TWO dogs from the Okehampton area have been helped to lead a more active life, thanks to a veterinary centre which is offering new hips for older dogs.
Hip replacements for older people have become a highly successful way of transforming the lives of people crippled by the pain of arthritis.
These operations are not so common amongst dogs, but that is beginning to change as Okeford Veterinary Centre in Okehampton has begun making referrals for hip replacement operations for our four-legged friends.
There have been canine hip replacement operations available for dogs with servere arthritis for at least a decade, but recently Okeford Veterinary Centre has had two dogs referred for replacement hip surgery in the same week!
Jasper and Luka are both doing well after the surgery that was performed by Dr Hamish Denny in Bristol.
Sarah Stone from Chagford, whose black labrador Jasper required a hip replacement because of his debilitating arthritis, said the operation had been a great success.
?He?s doing really well. I am really pleased. It does seem to have given him a new lease of life. He is definitely more active.
?He is still walking with a limp because he has also got arthritis in his front leg but he is walking more.?
Sarah said it was daunting taking the decision to take eight-year-old Jasper to Bristol for the operation, but she would recommend hip replacement to other owners.
?If anyone has a dog that has to have a hip replacement, I would say just do it!,? she said.
Sallie Reason,whose German shepherd Luka has now completely recovered from the operation, said it had given Luka a new lease of life. ?She is like a new dog. She is jumping and running around,? she said.
Sallie, who lives at Sticklepath, said after the effects of the operation had worn off and Luka had got used to her new joint, she was soon ?bouncy? and walking with a spring in her step.
?She is back to her naughty old self,? Sallie said.
Sallie said she first noticed a problem around Christmas time, when 10-year-old Luka became unable to go up and down the stairs.
Both dogs are relatively young and their owners hope their dogs can look forward to many years of active life ahead of them.
Both owners wanted to thank Philip Davies at Okeford Veterinary Centre for his support and advice when referring Jasper and Luka for hip replacements.
Arthritis of the hip joint is a very common disease in dogs, either through hip dysplasia ? a poorly formed joint from birth, often heriditary ? injury, or just wear and tear.