[107barney]

It really depends on the dog. Most orthopedic surgeons (board certified specialists) are conservative and will only do surgery when the dog is lame. My Daisy had surgery on one leg at age 2 (hers was a grade 4 or the most severe). She was crate rested and medicated but still could not use the leg, so surgery was her only option. She has another grade 4 and has not had surgery. It has gone out of whack a couple of times and she is placed on strict crate rest and given pain medication when this happens. She is now almost 11 and has not needed surgery. The leg that was operated on at age 2 has stayed fine all these years because a great surgeon did the procedure. It's very important to seek out a board certified orthopedic vet before you do any surgery on the dog for this condition.