Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is an unnatural formation of the hip sockets that can eventually cripple your dog with painful arthritis if not properly treated. Although no one knows for sure what causes hip dysplasia, multiple factors have been linked to the development and diagnosis. For a long period of time, hip dysplasia was considered a genetic trait, heritable from generation to generation; now new research suggests that prolonged environmental influences also plays a large role in the development of hip dysplasia, especially in dogs diagnosed after full maturity.

What Happens?
When your dogs ball-in-socket doesn’t fit together snugly, it results in a painful and damaging friction of the joint. When your dog puts all their weight on the joint, the strain damages the cartilage and begins the sad cycle of tissue degeneration known as canine hip dysplasia.

At what age does it develop?
Hip dysplasia has been seen in dogs as young as five months of age, where others won’t show any symptoms until after the dog has fully matured. The wide variety of cases makes hip dysplasia one of the most studied issues in canines. Puppies born and diagnosed at a very early age inherited the trait through the parents or by incorrect growth and fusion of the dogs bones before birth. Dogs that develop hip dysplasia often have had it for most if not all of the their life. However, degeneration of the hip is quicker or slower then others. A continued unhealthy diet and physical regimen for an aging dog can worsen the development of arthritis and hip dysplasia.

Reasons for Development
Being overweight, acquiring an injury as a puppy, overexertion of hip joints at a young age, lack of exercise as a mature dog, rapid growth, or improper diet regime are all possible factors for developing hip dysplasia. Unfortunately, there is no preventive method to guaranteeing a hip dysplasia free dog. Knowing your dog has OFA certified hips, proper nutrition and overall fitness of your dog is the best preventative method.

Signs and Symptoms
The signs of a dog developing hip dysplasia are relatively the same. Increased trouble or unwillingness to get up after prolonged periods of laying, an altered gait (as if hopping when they first get up) and decreased symptoms once the dog is up and moving are all definite signs that your dog is certainly develop arthritis and possibly hip dysplasia. Overall, your dog will have decreased energy and unwillingness to climb steps or run. It is highly recommended that you bring your dog into the vet if any of these symptoms are prevalent.

Treatment and Surgery
The treatment methods vary from dog to dog based on the severity and age. Treatment ranges from daily exercise regimens and anti-inflammatory medications to intensive surgery. Although proper treatment often allows your dog to live a reasonably happy life, the risk of the issue worsening or reoccurring is always possible, even after surgery.

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It is almost impossible to predict that your dog will develop hip dysplasia or already has hip dysplasia until the symptoms are severe enough to be noticed through physical limitations, unless you are aware of the issue and run regular x-rays on your dog. Dogs unwilling to run and play as much as they usually do, trouble getting up from laying, sensitivity to the hips or a change in their stance or walk can be clear signs of developing or worsening hip dysplasia. Unfortunately, hip dysplasia is a degenerative cycle that causes more and more un-comfort and will eventually lead to crippling pain and can eventually leave your dog not being able to walk at all.

During the early stages and development of hip dysplasia, signs can be relatively minimal. Typically, the first signs of arthritic behavior is your dog having increased difficulty getting up after long exercise or sleep. Additionally, the pain and discomfort quickly wears off once your dog is up and moving. This is the number one reason to bring your dog to the vet. Dogs, especially ones with great health records and boisterous personalities should never be soar on a regular basis. As symptoms develop, your dog may become uneasy with children or strangers petting them because of the pain. A change in the stance and walk will be obvious and as more time passes you will notice your dog spending more time laying down and increased pain their hips.

Radiographs are used to diagnosis Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) but results may not be present until your dog has fully matured. Additionally, affected dogs of CHD show clinical signs much differently. Some dogs manifest problems of Canine Hip Dysplasia before six months of age, others won’t show signs until well into adulthood but damage could still be occurring. Fortunately, research and advancements in technology have increased the success rate of surgical procedures greatly in the past 10 years. Total hip replacement and stem cell regrowth are two of the newest options of dogs diagnosed with hip dysplasia.

SYMPTOMS

• Noticeable decrease in activity
• Difficulty getting up after laying
• Strange posture (gait) when walking
• Calluses and sores from excessive laying and inactivity

It is important that other conditions like Cauda Equina Syndrome (lower back issues) and ligament tears are not the actual culprit of your dogs pain. However, these conditions are much less prevalent compared to Canine Hip Dysplasia and symptoms are usually on the extreme side and appear and worsen rapidly. It is always to important to bring your dog into the vet on first indication that something might be wrong. Catching hip dysplasia early is the key to returning your dog to full health.

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There are many different conditions that have similar symptoms to hip dysplasia. Therefore, standards have been created to successfully diagnosis hip dysplasia in dogs. First, a complete physical and neurological examination followed an x-ray of the hips. Diagnosis is based on breed, pet history, physical examination and x-rays of the hips, back and legs and treatment is just as multidimensional.

Doctors will diagnosis the cause hip dysplasia based on genetic issues (history of CHD in the blood line or no OFA examination), environmental or dietary/fitness issues (overweight, rough environment or sleeping conditions), a failure between muscle tissues and skeletal system to fuse correctly during growth, or a failure of the hip tissue to maintain proper joint structure after full maturity. Hip dysplasia is actually broken down into two types, Acetabular (most common) and Femoral hip dysplasia.

Acetabular Hip Dysplasia

Is the failure of the developing femoral head to align correctly into the socket cup causing an abnormal develop of the dorsal rim and hip in general. Over time, the hip tissues are continuously rubbed by the grinding bones and become weak or disappear completely.

Femoral Hip Dysplasia

The femoral neck of the dogs leg is shortened which decreases the support of the acetabular and dorsal rim. Over time, the joint surfaces support is deteriorated and joint support becomes very disrupted and damaged.

Because scientists have not been able to identify the exact genes or reason for the development of hip dysplasia, veterinaries primarily use a physical exam to determine whether or not there could be other reasons for the decreased activity with varying joint pain. Additionaly, and most importantly confirmed by radiographic x-rays.

During the physical examination, the dog will be manipulated to determine the pain and overall range of motion the dog currently has. More specifically, the Ortolani procedure is conducted–which indicates that the femoral head (ball) slips into the acetabulum (socket). Because joint hip structure develops during the first eight months of age, radiographs before eight months may not show any signs of dysplasia, yet development ran rapidly occur afterward, therefore radiographic tests of puppies is not a reliable diagnosis in puppies.

One of the primary x-ray procedures is called the dorsolateral subluxation (DLS) test. During the procedure, the dog is first anesthetized and layed on its side. Multiple images are taken in different positions and your dog is rated. A dog with a rating 55 or better have normal legs, a dog under 55 is at a much greater risk of develop hip dysplasia if the dog hadn’t already.

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Treatment for hip dysplasia varies on the case at hand. Some dogs will never need surgery, but may require anti-inflammatory medications like Rimadyl, Etogesic or Deramaxx later in their later years while others will require surgery depending on the age and severity of the case. Varying impacts and severity of hip dysplasia makes it hard to determine what proper steps to take for your dog, especially if symptoms are mild and many options can be taken to either reduce the pain or surgically prevent the issue from developing. Some dogs can live relatively happy lives just by taking anti-inflammatory drugs and introducing supplemental regimens of important vitamins and minerals your dog needs. The expense of surgery also usually plays an influence in the viable options that can be performed on a dog.

Medications

There are a variety medications given to dogs with hip dysplasia. Much like humans, anti-inflammatory medication is the primary drug given to reduce the inflammation and pain associated with the joints. Pills and shots are the two main methods for medicating dogs with hip dysplasia. Rimadyl, Etogesic, and Rimadyl, Etogesic, Deramaxx are some of the most common anti-inflammatory medications given to dogs. It is never ok to give a dog human pain reducers like ibuprofen or aspirin.

Surgically

There are several different methods of surgery depending on your dogs age, health and over all severity of the issue. The types of surgery operations are broken into two groups. The Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO) and Canine Pubic Symphysiodesis (CPS) are both surgeries typically used very early in a dogs life when hip dysplasia has been diagnosed but no damage to the hip joints are present. For dogs already diagnosed with hip dysplasia, there are two types of surgeries available to relieve most, if not all of your dogs pain. The total hip replacement has been the primary surgery used for dogs over 50 pounds with mild to severe signs of hip dysplasia. If the total hip replacement surgery is not viable, the Femoral Head Osteotomy is primarily used. However, results vary on dogs over 50 pounds. Typically, dogs that under go this surgery are primarily fit, well muscled dogs due to the intensive healing process.

Juvenile Public Symphysiodesis (JPS) is the surgery used for puppies between 2 and 4 months of age that have been diagnosed with hip dysplasia but have no physical signs of degeneration yet. Advancements in medicine and surgery procedures in the last years to defend against hip dysplasia has proved to benefit the success rate of this surgery. JPS is now a relatively simple, but costly procedure. However, the puppies must be refrained from running and jumping for at least four weeks after surgery which can be quite a task. Re-evaluation usually occurs around three months after surgery by another radio-graphic test. During a JPS surgery, two pelvic bones are fused together, allowing the rest of the hip and resulting in a tighter, more accurate hip ball-in-socket. Early diagnosis is crucial for this surgery to be viable, usually between 16-20 weeks of age before any damage to the joints has occurred.

For young dogs, a Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO) is used. The procedures involve surgically breaking and realigning much of the hips ball-and-socket joint structure. Note, this is an intensive surgery with high expenses but has proven successful for many puppies. During a TPO surgery, three bone cuts are made to free the actebular component (socket) from the pelvis. The actebulum is then rotated and a bone plate is applied to maintain the new position of the ball-in-socket. This surgery allows for correct joint congruity and stops friction and grinding of the ball-in-socket.

In older dogs, a Total Hip Replacement is typically used as a very promising option to getting your dog back to a healthy condition. The surgery replaces the deformed joints with a prosthetic hip joint. Most dogs that go under this type of surgery recover well, however it is relatively costly and requires extended periods of rest and recuperation but add on years of healthy, active life for your dog. Total hip replacement is the primary surgical operation for dogs over 50 pounds and has a remarkable 95% success rate in dogs and is the only surgery that returns complete normal hip-joint function after severe arthritis has set in. This surgery is very intensive, and highly trained surgeons are required to perform that operation — making it relatively expensive.

Typically, for dogs under 50 pounds, a Femoral Head Excision/Ostectomy is the surgery of choice, however it has been performed on dogs over 50 pounds with varying results. During a femoral head excision, the femoral head (or the ball of the ball-in-socket) is removed, allowing the femur to freely float. As scar tissue forms from the moving femur, it hardens and creates a false-joint (a pseudoarthrosis). This is a last resort procedure, due to intense post-op recovery. Dogs to under-go this surgery are typically well muscled, fit dogs that can handle the recovery period without further injuring themselves. Best results have been seen in dogs 50 pounds or less, and results vary in dogs which weigh more or are out of shape.

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Hip dysplasia has often been referred to as a genetic disease. Which is why breeders selectively breed dogs with certified hips (hips that have had an OFA test to prove they are free of hip dysplasia); This is a good reason to buy your puppy, or new family member from a breeder not a pet store or mill. If purchasing a puppy, it is a good idea to ask about the puppy’s bloodlines and the incidents of hip dysplasia in his/her family.

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) has been the standard method for diagnosing hip dysplasia sense 1966. The OFA is the worlds largest database of canine hip evaluations and is the standards set for most radiographs taken by veterinarians. Nearly all breeders have their dogs analyzed by the OFA for certification of the dog’s and is the number one most important step in ridding hip dysplasia in breeds prone to the issue.

Along with OFA Radiograph standards, regulations for the certification of a dog’s hips are also very strict and accurate. Tests evaluate the hip joints for size, shape, architecture of the femoral head and neck, congruity, subluxation and overall condition of the acetabulum. Once radiographs are taken, three veterinarians grade the results with either an excellent, good, or fair grade. Dogs that show signs of dysplasia will receive a rating of mild, moderate, or severe and aren’t eligible for important breeding IDs.

OFA and PennHIP are working wonders for dogs by improving the regulations on dog breeding drastically. If you buy a puppy from a certified breeder, there is a much MUCH better chance your dog has been properly bred and nourished as a puppy. This is the right step forward in removing hip dysplasia from breeds plagued by the disease and there has been drastic improvements in the diagnosis rate of hip dysplasia — unfortunately we can thank puppy mills for reversing much of the positive results seen by selective breeding.

Keeping your dog healthy and active is very important from puppyhood all the way through adulthood. As a puppy (and much like a toddler), bones are still developing and require physical activity to increase muscle mass. However, excessive running or demanding activities on hard floors like sidewalks increases the potential for development issues in the hips, legs, and back.

As a puppy, play time should consist of running around the backyard, on soft, padded ground. Puppies might seem full of energy but can really only handle small periods of intense activity—you’ve seen a puppy pass out after running around and playing, you never thought it would happen but they’re out like a light! The main point is: Don’t take your new puppy on your standard two mile jog and don’t run intense agility and jumping competitions with your puppy! It’s best to look at your puppy as if they are a 1 year old toddler; they’re still delicate and growing – even if it’s hard to see the resemblance between your hyperactive puppy and a new born child.

More and more studies regarding the effects of puppies diets during the first weeks and month of birth. Puppies allowed to feed by choice for the first three years of their life had a remarkable higher incidence of hip dysplasia. Puppies that eat an over-abundance of proteins and calcium have rapid growth to the point where the hips cannot develop and fuse properly. Popularity in home-made dog foods or non-commercialized (higher quality) dog food alternatives in dog health activists have continued to climb because you can better monitor the nutritional value of the food your dog gets depending on the stage of life the dog is in.

Weight reduction and stability in your dog is the most important aspect to reducing the risk of hip dysplasia. Dogs overfed as puppies and into adulthood have an extremely higher chance of developing hip problems. Hip dysplasia prone breeds are also relatively large, heavy dogs and also prone to obesity. Before changing your dogs diet, check for thyroid problems.

A comfortable atmosphere for your dog is important. Warmth, padded bedding and over all status of living is not only a preventive measure but should be a standard for all dog owners to follow. Dogs and human alike cannot sleep in cold–hard surfaced uncomfortable places. Our bodies will begin feeling the physical beating and increase the risk of developing worse issues.

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Canine hip dysplasia has plagued many large breed dogs sense the early 1900’s. Before the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, PennHIP and the AKC, there were very little regulations on breeding. Many purebred bloodlines in the 1960’s fell victim to hip dysplasia due to inbreeding. Additionally, there were no regulations for testing a dogs hips before breeding so dogs with genetically incorrect growth were bred time and time again. Fortunately, knowledge is spreading and breeders are complying with OFA hip standards.

Hip Dysplasia Prone Breeds