Canine hip dysplasia refers to the malformation of hip joints in dogs as the dog develops. A similar condition was discovered in people by Hippocrates way back in 370 BCE. Since the 1930s, a lot of resources have been devoted to the study and research of hip dysplasia in dogs. Every one of us who own dogs and take an interest in their well-being should remain informed about the condition, what it is, how it develops, and what we can do about it.

In the 1930s all we knew about hip dysplasia was what was written in the medical press, an excerpt of which read like this:

“It (hip dysplasia) constituted faulty growth and development of all tissues in and around the hip joint, that it was not uncommon in a tribe of Canadian Indian children and Italian children and, if not corrected in its early stage, could lead to very painful, arthritic hips in human at middle age or beyond.”

More information about canine hip dysplasia

Our knowledge of hip dysplasia in canines has grow dramatically since the 1930s. We now understand that, unlike other diseases and physical ailments, canine hip dysplasia doesn`t continue to increase in severity as time goes on. But rather, the condition has an acute phase with dramatic symptoms, which occurs during the period of rapid growth in the dog. That is to say, hip dysplasia affects puppies and young dogs that are still growing and physically maturing, typically in large breeds of dogs. During the acute phase, the dog may even have trouble standing up, especially on a slippery surface like a tiled floor or linoleum floor.

Rather than easily standing up, or comfortably returning to a sitting position, the dog in this acute phase will typically fall down with a rough impact, because of the pain in the hip joints. And of course the impact will cause additional pain. The more we have learned about this condition the more we understand that as the animal matures physically and the rapidity of growth decelerates, the acute phase ends and the symptoms decrease greatly. Sometimes they disappear entirely.

The Similarities Between Canine Hip Dysplasia & Hip Troubles in People

Arthritis, in its acute phases that affect people`s lives, may or may not makes itself evident during the middle age years or later years of a person`s life. The factors that affect whether arthritis appears acutely are varied, but include lifestyle and level of activity, sensitivity, weight, race, and so on. This is distinct from hip dysplasia in dogs because in dogs the acute phases comes when the dog is physically maturing into an adult, rather than in its old age.

There are two things that show us the clear difference between hip dysplasia in human beings and in canines. The first thing is that man walks on his hind legs only, and for a much longer time period than dogs. And the second thing is that the condition in dogs is diagnosed based on the looseness of the dog`s joints (aka “joint laxity”) in the young dog.

The ramifications of the first factor mentioned above is that dogs with pain in their hind legs can easily shift a lot of their weight to their front legs, whereas humans don`t do this. This is one of the reasons that the condition can become worse in humans as time goes on, even though in dogs it often goes away as the dog gets older.

It was common practice back in the early 1970s for young dogs to be put to sleep when they were discovered to have canine hip dysplasia. In those days it was the most common recommendation from veterinarians, and most owners would reluctantly agree to have their dogs put down because it was assumed that the dogs would never be able to lead a happy and fulfilling life without being able to run, play fetch, jump, go for walks, hunt, or any other physical activities that involved walking/running.

Some Veterinarians Disagreed With This Thinking

In actuality, puppies and young dogs that have dog hip displasia have a good chance of going on to live a normal and fulfilling life if the dog is simply left to mature with no further intervention. Many dogs will cease to be badly affected by the condition once they reach their full level of maturity, leading some veterinarians to avoid recommending surgery or putting the dog to sleep.

There is little in the way of reputable research or statistics to show that young dogs exhibiting hip dysplasia turn out any better after surgery than do those who are left to mature without intervention. Countless dogs that overcame their condition naturally without surgery can take place in dog shows, tracking, obedience trails, and other forms of exercise and activity. So we have a large amount of anecdotal evidence that surgery is not necessary in young dogs. Scientifically speaking, it makes little sense to sever tendons and muscle in the young dog. It results in the ball slipping out of its socket, which is exactly the problem of hip dysplasia in the first place.

However, when performed on an older dog undergoing constant pain, dog dysplasia surgery can be a useful procedure that instantly relieves discomfort. This is done by adjusting the weight bearing surface in the hip joint. But it is not clear how long such relief lasts, or what percentage of dogs experience relief by undergoing this procedure. But this is definitely a valid option for older dogs.

Uncertainty Over Whether Dog Hip Dysplasia is Genetic

Human hip dysplasia is genetic, so early researchers of canine hip dysplasia were working under the assumption that it too was a genetic condition. Their research focused on whether the cidtion was dominant or recessive. There is evidence that there is a genetic element to hip dysplasia in dogs, but a Swedish study was conducted on over eleven thousand German Shepherd dogs that determined that a decade of selective breeding could not successfully lower the number of offspring with canine hip dysplasia. They also could not lower the number of moderate-severe cases.

The Swedish researchers concluded that there was less of a genetic factor causing dog hip dysplasia as they had originally assumed. They observed different factors linked to the condition: the characteristics of the pelvic inlet, as well as the rate of bone maturation in the particular dog.

Greyhounds are the only large breed of canines that does not experience hip dysplasia. This is a breed with very slow bone maturation. Cases of cross-breeding Greyhounds and German Shepherds resulted in a generation of offspring with no hip dysplasia. If slow bone maturation is the key to preventing the condition, then is there any way we can slow bone maturation? There is some evidence that a restricted day that slows bone maturation is possible.

We don`t yet have a complete understanding of what factors cause dog hip dysplasia. But the rate of bone maturation, as well as giving young dogs the opportunity to overcome the condition without interference, seem to be key points to focus on.

Dog Hip & Elbow Dysplasia: How To Inhibit The Worsening of Your Dog’s Condition

It is not unusual for young pups to have hip or elbow dysplasia which resulted from genetic inheritance. Proper breeding over the long term can greatly reduce these problems, but it’s unfortunate that due to improper breeding by both professional breeders and amateurs, this condition is all too common.

You may have hear about canine hip dysplasia already. Canine elbow dysplasia is basically the same condition, except that it appears not in the hips but rather in the elbow joints. With regular healthy canine development, the head of the dog’s femur is meant to grow into the socket of the joint, and subsequently rotate smoothly inside the socket during canine mobility. Dysplasia is the condition that occurs when the head of the femure grows to the outward direction, causing the bone to thicken, and leaving a gap in the spot where the femoral head is meant to be in contact with the joint socket. That space leads to some troubles with motion, as the rotation can not take place smoothly without skipping. That can make it painful and unreliable for the dog to walk and run around.

In the event that you have a young dog that your vet diagnoses as having hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia, some approaches can be taken which might make the dog’s life more bearable and enjoyable. Let’s have a look at some pointers to take to heart and follow seriously:

A) This doesn’t affect your dog’s condition, but it does affect future generations of the breed and spieces: have your pet neutered. This is for the prevention of passing on the dysplasia genes to future generations of dogs.

B) You may be under the impression that giving your dog calcium supplements will help his condition. But the reality is that calcium might actually result in calcium deposits in the area of bone that is already unnaturally shaped and causing problems. A preferable approah is to supplement your canine’s diet with additional vitamins and minerals in consultation with your veterinarian.

C) One thing that can aggravate canine dysplasia is a fast growth rate. Eating a high calorie diet influences a high grow rate. So try to limit your dog’s rate of growth by feeding him just a healthy but balanced and light diet. Avoid feeding him too many calories, and also too much protein, since protein is used to build body tissue.

D) Help reduce the impact of your dog’s feet hitting the floor by putting down carpeting to cushion against this. This will bring your dog some immediate relief through lessened impact, but can also help prevent the condition from becoming worse.

E) Discourage your dog from running and sprinting. I know these activities are highly enjoyable for your pet, but running creates a harder impact on your dog’s joints and can cause inflammation, aggravation of the condition, and increased pain for your pup. Your dog still needs exercise, and exposure to the outdoors and nature, but try to minimize his pace.

Canine Hip Dysplasia Treatment and Prevention

Perhaps the most challenging task facing dog veterinarians is how to best deal with canine hip dysplasia. Numerous methods of treatment are available, but here we’ll discuss just the most widely accepted and practiced approaches.

1. Maintenance: This is simple monitoring and management of the disorder without surgery. It entails rest and limited exercise, pain killers, and anti inflammatory medicine. It is the best option is particularly mild cases or in canines who might be in excessive danger if they undergo surgery.

2. Reconstruction of the Hip Joint: This is serious bone surgery, the final goal being tje returning pf the hip joint to a regular anatomical position. It is fairly hard to execute and sometimes needs to be done by an orthopedic surgeon. This kind of surgical procedure to fix hip dysplasia is best for young dogs before arthritis has become an issue. Some of the various techniques are pelvic osteotomy, acetabuloplasty, and varus osteotomy.

3. Replacement of the Joint: Older dogs might benefit the most from this type of surgery. The ball of the joint can be replaced with an artificial ball or taken out completely. Artificial replacements haven’t been so successful until this point. Taking away the femoral head ends its bone contact with the pelvis and thus takes away the pain.

How to Prevention Canine Hip Dysplasia

Any disorder with a hereditary element is at least partially controllable through selective breeding. Studies so far have been rather informative. A nonprofit organization, the Orthopedic Foundation For Animals (O.F.A.), has been studying orthopedic diseases ever since 1966.

Their plan for controlling dysplasia centers around an x-ray evaluation of the hips. Three independent veterinary radiologists investigate every x-ray received by the foundation. If the joints seem fine, an O.F.A. Certification number is provided. If some degree of dysplasia is discovered, the dog and his vet are informed. Dogs exhibiting any amount of dysplasia shouldn’t be used for breeding purposes.

Owners of larger breeds should definitely get a radiographic evaluation of the hip joints of all dogs that will be used for breeding, both male and female. Anybody who has experienced raising a growing pup that has this debilitating disorder can understand the sigificance of this kind of intervention program. Wwe should point out that O.F.A. certified parents might occasionally give birth to dysplastic puppies, but the rate of occurrence is much lower.

Because treating hip dysplasia is only a partial solution in many cases, restrictive breeding is still our most powerful weapon for eliminating the disease.

Dog Hip Dysplasia

The increasing demand for larger breeds of dogs increased the danger of a debilitating condition of the hip joints called hip dysplasia.

This disorder was originally talked about in the USA during the 1930s. Researchers have provided us with abundant data about hip dysplasia, but numerous queries have yet to be answered. It’s a popular topic of discussion among dog owners, breeders, and vets.

Hip dysplasia isn’t common in smaller size dogs such as toys and miniatures, or in Greyhounds, but it’s been found in virtually all breeds. The illness is a problematic development of the hip joint (scientifically named “the coxofemoral joint”) that results in looseness of the joint, partial dislocation know as “subluxation”, and eventually arthritis.

The hip is a “ball and socket” joint. When the socket isn’t deep enough, or the ball is too flat/worn down, it results in an unstable joint that tends to move out of its place.

The most frequently afflicted dog breeds are: St. Bernard, Springer Spaniel, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd, Boxer, Great Dane, and the Bull Mastiff. This isn’t a complete or exhaustive list, because frequency naturally depends partially on the popularity of the breed.

In other words, it’s possible that uncommon breeds like the Komondor or Great Pyrenees have a high rate of dysplasia but when a veterinary clinic comes across one of such a breed only every 2 or 3 years, the number of overall cases for that breed will be very low, and the incidence rate will be difficult to clarify.

Dysplasia is the most frequently occurring disease or disorder of the hips that veterinarians encounter. Since it’s thought to be influenced numerous genes, more research is needed to determine the precise way it is inherited. Additional factors, like fast growth, nutrition, hormones, and anatomic differences have been suggested as contributing causes, but so far selective breeding has gotten the best results in limiting dog hip dysplasia.

Signs and Symptoms Of Hip Dysplasia

The signs and symptoms range from a regular dog to a dog who can’t take more than a few steps without falling down. The normal sign is that of weakness after heavy exercise or having trouble moving or getting up after an extended rest.

The dog’s gait is sometimes diagnostic and its characteristics are waddling, slinking, or cow hocks (with the toes pointing out, and hocks pointing towards eachother). Larger breeds of dog with histories of hind leg weaknesses should first be checked for hip dysplasia before investigating other diseases.

A radiograph of the dog’s pelvis is required for precise diagnosis of the problem. This should be performed under anesthesic to promote correct positioning of the dog. A proper evaluation of the hip joins can only be done if the animal is completely still and laid symmetrically on the x-ray table, especially in mild cases.