Entirely Dog - Dog Hip Dysplasia

Dog Hip Dysplasia

You may have heard that dog hip dysplasia is only a concern in larger breeds. There is some truth to the fact that this bone disease occurs more frequently in big dogs, but smaller breeds are certainly not immune to the condition.

Actually, hip dysplasia in dogs is a genetic disease, and careful breeding will reduce the chances dramatically. Good breeders make every effort not to breed animals with the condition. Unfortunately, this is not always possible since frequently it won't show up until later in a dogs life. And if one of the parents has it, there's a good chance that some of the pups will too. If both parents have the genetic make up for the disease, the odds that the pups will have it increases greatly.

The first step to making sure your pet doesn't have hip dysplasia is to find a reputable breeder. Check the pedigree and find out if they have been certified by the Orthopedic Foundation For Animals.

So let's talk a little bit about what this is. Dog hip dysplasia is a developmental orthopedic disease. The hip socket does not properly develop. The result is the ball and socket in the hip joint do not fit together properly. Muscles around the joint do not develop as they should. The result is that the joint is much more stress than it should be. More stress means more friction which destroys the tissue. As a result, painful arthritis develops.

Signs of Hip Dysplasia in a Dog

The problem now becomes that your dog can't talk, and he doesn't complain much either. This means that the arthritis can develop for years before your pet begins to show any symptoms. However there will often be noticeable symptoms as soon as 4 months. Catch this early and treatment can begin early. That means less pain later on.

Dog Hip Dysplasia Symptoms

So what are the symptoms you should look for? Actually there are many and you should look for any or all of them, especially if your breed has a history of dysplasia or you know some exists in his bloodline. You should notice if your pet has difficulty getting up, if he doesn't want to go up steps or jump much, if he shows stiffness in his back legs, or if he simply doesn't want to run around and play as much as he used to. These are all symptoms, but the only way to know for sure is to have your vet take x-rays or give him a physical examination.

Dog Hip Dysplasia Treatment

If the disease is caught early enough there is a surgery that can correct the problem. It's called a triple pelvic ostectomy, and the results are good if this is done before arthritis has set in. The results are much less successful if arthritis has already developed. That's why it's important to catch this early. If you catch it too late, the other alternative is a total hip replacement. Again the results here are good, but this is major surgery and does involve some risks as well.

Depending on the stage of the disease, there are some natural remedies that supposedly can help. Truthfully, we've never tried any, but we do know of people who say they have had good results with the product listed below. There's also a good book that covers more on the subject.