Introduction
In extreme cases of arthritis, surgical procedures can be used to improve a dog’s quality of life and relieve the painful and debilitating symptoms that are associated with severe arthritis. However, not all cases of arthritis can be treated using surgery and in most cases surgery is only used as a last resort measure.
Surgical Options for Arthritis in Dogs
When non-surgical treatment options for arthritis fail to help the dog, or if the dog’s joints have become so severely damaged that no amount of non-surgical treatment options can help, surgical options such as arthroscopic surgery, joint replacement, joint repair, and joint fusion can be used to relieve arthritis symptoms.
Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy is the most minimally invasive arthritis joint surgery, and this surgery can be used to help repair shoulders, elbows, the stifle joint in the rear legs, and the ankle bones. The procedure uses small cuts over the joint to insert cameras and use small instruments to complete the joint repair. In some cases arthroscopy cannot be performed due to swelling or leakage from the joint and open surgery is needed to repair the joint.
Joint Replacement
Elbow and hip replacements are now available for dogs too. These are intensive surgeries which require a long recovery time (approximately 1-2 months), but over 90% of these surgeries are extremely successful.
Joint Fusion
Joint fusion is a surgical procedure which uses metal implants to fuse damaged joints. This type of surgery can be used on the wrists, fingers, and back. Fusion repairs in dogs using bone grafts and artificial mediums are currently being studied. There are complications to this surgery, most often involving the metal implants themselves, and the recovery time is usually between 1-2 months.
The biggest problem with arthritis surgery is that most dogs with arthritis are overweight and/or elderly and these dogs are not good surgical candidates. The risks may be high, so it is important for pet owners to have an upfront talk with these risks with their veterinarian before they decide to go through with a surgery. Arthritis surgery is not always successful either, and veterinarians can usually give pet owners an idea of what they can, and cannot, expect from the surgery.