Week 8 post op

Week 8 for the left hip, week 6 for the right.  Raven is a bit sore lately due to his level of activity.  He sometimes tries to do acrobatics that he forgets he shouldn't do, which seems to make him sore.  I don't know if this is from the bones in his hip hurting, or the damaged ligaments. It's discouraging to say the least.  His hips are still popping.  I've been reading more about TPO, and apparently it only corrects the conformation...it doesn't fix the loose ligaments.  Really hoping that his ligaments heal and tighten...otherwise, what was the point of the surgery if he still will need total hip replacement in a few years?

We are taking Sula and Raven to the vet on Monday, for Raven's checkup, and Sula's first x-rays.  Since she's just over 5 months old, I want to suggest JPS surgery instead of TPO.  It is minimally invasive, and the puppy can resume normal activity in a couple weeks.  The only issue is the puppy must be very young since it involves cauterizing the growth plates in one part of the hip, so hoping we can do this if we need to and that we haven't waited too long.  Sula has no glaring signs of HD right now, but she lazy-sits and has had a few popping incidents, and Raven didn't start showing signs until he was this age as well.  Again, hoping more than anything right now that she has normal hips, and that if not, that JPS will improve the problem.

 Based on Raven's situation, I'd be very reluctant to do TPO again with a dog who has major laxity in the joint, simply because it's so horribly painful and stressful for everyone, especially with a high-energy dog with such a need for mental and physical stimulation, and incredibly frustrating that the hips are STILL popping.  The only issue with total hip replacement at such a young age is that the cement would probably wear out in a few years, and he'd need to go under the knife again. The money at this point isn't our biggest concern because we bought insurance on these puppies as soon as we brought them home (the best decision we made).   It's been a lifesaver (a nearly $8,000 lifesaver).  We;re hoping to get the x-rays from the parents of these dogs to compare their hips, and to give us an idea of what to expect with Sula.