Hip Dysplasia

Young dog with normal hips; note how the head of the femur sits tightly within the acetabulum.

Young dog with CHD (Canine Hip Dysplasia); note how joint laxity allows the head of the femur to subluxate.

Old dog with CHD and severe arthritis; note the flattening of the head of the femur and added bone fillings around the neck of the femur and within the acetabulum.

Hip dysplasia is a congenital disease that affects mostly large breed dogs, but it is also seen in some of the smaller breeds as well. It causes weakness and lameness to the rear quarters, and eventually leads to painful arthritis. This arthritis goes by several names; degenerative joint disease, arthrosis, and osteoarthritis.

Many factors work together to cause this disease, which is a combination of a dog genetically inclined to get this disease interacting with environmental factors that bring about the symptoms. Excess calcium, lack of exercise and being overweight are the main environmental factors that can bring this on. A dog that has hip dysplasia in one leg will most likely have problems in the knee of the other leg due to compensating for the dysplastic limb.

Proper exercise will maintain the muscle tone and keep the joints moving and more fluid. Swimming is the best way to keep the muscles in shape. When the dog is indoors, provide a lot of soft bedding for him to lay on and a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel for the dog to lay on. Heat helps to alleviate any discomfort.

Hip dysplasia can result in a painful dislocation of the hip joint or an irregularly formed ball and / or socket. Eventually the dog develops degenerative joint disease, or arthritis, and a chronically painful hip. It is important to note that you may not be aware of your dogs discomfort. The problem has been present since the dog was 2-4 months old, and your pet has learned to live with the pain. Dogs with dysplasia usually do not cry out in pain. They either limp on the sore leg, or are less active than usual. Often, if both hips are painful, a dog will hop like a rabbit while running or going up stairs or stand up slowly, especially in the morning.

Young dogs who have hip dysplasia will most likely be treated with surgery. The surgery is fairly expensive, but it will greatly enhance the quality of life of the dog. Most of the dogs who have surgery tend to act like puppies again once they're healed.

Older dogs will most likely be treated with pain medications. Aspirin, Rimadyl, and several other pain medications are useful at treating the pain associated with this. If you are giving any type of pain medication on a daily basis it is recommended to have a blood profile done on the dog every few months to check to make sure that the drugs are not causing any damage to the liver or other organs. With any pain medication, you should always try to give the least amount needed. For a large dog (over 100 pounds), it is typically prescribed to give 100 mg of Rimadyl twice a day. Usually owners can tell when their dog is feeling good and when they are not- if you don't feel the dog needs the second dose, skip it or give half the dose. Some days will be better than others for pain. Usually during weather changes or rainy days the joints will tend to ache more, and the maximum dosage is required to keep the pet comfortable.

If you're looking into buying a new pet from a breeder, be sure that they have their dogs tested for hip problems prior to being bred. This will help assure that your pet will not end up with hip dysplasia. Keep in mind that dogs bought in pet stores are most likely not going to come from parents who have been tested (it would actaully be shocking to find a breeder that does have hips checked and sells their puppies to a pet store for resale). So even though you may want to "save" a pet by getting it from a pet store, the chances of the puppy having lifelong health problems and massive veterinary expenses for you are high. If you're set on "saving" a dog, please get one from the humane shelter or rescue group.

The symptoms can initially be as subtle as:

stiffness in the morning.
slowness in getting up.
not wanting to exercise as long or as vigorously.
a change in stride of the back legs.
"bunny hopping".
wanting to sit down during walks or while eating.
reluctance to stand up on the hind legs.