procedure
A surgeon will perform an FHO surgery to remove the femoral head. This will leave the acetabulum empty. Your pet’s leg muscles will initially hold the femur in place as scar tissue develops between the femur and the acetabulum. Gradually a “false joint” will begin to form. This scar tissue acts as a cushion between the femur and the acetabulum.
FHO surgery is a relatively inexpensive procedure that can often help to restore pain-free mobility to small dogs and cats.
Recovery from FHO Surgery
The duration of your pet’s stay will depend upon your pet’s overall health and other factors.
Care requirements will vary depending on your pet’s circumstances and needs. Formal physical rehabilitation is an integral part of recovery. For any questions or concerns regarding FHO surgery, contact your veterinarian.
