Hip Dysplasia

Hip Dysplasia literally means an abnormality in the development of the hip joint.
In easy to understand terms it is characterized by a shallow acetabulum which is the cup of the hip joint and changes the shape of the femoral head which is the ball of the hip joint.
These changes may occur due to excessive laxity in the hip joint.

Hip dysplasia sometimes exists without clinical signs , when dogs do exhibit signs they are usually lameness on one or both rear legs .
Severe arthritis can develop as a result of malformation  of the hip joint and this results in excess pain as the disease progresses.

It is thought dogs with hip dysplasia are actually born with normal hips and then develop the disease later .
This is an inherited condition passed on through the genes not always from parents but also from later generations.
However not all dogs who have a genetic tendency  will develop clinical signs and the degree of hip dysplasia .
It is inportant to know that two dogs with excellent hip scores can go on to produce a litter where there is 25 % chance of one or more pups getting hip dysplasia -
On top of this there are multiple genetic factors involved but environmental factors also play a role in determining the onset of dysplasia and the degree of the dysplasia.
Rapid growth and weight gain are some environmental factors .
when feeding puppies it is essential to use a puppy food not adult biscuit  and feed smaller quanties thus keeping puppy healthy but trim.

what are the clinical signs ?
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Lameness , difficulty standing or walkin after getting up , decreased activity and also a bunny hop gait.
Xray confirmation is required to diagnose the disease and it is often possible to help the dog either medically or surgically.
If HD is suspected then
for dogs that exhibit clinical signs at less than a year old aggressive treatment sometimes helps alleviate later suffering but this depends on the size and breed of dog and what your specialst vet reccommends.
the most up to date surgery  is the triple pelvic osteotomy this is very helpful if done in the growth stages and can be sucessfull if done at the proper time 

after the growth phase dogs require different treatment using medication and then if symptoms progress or the dogs health and well being is effected a total hip replacement is ofetn reccommended removing the damaged acetabulum and femoral head and replacing them with artifical joint components.

Hipscoring as reccommended by the British Vetinary Association and only breeding from dogs with  scores within the recommendation for that breed is one of the ways breeders can help eliminate this disease but it is not a guarentee and some dogs will continue to develop the disease  , breeders also  need to keep a detailed log of any hip problems that have developed in the breeds ancestry and certain lines, these dogs should not be bred from.