When a hip joint is too damaged or painful to save, femoral head ostectomy (FHO) removes the source of the pain and lets the body build a comfortable new joint in its place. It's a proven surgery, and cats and smaller dogs in particular tend to do very well. Here's what it involves and what recovery looks like.
Hip pain can appear suddenly after an injury or build gradually over months. Cats in particular hide it well. Watch for:
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. When the "ball" at the top of the thigh bone (the femoral head) is damaged, pain comes from bone grinding against bone. FHO removes the femoral head and neck so the bones no longer rub together. Over the following weeks, the surrounding muscles and new scar tissue form a supportive "false joint" that lets your pet move comfortably. We most often recommend FHO for fractures of the hip that can't be repaired, hip dislocations that keep slipping out, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease in small breeds, and severe arthritis from hip dysplasia. It isn't identical to a normal hip, but most pets return to comfortable, active lives.
Your pet is under general anesthesia throughout, with pain management before, during and after surgery. Most pets go home the same day or the following morning. No implants are left behind.
Pain control comes first. Within the first few days, we'll show you gentle range-of-motion exercises to do at home. Take short leash walks and encourage your pet to use the leg, and keep them confined when you can't supervise. Skin sutures come out at 14 days.
Build strength with longer leash walks, sit-to-stand exercises and slow uphill walking. Once the incision has healed, swimming or underwater treadmill sessions are excellent.
Most pets are using the leg well by now. Keep up regular exercise to build muscle around the new joint.
Continued strengthening brings the leg close to full function. Some pets keep a mild change in gait, but they're comfortable and active.
Everything above covers what most owners need. If you'd like to understand what drives a good result and how FHO compares with other options, this section walks through it.
Most orthopedic surgeries need weeks of strict rest. FHO is the opposite. The new joint is shaped by use, and the muscles around the hip are what hold it steady. Pets that start moving early and stick with their exercises generally recover faster and walk better than pets kept too quiet. Your commitment at home makes the biggest difference to the outcome.
The false joint has to support your pet's weight, so lighter animals put less demand on it. That's why cats and small to medium dogs often have excellent results. Larger dogs can still benefit, especially lean ones with good muscle, but for some big, active dogs a total hip replacement at a specialty centre may give better function. We'll talk through both options honestly.
Every extra pound adds load to the new joint. Keeping your pet lean before and after surgery makes recovery easier and supports lifelong comfort. Activity drops during early recovery, so food portions may need adjusting to prevent weight gain.
FHO has a high success rate, but no surgery is risk-free. The most common setback is a slow return to using the leg, usually linked to muscle loss or too little exercise, which responds well to rehabilitation. Less commonly, pets develop infection, a reduced range of motion, or ongoing discomfort that may need further treatment. Rechecks let us adjust the exercise plan and spot anything early.
Both hips can be treated with FHO. We usually operate on one side at a time, a few weeks apart, so your pet always has one strong back leg to rely on during recovery.
FHO is generally more affordable than a total hip replacement. The cost depends on your pet's size and individual case, and we'll give you a clear, itemized estimate at your consultation.
Most pets walk, run and play comfortably after recovery. Some keep a slight change in how they move, but the pain from the damaged hip is gone.
FHO can be done at any age. What matters most is your pet's overall health, which we check before any anesthetic.
Home exercises are essential and we'll show you exactly what to do. Formal rehabilitation such as hydrotherapy can speed recovery further, and we're happy to discuss options.
