The three common surgeries recover differently: arthroscopy is days to a fortnight of restraint; FHO is unusual in that early movement is the medicine, with function building over six to eight weeks; THR demands six weeks of guarded confinement while the implant integrates, then a staged return over three months.
| Surgery and stage | The regime | The point |
|---|---|---|
| Arthroscopy | 1 to 2 weeks restricted | Small wounds heal fast; the joint disease still needs its long term plan |
| FHO | 6 to 8 weeks building use | Movement early and often; physio and hills build the muscle sling that becomes the joint |
| THR, weeks 1 to 6 | Guarded confinement | One bad slip can dislodge an implant; room confinement, leash toileting, floors covered |
| THR, weeks 6 to 12 | Staged rebuild | X-rays confirm integration, then progressive leash work back to normal life |
FHO fails when dogs rest too much: without early use, scar tissue stiffens and muscle never builds, so the forgiving operation gets an unforgiving result. THR fails when confinement breaks: one flight of stairs on week two can turn a triumph into a revision. Same owner, opposite assignments. Make sure you know which one you have signed up for, in writing, before surgery day.
After THR, sudden lameness, a leg that looks rotated or shortened, or an audible clunk is an implant emergency: call the surgical centre immediately, do not wait for the recheck.
Send the case, hear back from a surgeon with what they can do and what it costs, and only pay if you go ahead.
Send what your vet said and quoted. A veterinary surgeon reads it and comes back to you with what they can do and what it would cost, before you pay anything. A written second opinion is from $250.
Toe touching within days and genuine weight bearing within a couple of weeks is the healthy pattern. An FHO dog still carrying the leg at three weeks needs a physio review rather than more waiting; momentum is the whole game.
For FHO and THR rebuilds it is one of the better spends in all of orthopaedics: muscle without impact. Most surgical centres will name the week to start; ask for it in the discharge plan.