Timely action can help dog’s hip

A few days ago, our beagle fell off the porch and came up lame on her right rear leg. The following morning she was still lame so we took her to our vet. They took X-rays after which we were told she had dislocated her right hip. They got our authorization to sedate her and try and put the hip back in place. We were told that there was difficulty in doing so but they thought they were successful and it was confirmed with an X-ray.

We got her back with her leg in a sling and were told to keep her quiet, with a recheck 10 days later, which is coming up. She seems OK but should we be concerned? Using online research, we learned this injury can be tough to manage and may need additional stabilization. What do you advise? Hip dislocations in dogs are not that uncommon and almost always caused by trauma. The hip is a ball and socket joint which allows for the range of motion that it has. The ball is held in the socket by a liga- ment and the surrounding joint capsule. The top of the socket adds stability. In most cases when the hip dislocates, there is a breakdown of the ligament and joint capsule and the rear leg is displaced up and forward. Reduction of the luxation, as it is called, can be done by closed methods or else by surgery, espe- cially if a fracture is also involved.

Luckily you brought her in to be evaluated the next morning. The best chance for success is by placing the ball back in the socket within 24 hours. Waiting any longer makes success far less likely. Truthfully, success is achieved in about half of the cases and the sling you refer to is the Ehmer sling, which is usually kept on for up to two weeks.

Hopefully, your dog’s situation will resolve by the closed reduction method. If on recheck they find the hip has popped out again, open reduction may be called for. There are many possible methods used and choice is based on the surgeon’s experience and the findings. These have a higher rate of success than closed reduction. Lastly, you may hear about a femoral head ostectomy, another surgical alternative that removes the ball of the joint and the muscles in the area creating a false sling that can work effectively. In all cases, good pain management with appropriate medications is called for. I’m sure your veterinarian will steer you right. Good luck!