Hip Dysplasia Surgery Cost Dog: $1,200 to $10,000

A dog hip dysplasia surgery costs $1,200 to $10,000 in the United States, and $2,791 is the typical price. Regionally the typical price runs from $2,475 in the Midwest to $8,700 in Ames, Iowa — a 3.5x spread for the same procedure.

FHO and hip replacement are not one operation at two prices

They buy different outcomes. A femoral head ostectomy removes the ball of the joint and lets a false joint of muscle and scar tissue form; the American College of Veterinary Surgeons states plainly that its goal is to relieve pain, not to recreate normal hip function. A total hip replacement fits a metal and polyethylene ball and socket and reproduces the mechanics.

The prices follow the difference. CareCredit puts FHO at a $2,791 national average with a $2,210 to $5,078 range. The two teaching hospitals that publish a replacement price quote $7,000 to $10,000 per hip — three to four times as much. CareCredit's own $4,000 to $10,000 replacement band is not used anywhere on this site, because it footnotes that figure to a commercial content site rather than to the 50-state survey behind its FHO number, and that survey measures ostectomy, not replacement. MetLife reports FHO from $1,200.

What the extra money buys is measurable in what the dog can do afterwards. ACVS says FHO dogs must stay slim for life and live on leash walks and yard confinement, and that owners who want an athletic dog need the replacement instead.

Which operation your dog qualifies for is mostly decided by weight

There is a weight line and it is published. ACVS states an FHO can provide enough comfort to avoid daily anti-inflammatories in a dog weighing less than 60 to 70 lbs. Above that, results deteriorate and the recommendation shifts toward replacement, which is the expensive option.

That is why the cheap path is unavailable to exactly the dogs most likely to need it. Hip dysplasia occurs most commonly in large-breed dogs, per ACVS, which is the same population the 60 to 70 lb ceiling pushes into the $7,000-to-$10,000 band.

Boarded surgery is the other reason for the gap. The University of Missouri states its replacements are performed by ACVS-boarded orthopaedic surgeons, while an FHO can be done in general practice.

What two university hospitals publish for a hip replacement

Two teaching hospitals list their prices, and neither total is only the surgery:

• University of Missouri: $8,500 to $10,000 for the replacement, plus $2,000 to $2,500 for the consultation and diagnostics and $600 to $700 for each of the six-week and 12-week rechecks. Call it $11,700 to $14,000 all in.
• Iowa State University: $7,000 to $9,000 for the replacement, plus $1,000 to $1,200 for the consultation and $700 to $900 for the two-month follow-up. That is $8,700 to $11,100 before rehabilitation.

Those sit far above the regional rows in the table below, and the reason is not geography. CareCredit's 50-state survey measures femoral head ostectomy only, so every census-region and state row on this page tracks FHO pricing while the two university rows track replacements — a different operation, not a regional premium.

Missouri's figure is the one most cost articles get wrong. Its 2019 client handout said $6,000 to $6,500 and is still the number quoted around the web; its current page says $8,500 to $10,000.

Read the consultation and recheck lines carefully wherever you get quoted. At Iowa State they add $1,700 to $2,100 on top of the surgical figure, which is more than the entire low end of an FHO. If a replacement is the operation on the table, the cost of hip replacement surgery in dogs is priced on its own page, implant to lifetime antibiotic cover; this page is the FHO, JPS and pelvic-osteotomy side of the same diagnosis.

The two cheapest hip surgeries expire before the dog turns one

The least expensive interventions for this disease have deadlines. ACVS describes juvenile pubic symphysiodesis, a minimally invasive procedure closing a pelvic growth plate, which "puppies less than 18 weeks of age must have performed". Double or triple pelvic osteotomy is an option for immature dogs ideally under 8 to 10 months with no radiographic arthritis.

Both require the laxity to be found early, which is a diagnostic decision, not a surgical one. ACVS recommends examination between 10 and 18 weeks at the vaccination visits, and calls PennHIP distraction the most accurate early radiographic method.

The scheduling conflict is stated by ACVS in unusually direct terms: the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals screening most breeders use recommends a preliminary exam at 1 year and a final at 2 years, which ACVS calls too late because dogs with crippling arthritis "have missed two surgical options (JPS and DPO/TPO)" by then.

We could not verify a published price for JPS or DPO/TPO from any source that meets our citation standard, so this page does not put a number on either. What is verifiable is the shape: they are performed on a healthy young puppy without implants in the case of JPS, and the alternative they displace is a $7,000 to $10,000 replacement per hip.

Why hip dysplasia gets diagnosed twice

There are two diagnostic questions and they are asked years apart. The first is whether a puppy has pathological joint laxity, which is what opens the cheap surgical windows. The second is whether an adult dog's arthritis is bad enough to warrant a replacement or an ostectomy, which is what the surgical quote answers.

ACVS names three methods for the first question. The Ortolani sign, a palpation test performable at the 10-to-16-week vaccination visits under light sedation; PennHIP distraction radiography, which it calls the most accurate early method and which quantifies laxity; and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals radiographic exam, which it says is not accurate or predictive at very young ages.

All of them need sedation, special positioning or specific training, so none is a free add-on to a wellness visit. ACVS notes special training and equipment are required to perform the PennHIP test and that some primary-care veterinarians have taken the course.

The financial point is that the diagnostic spend and the surgical spend sit at opposite ends of the dog's life, and the first one is what determines the size of the second.

Both hips are usually affected, so price it per side

Assume two sides unless told otherwise. A 272-case survey published in Veterinary World found bilateral hip dysplasia in 88.6% of affected dogs, with unilateral disease the exception rather than the rule.

Every published replacement price on this page is per hip. Iowa State's $7,000 to $9,000 is one side, and Missouri's $8,500 to $10,000 is one side.

That does not mean every bilateral dog gets two operations. Many are painful enough on one side to warrant surgery there and manageable on the other, which is a clinical judgement — but it is the reason a $6,000 quote should never be mentally filed as the lifetime figure.

Does medical management actually save money?

Not reliably, and ACVS says so with the arithmetic attached. Long-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory use requires blood-test monitoring to protect the kidneys and liver, and ACVS states that at maximum daily dosing "the cost of the drug and monitoring can exceed the cost of surgical intervention if the dog is young or middle aged".

The supplement line is worth cutting first. ACVS notes there is no evidence in peer-reviewed literature that cartilage-protective supplements help repair cartilage or protect it from wear, which makes them the clearest discretionary spend in the whole hip-dysplasia budget.

Weight control is the intervention ACVS calls the most effective and least expensive long-term method of keeping an affected dog comfortable. It is free, it is the only lever that works on both hips at once, and it is a prerequisite after an FHO rather than an alternative to one.

What recovery costs once the hip surgery is paid for

Add the rehabilitation and the recheck. MetLife prices laser therapy at $40 to $100 per session and hydrotherapy at $35 to $50 per session; Iowa State charges $700 to $900 for the two-month follow-up. A course of either therapy is a four-figure line if it runs.

Rehabilitation matters more after an FHO than after most orthopaedic procedures, because the false joint is built by the surrounding musculature. ACVS describes encouraging exercise from two weeks post-operatively, with anti-inflammatories daily for the first one to two months and intermittently after that.

After a replacement or a pelvic osteotomy the constraint runs the other way: ACVS specifies restriction to leash exercise and indoor confinement until healing is confirmed by examination and radiographs, generally six weeks after DPO or TPO and eight after a replacement.

If the lameness has not been definitively localised to the hip, the two other hind-limb bills worth pricing are dog ACL surgery and luxating patella surgery, the latter of which ACVS names as a condition that occurs alongside hip dysplasia. The full index is on the vet cost index.

Dog Hip Dysplasia Surgery cost by region

These are the prices behind the range at the top of the page, one row per geography we could source. The basis column says how each row was arrived at.

What changes the price

Two invoices for the same procedure diverge for a small number of reasons. These are the ones that move the total most.

Femoral head ostectomy versus total hip replacement

3-4x. CareCredit puts FHO at a $2,791 national average ($2,210-$5,078) against the $7,000-$10,000 per hip Iowa State and the University of Missouri publish for a replacement, because the replacement needs a prosthesis and a board-certified surgeon while an FHO needs a saw and no hardware

Body weight

ACVS notes FHO is best suited to dogs under roughly 60-70 lbs; heavier dogs get worse results from it and are steered towards replacement, which is the expensive option

Both hips affected

Roughly doubles the cost per side. A 272-case survey found bilateral hip dysplasia in 88.6% of affected dogs against unilateral in the remainder

Board-certified surgeon required

The University of Missouri states its hip replacements are performed by ACVS-boarded orthopaedic surgeons, whereas an FHO can be done in general practice - the specialist requirement is built into the replacement price

Consultation and follow-up billed separately at teaching hospitals

+$600-$1,200 for the initial consultation and +$700-$900 for the two-month recheck at Iowa State, on top of the surgical fee

Post-operative rehabilitation

$40-$100 per laser therapy session and $35-$50 per hydrotherapy session; rehabilitation matters more to the outcome after an FHO than after most orthopaedic procedures

What the itemized invoice looks like

Clinics quote a bundled number and itemize afterwards. This is the decomposition, so you can read a real estimate line by line before you sign it.

THR results in an excellent chance of markedly improved limb function.American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Total Hip Replacement

Does pet insurance cover dog hip dysplasia surgery?

Dog Hip Dysplasia Surgery is normally covered by a standard accident-and-illness policy. Hip dysplasia is developmental and often shows up young, so the pre-existing rule decides most claims: CareCredit states it may be covered as long as the dog was not diagnosed before the policy started. Enrolling a large-breed puppy before any hip radiographs are taken is what makes this claimable; enrolling after a breeder or vet has noted loose hips generally does not. ASPCA Pet Health Insurance names hip dysplasia among the hereditary and congenital conditions included in its standard plan, and Embrace covers hereditary conditions when they are not pre-existing. Some carriers apply a longer waiting period to hereditary orthopaedic conditions.

What you would get back: 70-90% after the deductible. One verified MetLife example reimbursed about 80% of a roughly $5,900 bill on a policy with a $250 deductible.

Coverage rules differ enough between carriers that the only useful answer is a side-by-side: our pet insurance comparison for dog hip dysplasia surgery shows which policies pay for it, what the waiting period is, and what counts as pre-existing.

Common questions

Why a pet needs dog hip dysplasia surgery

The pages below are the reasons this bill happens. Each one carries the same price data you are reading, in the context of the problem that produces it.

Conditions treated with dog hip dysplasia surgery

• dog limping Can be an emergency — Limping means something painful is interfering with the normal use of a limb, and Cornell's framing is that it deserves veterinary attention rather than a wait-and-see.
• hip dysplasia in dogs Can be an emergency — An inherited malformation in which the hip joint is too loose, so the ball grinds in the socket and arthritis follows.

Preventive care that avoids this bill

• bernese mountain dog diet — Free-feeding a large-breed puppy so he grows into his frame faster: Surgery for a hip joint that developed badly under a growth rate the skeleton could not match

More surgery costs

• acl surgery cost dog — Dog ACL surgery costs $1,000 to $10,000, and up to 60% of dogs tear the other knee too.
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• cost of hip replacement surgery in dogs — Dog hip replacement costs $6,000 to $10,000 per hip, but the two universities that publish a price bill $8,700 to $14,000 for the whole surgical episode..
• canine lipoma removal cost — Removing a fatty lump from a dog costs $250 to $1,800, and the first question is whether to remove it at all.
• luxating patella surgery cost — Luxating patella surgery costs $400 to $5,000 per knee.
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• dog ear hematoma surgery cost — Dog ear hematoma surgery costs $535 to $1,804.
• dog bowel obstruction surgery cost — Dog bowel obstruction surgery costs $1,200 to $7,976.
• cat bowel obstruction surgery cost — Cat bowel obstruction surgery costs $755 to $5,500, about half the dog figure.
• cost of chemo for cats — Cat chemotherapy costs $2,500 to $9,500.
• dog ruptured anal-gland abscess treatment cost — A ruptured dog anal gland abscess costs $100 to $1,000 per episode.
• dog anus gland removal cost — Dog anal gland removal costs $650 to $5,600 — an 8.6x spread across nine published fee sheets, the widest on this site.
• entropion in dogs surgery cost — Entropion surgery for dogs costs $125 to $3,000 and is priced per eyelid, not per dog.
• eye removal surgery for dogs cost — Dog eye removal costs $200 at a nonprofit clinic and $3,000 at a full-service hospital.
• cost of leg amputation for dog — Dog leg amputation costs $735 to $6,800.
• dog splenectomy cost — Dog splenectomy costs $1,700 to $5,000 across seven published fee sheets.
• eye removal surgery cat cost — Cat eye removal costs $415 to $2,000, and both US clinics that split fees by species charge less for a cat than a dog.
• cat surgery costs — Cat surgery costs $350 to $6,282.
• dog tumor removal cost — Dog tumor removal costs $250 to $3,000, and histopathology is billed separately.
• cat pu surgery cost — Cat PU surgery costs $995 to $2,395 across thirteen published fee sheets.
• how much is a biopsy for a dog — A dog biopsy costs $144 to $1,110.
• cost of dog bladder stone surgery — Dog bladder stone surgery costs $587 to $5,000 across fifteen fee sheets.
• gastropexy cost — Gastropexy costs $600 to $2,200 planned and $2,200 to $7,500 as emergency bloat surgery.
• how much does it cost to fix paraphimosis in dogs — Fixing paraphimosis in dogs costs $300 to $1,500 on three published prices.
• cat cataracts surgery cost — Cat cataract surgery costs $2,000 to $2,500 per eye and $3,000 to $3,500 for both.
• broken leg dog surgery cost — Dog broken leg surgery costs $1,371 to $5,803.
• dog eye surgery cost — Dog eye surgery costs $300 to $6,700, and which operation your dog needs decides the bill.
• dog eyelid tumor removal cost — Removing an eyelid tumor from a dog costs $320 in general practice and $2,200 with an ophthalmologist.
• lymphoma dog treatment cost — Treating canine lymphoma costs $3,600 to $16,000.
• pyometra dog surgery cost — Dog pyometra surgery costs $500 to $4,000.
• salivary mucocele dog surgery cost — Salivary mucocele surgery in dogs costs $1,681 to $2,400 — three fee sheets within 1.4x.
• dog spinal surgery cost — Dog spinal surgery costs $2,500 to $15,000, and the MRI is billed first.
• cost of stenotic nares surgery — Stenotic nares surgery costs $485 to $1,519, a 3.1x spread between practices for the same short operation.
• how much are dog stitches — Dog stitches cost $182 to $2,600 because the word covers four different injuries.

Every procedure we have priced is listed on the vet cost index.

Sources

1. Dog Hip Dysplasia Surgery Cost — CareCredit (Synchrony), 2025.
2. Total Hip Replacement Client Handout — University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center, 2019.
3. Total Hip Replacement — Iowa State University Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, 2026.
4. Total Hip Replacement — American College of Veterinary Surgeons, 2026.
5. Femoral Head Ostectomy in Dogs — MetLife Pet Insurance, 2026.
6. Incidence of Canine Hip Dysplasia — Veterinary World, 2010.
7. Canine Hip Dysplasia — American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS), 2026.