Roxas is a German shepherd who was born April 5th 2023. At only 9 months of age, he was officially diagnosed with hip dysplasia that may require surgical treatment. This was determined via radiogtaphs and a positive Ortolani (details below) test.

Shown here is what his radiographs look like as of today (1/25).

In regards to a dog's ball and socket joint, the ball should fit snuggly into the socket. However, as you can see above, his do not fit as snuggly as they should. One of his ball-sockets does occasionally luxate or pop in-out. Below is a photo of a dog with normal hips.

Ortolani Test

In regards to the Ortolani test... With the dog in lateral recumbency, the leg is positioned so that the femur is at 90 degrees to the axis of the pelvis in the sagittal plane. The leg is grasped at the stifle joint and very slightly adducted. The other hand is placed flat against the back of the dog, making sure that no pressure is applied directly to the hip joint. Upward pressure is applied to the femur (ie in the same direction as the axis of the femur). While maintaining this pressure on the femur, the leg is slowly abducted until a popping sound is heard or felt as the femoral head falls back into the acetabulum. In a normal dog, no sound would be herd or felt. A positive Ortolani sign is an indicator of hip laxity (hip dysplasia) but some dogs with hip dysplasia may not have a positive Ortolani sign. 

Roxas had a repeatable positive Ortolani. In other words, every time the vet would abduct the left hip, it would pop. It's the same pop sound I would feel sometimes if you lightly press on his hips while petting him.

His Care

I work for a veterinarian and therefore Roxas most certainly has recieved top quality care from 8 weeks until now. At one point i was a doctors personal assistant and now a receptionist. I have become knowledgeable over time on what the best products are for what and the appropriate care to provide from beginning to end of life. So I was very knowledgeable on what a puppy should and should not do while growing up. How to avoid stressing joints/ligaments. The best food to feed. So on and so on.

Any time i have questions, i can text a vet or ask in person and they are able to help. I don't need an scheduled appointment for my pet to be seen; the beauty of working in this field. You just ask nicely and they try to do what they can. Roxas has recieved all vaccines on schedule, is on heartworm/flea/tick prevention monthly, and has been fed Royal Canin German Shepherd puppy or Royal Canin Large Breed puppy (only the last 2 months) from 8 weeks until well past today. He will continue to be fed this until probably 15 months or unless a vet deems otherwise (medically). Food and environmental factors are not an issue in regards to Roxas diagnosis. The vet has been very clear that it is unfortunately genetic based. A 9 month old puppy's hip shouldn't pop/luxate in and out of socket with basic day to day mobility. This laxity means Roxas could one day tear his ACL as well; unless the surgery is performed to provide better stability. 

THR vs FHO

There are two types of procedures recommended for his size, age, weight. The best case scenario is a total hip replacement (THR). The next best is femoral head osteotomy (FHO). We have submitted a referral to Ohio State University to have Roxas undergo surgery/consult with Dr. Dyce. He is one of THE leading orthopedics surgeons with over 20 years of experience doing these type of surgeries every day. I work in the vet field and known a few vets who have recommended him for this type of surgery. 

The dilemma is, THR or FHO. surgery is not cheap no matter which way you look at it. For THR, the average cost ranges from $5,600 to $6,000 per hip. Roxas needs double hip replacement. This price, per OSU vet's website,, includes the examination, laboratory work, x-rays, hospitalization fees, antibiotics, anesthesia, surgical fees, special surgical drapes and the cost of the implants (which accounts for about 35% of the fee). Charges for follow up evaluations range from $200-$300. These costs vary, depending on what needs to be done. Hence why we are requesting a donation of $14,000 for this procedure. This will ensure the full coverage of coat and any required after care costs/physical therapy sessions. Obviously we plan to contribute whatever funds we can as well. Those will be documented accordingly because I am an extremely transparent person when it comes to anything with money (especially your hard earned money). Additionally, I am applying to as many assistance and Grant programs i possibly can. 

Additionally, the reason we are hoping FHO is a last resort is because its more suitable for smaller dogs and can cause leg shortening, muscle atrophy (which he already has), limited leg movement, and all around would help some but not fully to the extent we hope for. You can see the different type of surgeries in the image provided below.

Financial Hardship

That said, I am in process of filing bankrupcty. Many of my credit cards and loans have fallen delinquent due to an unexpected job change and previous stacing hardships. A thing many suffer with today. Last April, I lost my first German shepherd to Evans Syndrome. He had underwent two blood transfusions, hospitalization, and more. Though we had numerous donations and the vets at the clinic I worked for were exceptional in giving financial aid/discounts that were well beyond what anyone would offer, I still technically owe them a lump sum for my previous dog and previous care. I owe a lot in a lot of places. Im $17,000 in credit card debt alone.... but im sure many of you out there suffer my same financial burden.

The long story short of this is that, I can't even take out a $200 loan or credit card if I wanted. Let alone $14,000. My Care Credit is completely maxed out. This diagnosis was unexpected. We suspected he came from a line of great genetics and thought he would grow to be a strong healthy happy boy just like our previous dog. Unfortunately, life had its own plan. Not only is Roxas in need of a double hip replacement but he is crytorchid also. He sadly drew the short straw in genetics... but we are going to do everything we can to fix that. 

I am seeking the services of Dr. Dyce via the Ohio state university veterinarins. He has nationwide credentials for a reasonable price (yes, $8k for one hip is reasonable). He is also someone who could do this THR surgery effectively and efficiently; reducing the time Roxas would be under anesthesia overall. His work has changes pets lives. 

Please consider helping any way you can. Sharing, donating, etc. I am not ready to see another fur baby suffer and am doing everything I humanely possibly can to give him the upmost care he deserves. Life is sometimes unfair to even the sweetest of dogs; let's try our best to counteract that. 

This surgery is considered "elective" in most Google searches, but our vet considers it required based on his diagnosis. Requires in the sense that he will eventually need it to live a normal life. If he continues with this current hips without eventual surgical intervention, the arthritis will reduce his lifespan sooner. Medical management will only go so far unfortunately. 

So let's give him his best chance at a healthy long happy life. Please. Whether that means surgery is 6 months from now or 3-6 years. 

Read more about Total Hip Replacement and Hip Dysplasia here: Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and Veterinary Partners.