Canine Hip Dysplasia

A wet Lab is a happy Lab!

Hip dysplasia strikes fear in the heart of many dog owners.  I find that most of my dog owning clients are already familiar with and afraid of this diagnostic term.  Quite often I’ll see an older Labrador retriever or Rottweiler with some hind end stiffness and her owner will volunteer that he believes the dog may have hip dysplasia.  However, simply having pain in the hips doesn’t always mean a diagnosis of hip dysplasia.  Unfortunately, for large breed dogs, there are a host of orthopedic problems from which they suffer.  Knees, backs, and hips are all apt to hurt as dogs age.

Most people equate hip dysplasia  with painful, arthritic hips.  While these conditions are related, they are not one and the same.  Hip dysplasia actually refers to abnormal growth and development of the ball and socket that makes up each of the hip joints.  The condition may affect the ball, the socket, or the ligaments that attach them.  In effect, if any of these components are imperfectly formed, the hip joint can’t function properly.  What is normally a tight fit becomes loose and over time the parts begin to break down and deform.  As a dog ages this persistent grinding leads to the painful arthritis many dog owners are familiar with.  Larger breed dog are most susceptible to this condition, but any size dog (even rarely cats) can be affected.  

While it is relatively easy to diagnose arthritis in the hips of an older dog with radiographs and a good orthopedic exam, it’s much more difficult to determine if a young dog has hip dysplasia.  Breeders of large breed dogs are painfully aware of the prevalence of hip dysplasia in their particular breed.  If you are considering purchasing a large breed dog you will want to question the breeder thoroughly about hip dysplasia and you may want to see documentation that certifies that the parents of your puppy have been screened for the condition by Orthopedic Foundation of America or have the puppy screened by the PennHip Method.  However, even with unaffected parents, there is no guarantee that your puppy will be free of this disease.

Most often hip dysplasia is treated surgically.  There are multiple procedures available and depending on the degree of arthritis, the weight and age of the dog, some procedures are more suitable than others.  In young dogs with early dysplasia and no arthritis a Triple Pelvic Ostectomy can be performed.  This procedure essentially reshapes the pelvis to better support the hip joints over the lifetime of the dog.  Although a very effective procedure, it is costly and must be performed by an orthopedic specialist.

For dogs that already have arthritic changes two other procedures are available; The Total Hip Replacement and the Femoral Head Ostectomy.  Total Hip Replacement involves the implantation of a brand new prosthetic ball and socket joint.  This procedure is also most often performed by an orthopedic specialist.  The Femoral Head Ostectomy involves simply removal of the top of the femur, the ball part of the ball and socket joint.  The procedure is relatively simple and provides immediate pain relief.  Comparitively the cost is low and it can be performed by many primary care veterinarians.

If your dog is slowing down and you think she might be suffering from hip pain talk to your veterinarian.  Hip dysplasia is a progressive, degenerative disease, so early intervention is best.  There are many treatment options and no need for her to suffer in silence.

Swimming is great exercise for painful hips!