Sorry, I'm not qualified to give the advice advice you're asking for. As you know, I'm not a vet.

But what did your vet recommend? Did s/he recommend one option over the other, or simply give you the two options and ask you which one you choose? If you were given the two options without a recommendation of one over the other, then I'd PROBABLY go for the non-surgical option if it were me. But it would depend upon whether there were any potential adverse side effects from the injections, and if so, what they were.

Have you looked into the natural alternatives? If the proposed treatment is not urgent, then maybe you may want to consider those. See, e.g. http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/NaturalArthritisTreatment

Do not ever ignore your vet's advice. But if the situation is not urgent, you could (if you wish) discuss with your vet the fact that you would like to try natural alternatives first. Personally, that is the approach that I would take if the circumstances allowed that.

But only you can decide what's best for your dog. You should be guided by your vet, of course, but also make sure you have all the facts, and all your possible options, before making a decision.

Hope this helps a little.

Regards,
Brigitte

Thanks, Jess.

Perhaps a vet or a breeder would be best to answer this, but my understanding is that dysplasia (hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia or other types) is a congenital condition that is, or can be, hereditary.

So to be safe, you should never breed a dog that has any query over its head, so to speak, as the idea of breeding is to breed the very best, so as to retain the integrity of the breed.

It's probably not the answer you want …

Regards,
Brigitte

THanks, Reese