Sprout's FHO Surgery

Hello. This is Sprout. I adopted Sprout from the Richmond SPCA (the animal shelter I work at) two and a half years ago. We transferred him from a local animal control facility and quickly found out that he had a lot going on. He had bacterial skin infections from his allergies, he began having seizures, and he had severe hip dysplasia that required surgery.

The surgery that he had done is called an FHO, or Femoral Head Ostectomy. Without getting too medical, the "ball" of the ball and socket joint is cut off where the femur fits into the pelvis. Over time, scar tissue forms in place of the femoral head and creates a false joint. This relieves the pain of bone scraping bone. The dog gets around fine after the surgery, they'll just always have a slight limp.

The photo above is a dog that has received an FHO.

I noticed recently that Sprout couldn't finish short walks without trying to lay down, he didn't want to play or run in the backyard and he was even having trouble going to the bathroom. So I took him in for X-rays. Unfortunately, Sprout's FHO healed improperly and his femur fused back to his pelvis, causing the bone to splinter and creating some really nasty arthritis. So he needs the surgery again to relieve the pain he's in.

I am very uncomfortable asking for help, because it isn't something I often do. But if you know me, you know all of my animals have medical issues. My other dog Beet began having grand-mal seizures and was diagnosed with a heart condition last year which has lead to pretty frequent and expensive vet visits. My cat Alfie has a severe heart condition and urinary issues which requires prescription food, daily medication, and specialty cardiac visits. And Sprout is now on five medications for his seizures, orthopedic issues, and allergies. And he needs this surgery.

I have no problem sacrificing things in my day-to-day life to pay for his new medications, but the surgery and the follow-up care is a bit more than I can afford right now. What I'm asking here will cover his surgery alone. Afterwards there will be physical therapy, bloodwork for his new medications, and other check-ups.

Any money made beyond his surgery costs will go towards his physical therapy.

Anything helps tremendously. Thank you so much from me and my best friend Sprout.