Canine Hip Dysplasia

We all hear about it but many don’t truly know what hip dysplasia is or how it affects the life and quality of life in our dogs.  I will describe what hip dysplasia is,  what breeds are most susceptible, how to treat and how to diagnose.  It is important we all understand this common problem so we can actually take measures to ensure our dogs have the most positive outcome possible.

This is a congenital abnormality in the hip joint of the dog.  If this joint is not formed correctly, the head of the femur (shaped like a ball)  does not properly fit into the socket (acetabulum) of the hip.  This poor fit can be very mild to very severe, where the ball is not even in the socket.  If the case is mild most dogs will lead a normal, active life.  It is important however to give them the correct nutrtional support, keep them fit and keep their body condition low (do not allow them to become overweight).  If your dog has a more severe form of dysplasia, it can result in signifacant pain and discomfort, requiring pain medication, joint supplements and sometimes surgery.  Some dogs are actually so uncomfortable that quality of life becomes compromised, resulting in euthenasia.

Signs of hip dysplasia are: slow to rise from a sitting or down position,  an abnormal gait at a run described as a bunny hop, unwilling to jump, unwilling to exercise, stiff when walking, especially in the rear limbs.  All of these are indicators there maybe a problem but not all dogs show overt signs of pain. Therefore it is my recommendation to have all at risk breeds radiographed to evaluate the hips for signs of this problem.  It is important to know that both a good physica exam and radiographs are important in the diagnosis of this problem.

This can easily be performed at our office.  My main concern is in catching problems early so we can prevent much larger problems in the future.

Breeds prone to this particular problem are varied: Large breeds in particular, but even medium breeds are at risk. 

Top breeds:

Lab retriever

Golden Retriever

Great Danes

German Shepards

Mastiffs

Border collies

Bernese Mountain Dogs

Newfundlands

and I will add more as we go