Hip Dysplasia

Canine Hip Dysplasia is a common disease that affects a wide variety of dog breeds. Breeds most commonly affected include Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Pointer, Rottwielier, German Shepherd, and Hound breeds. Smaller breeds such as Basset Hounds and English Bulldogs can also commonly suffer from hip dysplasia.

Hip dysplasia is a multifactorial disease. Genetics, growth rate and environment all play a role in the degree predisposed dogs are affected. Malformation of the hip joint and laxity in the surrounding soft tissue of the joint lead to abnormal articulation. The resulting abnormal inflammation and pain further osteoarthritis. Signs associated with the disease can be mild to severe depending on the activity level of the dog and severity of the osteoarthritis. Clinical signs associated with hip dysplasia can be seen in two different age groups of dogs. Young dogs (3-9 months) may show lameness and decreased activity. These dogs can be slow to rise from a lying position, or may just seem less playful than the average puppy. Older dogs (2+ years) may show severe lameness and pain after athletic activity. Performance dogs may fall behind due to the pain associated with the resultant osteoarthritis that has formed in the hip joints. There are a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatments for dogs with hip dysplasia. The aim of surgical treatments are to increase coverage of the femoral head and decrease laxity (triple pelvic osteotomy), or salvage procedures aiming to decrease the pain associated with the osteoarthritis (total hip replacement / femoral head and neck osteotomy). Not all dogs with hip dysplasia require surgery to improve their quality of life and performance ability. Many dogs can be managed long-term with a very favorable outcome non-surgically. Non-surgical treatments revolve around weight control, exercise control, pain control, and the use of chondroprotective agents such as glucosamine. Glucosamine will function to assist the dog in two main ways. The first is to minimize the inflammation found within an injured joint the second is to help maintenance of the cartilage and aid in repair and some degree of regeneration.

As mentioned previously weight control, exercise control and pain control are very important. It is very important to keep your pet in a good body condition. Obesity will cause more stress to be placed on joints, more stress will lead to increased discomfort. Providing your pet with regular controlled exercise is very important to maintain joint mobility and muscle mass. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as carprofen, deracoxib, and meloxicam (these medications can be prescribed by your veterinarian) on an as needed basis will provide your pet with pain relief.