How Much Does Dog Hip Dysplasia Surgery Cost?

If your dog has been diagnosed with hip dysplasia, the cost of surgery can be one more thing to worry about. And the numbers you find online can be surprisingly far apart.

Published guides put hip dysplasia surgery somewhere between $800 and $10,000 per hip, depending on which operation your dog needs. But pet parents sharing their own estimates report quotes of $12,800, $20,000, even $30,000. Both can be true at the same time, and understanding why there’s such a wide gap can help you feel more confident in the event your dog requires surgery.

Here’s what each of the four operations costs, why quotes can vary so much, and what to do if the number you’ve been given is out of reach.

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When surgery can’t wait

Hip dysplasia is a chronic condition. It is rarely an emergency and surgery is almost always scheduled ahead of time. That said, if your dog suddenly can't put any weight on a back leg, cries when the hip is touched, or has a leg that looks shorter or turned out, that would suggest their dysplasia progression isn’t ordinary. A dislocated hip, a fracture, or a torn cruciate can look the same from across the room and all three are urgent. Call your veterinarian or the nearest emergency hospital right away and explore the cost later.

The American College of Veterinary Surgeons describes canine hip dysplasia as instability, or a loose fit, in the hip joint. The ball and the socket don't sit together the way they should. So, as the dog grows, the joint is forced to cope with damage it was never designed to handle. Cartilage wears away, scar tissue forms, bone spurs develop, and arthritis follows.

Because hip dysplasia is a growth problem, the best surgical options are only open to young dogs, and those happen to also be the cheapest options. By the time an adult dog is visibly lame, the arthritis is usually already there, and the only surgery that can help is unfortunately the expensive one.

Hip dysplasia is diagnosed by X-ray under light sedation. ACVS describes the PennHIP distraction method as a measurement of joint laxity that predicts whether a puppy will go on to develop dysplasia, and the Ortolani sign, felt by hand, as the gold standard for early diagnosis. Both need sedation. The OFA X-ray many breeders rely on isn't accurate in young dogs.

Plenty of dogs with dysplastic hips manage fine without an operation, sometimes for years. ACVS lists weight management as the most effective and least expensive long-term treatment, alongside controlled leash exercise, anti-inflammatory medication with blood monitoring, physical therapy, and omega-3 fatty acids. It also says there's no evidence in peer-reviewed literature supporting cartilage supplements, which is worth knowing before you commit to buying them every month.

Conservative management isn't free and it isn't a one-off cost. For the rest of your dog’s life, you’re looking at medication, weight control support, rehabilitation, and follow-up veterinary visits. One owner compared the cost of double hip replacement surgery with ongoing management of the condition and found that ongoing management would actually cost around $600 a month in medication, physiotherapy, and related care. That's the cost for their dog, not a national average. In fact, there’s no national average available. Rather than assume surgery will be the higher-cost option, ask your veterinarian to budget out both options for you.

There are four main surgical options for hip dysplasia. Which one is right for your dog depends largely on their age, size, and what the X-rays show. Those factors are typically determined before cost becomes part of the conversation.

Eligibility criteria and post-operative activity restriction: American College of Veterinary Surgeons. JPS recovery window: Vetster.

The lower-cost operations have eligibility windows measured in weeks and months. If your dog is already an adult and already in pain, JPS and DPO/TPO are off the table, so your only options are an FHO or a hip replacement. This explains why the quotes you’ll find online differ so greatly.

Nothing sudden. Dysplasia progresses rather than breaks. Cartilage loss, scar tissue, and bone spurs accumulate, pain and stiffness increase, the muscle over the hips wastes, and the dog quietly shifts its weight onto the front end to cope.

Many dogs live comfortably for a long time on weight control and medication. Others reach a point where the medication stops holding the pain. That’s the moment when a decision becomes critical, and it tends to arrive before an owner is financially prepared. If your dog has been diagnosed young and is currently comfortable, you’d be wise to start saving for it now.

Sustainable Vet Group reports success rates of 80 to 98 percent for total hip replacement across published studies, and owner satisfaction of 83 to 96 percent for FHO. Those figures are the publisher's summary of the literature rather than numbers we checked at source, so consider them an indication rather than a guarantee.

Body size has a lot to do with it. FHO does consistently well in small and medium dogs. In large breeds the results are more mixed, which is why surgeons steer big dogs toward replacement when the budget allows and toward FHO when it doesn't. ACVS notes that the primary goal of an FHO is pain relief rather than restoring normal joint function, and outcomes can vary from dog to dog.

Neither operation is completely without risk. ACVS lists infection, dislocation, implant loosening, nerve injury, and femur fracture among the potential complications to discuss before hip replacement. After a DPO or TPO, complications such as screw loosening, changes in range of motion, and narrowing of the pelvic canal are possible, but occur at low rates. Complications following JPS are considered very uncommon, and when they do occur, they are generally minor.

Return-to-activity windows: American College of Veterinary Surgeons for JPS and DPO/TPO, Sustainable Vet Group for THR and FHO.

Recovery is one reason the final bill can look different from the original surgical quote. Vetster notes that a surgical estimate may not include pre-anesthetic testing, anesthesia, medications, hospitalization, or follow-up visits. Rehabilitation may also be billed separately and can add to the overall cost. And even after a successful operation, lifelong osteoarthritis management is still recommended.

Three current, reputable sources present three different quotes. Figures are per hip unless otherwise noted.

Ranges are planning estimates, not quotes. CareCredit gives an overall range of $800 to $10,000 across all four procedures.

Why the quotes vary so much

Per hip, or both hips? When comparing DPO/TPO cost estimates, check whether the figure refers to surgery on one hip or both. For example, Vetster and Lemonade cite a cost of roughly $3,000 for both hips, while CareCredit gives a range of $3,000 to $6,000 per hip. In other words, the three sources are measuring different things.

CareCredit's figures come from the 2025 Synchrony Average Procedural Cost Study conducted by ASQ360° Market Research, a survey of what practices charge. Lemonade's come from its own pet insurance claims as of January 2025, so they reflect what insured customers were actually billed. And Vetster's come from its editorial team, verified by a veterinarian and last updated April 2025, and it does not publish a methodology.

It's also worth noting that CareCredit publishes FHO costs state by state, ranging from $2,237 in Mississippi to $5,008 in Hawaii. That’s more than a twofold difference for the same operation. It all depends where you live.

In summary, estimates vary depending on what’s included, how costs are calculated, and the specifics of your pet’s care. Your veterinary practice can give you the most accurate estimate for your pet, so ask whether the quote covers one hip or both, as well as what’s included, before comparing it with costs you’ve seen elsewhere.

What pet parents are actually being quoted

The published ranges above stop at $15,000. The estimates pet parents are posting on public forums go higher.

One pet parent was quoted $20,000 for a single artificial hip for a dog not yet a year old. Another, who had adopted a shelter puppy with severe dysplasia, posted a $30,000 estimate; another owner replied that it was roughly four times what they’d been quoted. A third was quoted $7,500 to $8,500 per hip even though their own research had led them to expect $3,500 to $7,000. At the other end of the spectrum, one pet parent reported around $1,500 for an FHO on each hip, done separately.

Looked at in context, these experiences don't necessarily contradict the published ranges. They show just how much costs can vary. A hip replacement at a veterinary teaching hospital and the same procedure at a private specialty referral center in an expensive metro area can come with very different price tags. Nothing on this page can tell you whether the estimate you've received is reasonable for your dog and your area. If it seems unexpectedly high, getting a second opinion may help.

Ask for an itemized estimate before you agree to anything. On a hip procedure, it will usually include:

• Consultation and orthopedic examination
• Sedation, $144 to $384, and X-rays, $50 to $805, according to Lemonade's claims data
• Pre-anesthetic bloodwork
• The implant itself, if it's a replacement
• Anesthesia and surgical time
• Hospitalization
• Take-home pain medication and antibiotics
• Follow-up visits and repeat X-rays
• Rehabilitation, which is often quoted separately

Lemonade puts the average cost of reaching a diagnosis at $1,500 and the average cost of treatment at $5,200. The diagnostic work comes before any decision about surgery, so make sure you account for it as a separate cost.

Get it itemized, then get a second opinion

The estimates above vary by a factor of four for the same operation. That variation is the biggest reason it’s worth getting more than one estimate.

Ask about a teaching hospital

Pet parents in pet forums repeatedly point each other toward veterinary school hospitals, which often price less than private referral centers.

Ask whether FHO is appropriate

It's definitely the cheaper operation, and in a small or medium dog the reported outcomes are good. However, your veterinarian’s opinion should inform your decision, not your budget.

Check the wording in your insurance policy, not the brochure

Whether pet insurance covers treatment will depend on when signs first appeared and what the policy says about pre-existing conditions and orthopedic waiting periods. Read those two clauses.

CareCredit

A medical credit card accepted by many veterinary practices can help you spread the cost over time, making it more manageable.

Veterinary crowdfunding

A crowdfunding platform can help you raise money to put towards your veterinary bill.

Raise funds for your pet's care

Waggle is a popular nonprofit crowdfunding platform that enables pet parents to appeal to friends, family, and a broader community of animal lovers for financial support. Funds raised go directly to your pet’s veterinarian, not to you, so your donors can feel confident they’re supporting a legitimate medical need. While no one can tell you how much you’ll receive in donations, a Waggle campaign can certainly help fund a portion of your goal, if not all.

Start a Waggle campaign

• Given my dog's age, weight, and X-rays, which of the four procedures is she actually a candidate for?
• Is the condition present in one hip or both, and is the estimate per hip or for both?
• What is included in this figure, and what's excluded?
• Is rehabilitation part of the quote, and if not, how much should I budget?
• If we don't operate, what might managing this cost me in the next year? What about in the next three?
• Would you be willing to refer me to a teaching hospital, and if so, would the outcome be any different?

• American College of Veterinary Surgeons, "Canine Hip Dysplasia", acvs.org. Procedure eligibility, diagnosis, complications, activity restriction and non-surgical management. Read 1 September 2026.
• CareCredit, "Dog Hip Dysplasia Surgery Cost and Procedure Guide", published 13 March 2026. Cost figures sourced to the 2025 Synchrony Average Procedural Cost Study for Cosmetic, Dental, Veterinary, Vision and Other Practices Across the United States, conducted by ASQ360° Market Research.
• Lemonade, "Dog Hip Dysplasia Surgery Costs", last updated 8 June 2026. Figures drawn from Lemonade pet insurance claims as of January 2025.
• Vetster, "Hip dysplasia surgery in dogs: costs and postoperative care", published 4 December 2024, updated 22 April 2025, reviewed by Dr. Jo Myers.
• Sustainable Vet Group, "Femoral Head Ostectomy vs. Total Hip Replacement in Dogs", published 13 August 2026. Success and satisfaction rates are the publisher's summary of published studies and were not checked at source.
• Owner-reported estimates: public threads on r/AskVet, r/DogAdvice, r/dogs, r/phoenix and r/Rottweiler, read 1 September 2026.

The prices on this page are planning estimates gathered from published sources on the dates shown. They are not quotes, and they are not veterinary advice. Only your own veterinarian can tell you which procedure your dog is a candidate for and what it will cost at your clinic.