As I write this, our little Caysun is undergoing JPS surgery and getting spayed at the same time. What is JPS? Here's how a vet explains it:
Juvenile pubic symphysiodesis (JPS) surgery is a prophylactic procedure performed in puppies 10 to 20 weeks of age that have been diagnosed with hip dysplasia.
That's a fancy way of saying it's an operation that should help Caysun avoid hip dysplasia later in life. When she had her hips evaluated a few weeks ago, her "score" was not great. Not terrible, though, which makes her a great candidate for this JPS surgery. As I was researching JPS surgery, I found a great website that explains PennHIP and JPS clearly for us regular folks (meaning: those of us without a DVM behind our name).
Because hip dysplasia can be passed onto future generations, spaying (or neutering) is strongly encouraged at the same time as the JPS surgery. So while Caysun's under anasthesia for the JPS surgery, they'll go ahead and spay her as well. No need for more dogs with dysplasia! Especially service dogs who need to be as healthy for as long as possible.
Service Dogs of Virginia is having the surgery done in Roanoke, VA. I dropped Caysun off with SDV last Saturday — I won't know any details about how she's doing until I get a call from SDV. Keep your fingers crossed for an easy and uncomplicated day for little Caysun. I'm hoping to pick her up and bring her back home from SDV on Sunday.
Fingers are crossed that all is going well!
I thought that a dog couldn’t accurately be evaluated for hip dysplasia until he or she is 2 years old. Or can Penn Hip do it earlier? Maybe that’s just for OFA. Were her sire and dam evaluated? If she’s displaying it this young, it sounds like perhaps they should not have been bred, because of the “passing on” that you describe.
Poor puppy, though! I do hope that this surgery helps her, and that she doesn’t have problems when she grows up!
I never heard of such surgery. And I have similar questions to Jen’s.
Either way, I hope everything goes well for Caysun and she’s back home with you soon.
Poor puppy, hope things go well. It does make me sad though that they are spaying at such a young age especially if she doesn’t have great hips. The natural hormones may have helped correct her structure and now she won’t have that advantage being spayed so young.