My Piper had the FHO surgery for Legg Perthes Disease in December 2008. She was 8 months old and out of the blue started to carry her right hind leg. After x-rays you could see how the head of the femur was pitted and deterioated. She even had small bone chips floating around. The surgery went well and Piper was a real trooper. The first couple weeks she carried the leg but then I started to notice her setting the foot down when she was standing. Before you knew it she was putting weight on the leg and starting to use it when the floor was level. Whenever I took her out in the cold and snow she always carried the leg. Piper didn't go to physical therapy, but I did do movemrnt exercises with the leg. By mid March Piper was 100% and was taking long walks with me. I started walking Piper because the vet said that the more Piper used the leg the stronger it will become and the faster she would be back to normal. The leg causes Piper no problems now and she runs, plays and takes a 3 mile walk with me every day.
__________________ Mom to Piper  &  Chipper |