Desmond is our sweet Airedale Terrier, adopted March 2010. He just celebrated his 5th birthday last week, and has been a playful pup from the moment we brought him home. He loves going on camping trips, swimming in the lake, playing in the snow, running in the backyard and catching footballs, among other things.
But this past August, Desmond started exhibiting signs of discomfort and stiffness to the point of near immobility. We took him to the vet for an examination, where x-rays revealed that he was suffering from hip dysplasia, a condition resulting from an improperly formed hip joint agitating his leg bone to produce painful wear and tear.
Our options were either a full hip replacement, or a Femoral Head Osteotomy (FHO). An FHO is a surgical procedure that removes the head and neck of the femur bone so that the hip joint no longer rubs painfully on the socket. We were told that the more cost-effective FHO was just as viable for Desmond’s case as a full hip replacement, and were convinced it was the right choice. On October 18, Desmond had his surgery.
Following the procedure, Desmond immediately began showing signs of improvement. By the third day, he’d already start having use of his right leg! Using techniques and exercises outlined by an FHO recovery manual, we were optimistic about Desmond’s outlook.
But that optimism was short-lived. Within a week Desmond’s progress began spiraling backwards, and wasn’t matching the recovery guide. His pain medication was running low but his pain wasn’t lessening – in fact, it seemed to be getting worse.
A return to his regular vet revealed some heartbreaking news. As it turns out, Desmond’s FHO was not done correctly, with an excess of femoral neck left behind from the surgery that was restricting his hip joint capsule and the socket of the pelvis, causing him significant pain worsening with each passing day. Additionally, we were informed that he had been under-prescribed pain medication for such a major surgery.
In order to remedy the improperly executed FHO and alleviate Desmond from his long-enduring pain he needs a total hip replacement. This would allow him to regain use of his leg and restore his muscle that has been degraded to almost nothing.
Time is not on our side and the surgery must be done next week. So far we’ve put in over $3,000 in total costs, and now have to pay an additional $6,000 to remedy the improperly executed FHO and for the aggressive physical therapy that would follow the hip replacement surgery.
Unfortunately, we’re unable to continue covering the costs to take care of Desmond on our own. Any support to help our best friend who has gone through SO much these past six months would earn our eternal gratitude. We just want to see our Desy boy get back to his old self!
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
