The prospect for recovery for non-surgical, or "conservative," procedures is not clear-cut. It can be extremely difficult to predict which animals will develop severe debilitating arthritis, so it is always a risk to opt for conservative management instead of surgery. Surgery, of course, carries its own risks.
The prognosis for dogs after a triple pelvic ostectomy is thought to be very good if the operation is performed before the onset of arthritis. When the arthritis has developed so that it is visible on an x-ray, however, this type of surgery has a considerably reduced chance for success.
As long as there are no complications, a total hip replacement is very likely to result in a complete recovery from dysplasia. Complications, however, could necessitate the removal of the implants. The prognosis for femoral head ostectomy is generally good for smaller dogs, and guarded for large or obese dogs.
