Dillon not covered for total hip replacement:(
Not sure where we go from here  Debsx |
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WOW! I'd be up against the wall too.  |
| Wowzer, that is pretty steep. |
| oh No! |
| Hard one and so expensive too, maybe talk to the specialist vets about if you cant afford to go ahead with the total hip replacements "Management" of the condition, that is pain management, supplements to support the joints, aqua therapy to keep him muscled in the rear and mobile and exercise management to not make the joints any worse then what they are now. Things like weight management too, keeping him leaner all his life etc. Maybe those are an option for him. Hugs so sad to hear one so young but hopefully if you cant afford the surgery other options in future management of him might be the go, so do talk to the specialists as to what other options are viable. |
| OH NO!! I'd be in the same boat too though. Wow that's a lot of money. Praying something works out! |
| oh wow! so sorry. i know surgery is expensive. maybe the therapy suggested can work to keep him comfortable. are their any vets that volunteer time and donate services? |
| Have you looked into an FHO?? Guinness had a THR last year andit failed...........he then had to have an FHO procedure done I thought it was the end of the world but others here have had it done and Guinness is improving every day. It is not as expensive but that decision would have to come from the vets. It may not be right for your dog. |
| I'm so sorry to hear the news about Dillon. It's a horrible feeling when you find out the cost, and you just don't know what to do next. It's heartbreaking I know. Frankie has really had alot of luck with his water therapy. His range of motion has increased. He's getting butt muscles and muscles in his legs that you can feel now. We are hoping the muscles will help hold everything together better. So we can put surgery off for awile. I think I have mentioned before the herbal we use. It's called body sore. His PT orders it for us. It's and herbal pain reliever. We swear by it. Frankie doesn't seem to have discomfort right now. As Cindy mentioned in an earlier post about fho Frankies surgeon thinks thats what we should do for him. He thinks as long as your dog is only going to be a family pet, there is no reason to to a total hip replacement. You might want to check it out. It is alot less expensive. Still pricey but not as bad as replacement. If you need to talk feel free to PM me Lisa and frankie |
| Total hip replacement is very expensive. If bone changes prevent doing a TPO, would it be possible to control the pain for now with medication and supplements, then do a Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) at an age when it's appropriate? The head of the femor is removed so it's not even in the socket anymore. It's considered a salvage procedure. There are OESs that have had this done... not sure what the largest size is though. They say it's important to keep the dog lean and well exercised after the recovery period. This article is one view on the procedure... http://www.dcvets.org/surgical/fho.pdf Quote: ...Postsurgical results, however, are affected by a number of factors. In general, younger and smaller dogs (under thirty pounds) recover faster and more completely than older and larger dogs (over fifty pounds). Well muscled and active dogs will also usually have a quicker and more complete recovery than overweight, sedentary patients. Most importantly, animals that undergo an aggressive rehabilitation program will have better function and less stiffness than those that are left alone to recover as best they can. Your participation in the recovery process is critical. By using the following timetable, good ambulatory function can be attained within 6-8 weeks after surgery. Maximal function and comfort usually requires 6-10 months... D.C. Vets, Inc. http://www.dcvets.org 4dognight wrote: Have you looked into an FHO?? Guinness had a THR last year andit failed...........he then had to have an FHO procedure done I thought it was the end of the world but others here have had it done and Guinness is improving every day. It is not as expensive but that decision would have to come from the vets. It may not be right for your dog. Cindy... Guinness went on to have had an FHO? How did I miss this...  |
| Yes he did........He is a big boy at 88 to 90 lbs. I think now if I had it to do over I would have just done the FHO I thought his life was over but it was not a bad outcome and we had had no choice |
Quote: I thought his life was over Oooh, Guinness IS a big boy. I'm so glad he's doing better. |
| My insurance has a similiar "cap" for coverage for the year. Well, hmm....how do i say this....Is there a way you can do one hip this year and the other hip in January??? Sometimes if it must be done together, well, maybe the doctor an figure something out so you can get reimbursed for the fee this year and then again in January... Hope all works out...Talk with your Vet. There might be ways around this. |
| I personally had both hips replaced with titanum on Feb 2nd 2010 then on March 26th I tripped over a rug at ihop and broke my right femur. What a Big ouch! The femur break was much worse than the hip replacements. Thank goodness we have good health insurance the bills have totalled over $150,000. Hip replacements in humans take much physical therapy I would imagine it is the same for dogs. |
| Have you considered contacting the PDSA to see if they are able to help? Not sure what the criteria is for you to be eligible but it might be worth a try? http://www.pdsa.org.uk/ We've raised money for them in the past at our annual charity ball as I think its such a great charity! Good luck with whatever you decide. Hope Dillon isn't in too much pain right now - give him a cuddle from us! |
| Ellie had the FHO done on her right hip when she was 8 or 9 months old. She is doing great and the recovery time is not near as long as it is with the THR. Our goal is to keep building her rear muscles with hopes that she doesn't have to have anything done to her left hip. Then it might have to be a THR. She loves to swim so that really helps build her muscles and keeps her lean. If you want more info, you can PM and I can explain all that we went through. Michelle |
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