Hip Dysplasia In Dogs

Hip dysplasia is an abnormal formation of the hip socket that can lead to crippling lameness and painful arthritis of the hip joint. It can be found in many animals and sometimes humans, but is most commonly associated with dogs. It is common for many different breeds of dogs, but more so in larger breeds such as Mastiffs, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Golden Retrievers. Smaller breeds are also known to be affected by it such as Cocker Spaniels and Shetland Sheepdogs. Hip dysplasia is the most common cause for arthritis of the hips and it is one of the most studied conditions for dogs.

In the normal anatomy of the hip joint, the thigh bone (femur) is connected to the pelvis at the hip joint. The round end of the femur head (caput) fits into a concave socket in the pelvis (acetabulum). The femur head and socket are covered in cartilage; the cartilage ensures a smooth fit and a wide range of motion. In a dog with hip dysplasia, two things are usually abnormal. First, the femur head is not tightly and deeply held in the socket. It can either be a loose fit or even just a partial fit. The second thing that is usually abnormal is that the femur head and socket are not round and smooth, instead they are misshapen which causes abnormal wear and tear when the joint moves.

In order to correct these issues the body tries a few different things, including making new cartilage which is a very slow process. The joint may break down a bit with the abnormal wear and tear which leads to inflammation and usually pain. The more the joint becomes damaged, the less the joint can resist even more damage. The inflammation causes more damage to the joint and can lead to arthritis. It is possible for the deformity of the joint to remain the same rather than getting worse. X-rays cannot always tell us how bad the condition is, it is possible for a dog to have poor X-rays and not be in pain and they can have good X-rays and yet be in pain. In most cases it is the abnormal wear and tear and arthritis that affects the dog’s life rather than the hip dysplasia itself.

Now that you know what hip dysplasia is, how can you tell if your dog has it? Unfortunately dogs can’t tell us when something is wrong so you really have to watch them. They may be sore or stiff after resting, they may not want to exercise as much as they used to, sometimes you can see that they are losing muscle mass in the hip area or they may just be walking differently, not even wanting to go upstairs. Make sure to take your dog to the veterinarian if you suspect he/she may have hip dysplasia.