fourleg.com

Question for you Laurie.
I have a young dog (estimate 12-16 months) that I am fostering to do the rehab on & get her adopted.  She had a displaced hip when the rescue got her and the vet removed the head & neck of the femur (they were actually translucent when they got in to take a look at things, joint cleaned up of osteophytes as best they could, some growth of tissue left due to how established it was).  She is, best guess, GSDxcattle dog.  Very smart and perfect size.  Wondering what a realistic activity expectation is for her - are running, hiking & possibly agility completely out for her or is she good to try and see?  I've only had experience with oldies having FHO's and this is my first this young. 
JG

Hi J.

Nice to hear from you.
Onto your questions:
1)  So a young dog with an FHO likely still has plenty of potential!  However, I think it’s prudent to be realistic that the is likely to be an overload onto the other 3 limbs, which could compromise them and/or lead to injuries or degeneration faster than they might otherwise if all 4 legs were healthy and strong.  In regards to sport.  Like it or not, agility is hard on these guys.  I’d tend to advocate for Rally-Obedience, Scent/Nose work, Barn Hunt, Tracking, Carting, or even Weight pulling or Freestyle.  If an owner is adamant about Agility, then I would have the dog ‘specialed’ from the start so he doesn’t have to jump full height, and suggest they pick a kind / style of agility that is flowing and sweeping.  Up here that would be NADAC. Down your way… ummm… ASCA (??).  I have a client who judges down there… I just trolled her FB page to make my best guess at which organization it is.  TYPES of agility are very debated and contentious amongst agility competitors… but for a somewhat compromised dog, I’d want smooth flowing lines, not tight turns and complicated patterns.

Cheers,

Laurie