Hi Christi,
I'm sure your head must be spinning right now. You think you have a perfectly
healthy pup and then get that shock. My pup was diagnosed with hip dysplasia
and my vet said he would need a TPO. When we went to the ortho specialist he
confirmed that he had HD and said he preferred to do a JPS (juvenile pubic
symphisiodesis). Am I correct that you said your pup is 3 1/2 months? My
computer has put some weird symbols in your message and that part isn't clear.

Basically the JPS is a simple procedure where they fuse (with heat) the growth
plate on the pubic bone. By prematurely fusing this plate it causes a rotation
of the hip bone as your pup grows. The rotation of the hip bone forms a better
socket for the femur to sit in. It is supposed to create a similar outcome as
the TPO. It is done on pups less than 20 weeks old and the younger the pup, the
better the outcomes--so time is of the essence. My pup was right on the cusp
where he would not qualify for it, but I took the chance and had it done because
it is minimally invasive compared to other hip surgeries, there is no "hardware"
required, recovery is quick (my pup came running out of the office after
surgery) and the cost is cheaper. You won't know for a good 4 months after the
surgery if it was effective because the bones need time to grow. My pup had it
done 6 weeks ago. I've noticed an improvement in him but I don't know if it's
related to the surgery or supplements. Only time will tell.

My ortho vet said if by chance it doesn't work, and he kept reinforcing he was
really optimistic it would, he would still be young enough to qualify for a TPO.
For me personally, I just had to take that chance if I could spare him the pain
& suffering down the road. If the surgery ends up not working and he needs a
TPO than I'll have spent a little more money, but at least I'll know I tried.
In the meantime, I will be a nervous nelly until his follow up x rays.

What state do you live in? Is the surgeon board certified?
It's a tough call to make. I know there are some people out there who have
opted not to do any surgery and are managing well. It also doesn't hurt to take
you xrays and get a second opinion.

Here's a few links on the JPS surgery:

http://www.intownvet.com/intown/newsevents/hipDisplasia.pdf

http://www.vshsd.com/For_Veterinarians-Articles___Papers/Juvenile%20Pubic%20Symp\
hysiodesis.pdf

http://www.nwk9.com/jps.htm

Good luck,
Kim



--- In tpo@yahoogroups.com, Christi <agilesetter@...> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>  
> My name is Christi and my 3 ½ month-old English Setter, Conner, was just
diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia. The surgeons have already seen the
x-rays and have said he is a good candidate for TPO. Though his breeder and I
are still absolutely reeling from this diagnosis, we are looking for information
from those who have experienced it first-hand. I would like to have both hips
done at the same time. Anyone out there done this? If so, am I completely insane
for wanting to go this route? What was the recover period like? We just got the
diagnosis yesterday; so I’m sure we’ll have more questions in the days to
come. Appreciate any insight y’all can give.
>  
> Thanks!
> Christi and Conner
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>