Denervation Questions

[BWCA Shepherd]

Hello,

My 8 YO GSD will need either a denervation procedure on his left rear hip, or eventually a hip replacement.

Question to you folks is anyone that has gone through that procedure care to provide outcomes?

My vet in Minneapolis will do the procedure (Inver Grove Heights Animal Hospital), and I have researched the procedure so I am aware of some of the potential outcomes (regrowth of the nerves, etc.).

I am basically just trying to weight the cost-benefit of having the denervation done now at a cost of ~$1500, and possibly having the hip replaced between now and Storm's old age, or just biding my time for maybe a year or two and just have the hip replaced (~$5500).

He is still very active and limps a little when he first gets up, but then get's back to normal within a minute. So, other than some atrophy in that left rear leg, he is still doing fine.

The cost is not a huge deal, as he had a TTA ACL surgery on each rear leg in the past, but I just do not want to go forward with denervation, and then have to get the hip replaced in a year or so. If that is the case, I would rather just wait till he needs the hip replacement.

So maybe just some feedback on your GSD's outcomes from the denervation, or other comments as well are appreciated.

PM's are fine.

Thanks

[chicagojosh]

Boundary Waters!!!!

I've got no advise for you...sorry, but noticed the name. Do you ever take you GSD on the canoe trips? Worry about the wolves or it pissing off a bear or moose?

[jocoyn]

My thought would be IF you are doing a hip replacement why not do it NOW because the older the gets the less viable a surgical candidate he becomes?

I would probably do nothing and work on building rear leg muscle mass as best I could with uphill walking and water treadmill.....since he is doing fine. Why put him through all that at 8 when 10-12 is a "normal" life expectancy?

My female, Cyra, had severe hips but by 9 she was still moving around ok and then died of hemangiosarcoma so doing anything for them was never a decision I faced (but she was also bilateral severe which made her less of a surgical candidate in the first place)