Hip Dysplasia in Dogs

What is Hip Dysplasia in Dogs?

Hip dysplasia in dogs is considered a serious orthopedic disease. Although dogs of any size or breed can suffer from this condition, it's more appears to be more common in medium to large animals. 

Canine hip dysplasia means that the conformation of the hip joints is abnormal. The hip consists of a ball and socket joint. In dogs with hip dysplasia, the ball and socket don’t fit properly, which results in non-ideal biomechanics of the joint.

Overtime this abnormality can lead to the hip joint rubbing and grinding instead of sliding smoothly. This will further damage the bones causing joint pain, and leads to osteoarthritis or arthrosis and degenerative joint disease. This painful condition is accompanied by reduced movement possibilities.

What Causes Hip Dysplasia?

Several different or combined factors can cause hip dysplasia. Determining in advance which dogs will develop this disease and which will not is impossible; however, understanding the potential risk factors and working to mitigate them is crucial to reducing the likelihood of the disease developing or expressing itself. Some of the most significant risk factors for hip dysplasia are:

• Genetics

• Larger dog breeds

• Rapid growth

• Incorrect nutrition

• Trauma

Breeds such as Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd seem to have a higher occurrence of hip dysplasia. However, that could be because they are exposed to more risk factors. Their condition could be further worsened or accelerated by the overlap of risk factors such as unbalanced nutrition that promotes rapid growth or inappropriate exercise combined with obesity causing joint trauma.

How Does Hip Dysplasia Affect the Quality of Life?

In the article "Effectiveness of a Canine Hip Dysplasia and Canine Elbow Dysplasia Improvement Program in Six UK Pedigree Breeds", the researchers explain that hip dysplasia cannot be reversed. Therefore, the best way for the affected individual is to manage the disease through pain medication, rehabilitation of muscles to support the affected joint or surgery if possible.

As an inflammatory condition, hip dysplasia causes pain and swelling and, in most cases, leads to arthritis. Often, a dog afflicted with hip dysplasia will alter their biomechanics, adopting movement patterns that reduce the feeling of pain in the joints. This can cause compensatory issues in the supporting muscles, ligaments and tendons as these become overused, triggering new pain areas elsewhere in the body.

While some dogs respond very well to treatments such as weight control, exercise control, pain medication, and supporting manual therapies - others may need surgery for the best possible outcome. Unfortunately, surgery can be costly and the recovery long.

However, dogs with hip dysplasia can live long, fulfilling lives if proper treatment and necessary lifestyle changes are made. If you suspect your dog may have this disease, it is vital to contact the veterinarian as soon as possible so that treatment can begin early.

Diagnosing Hip Dysplasia

Only a veterinarian can diagnose hip dysplasia. However, there are indicators that owners can look to help them understand if hip dysplasia might be a problem for their dog.

Early signs of the dog's hip dysplasia can sometimes be seen at a young age, such as in puppies that are a few months old. Other dogs can develop the disease in old age in conjunction with osteoarthritis. In both cases, the symptoms that the owners can recognise vary depending on the severity of the disease, the level of inflammation in the joint, how long the disease has been developing, or what stage it has reached.

Some of the most common signs are as follows:

• decreased activity

• decreased range of motion

• difficulty or reluctance rising, jumping, running, or climbing stairs

• lameness in the hind end

• “bunny hopping” gait

• grating in the joint during movement

• loss of thigh muscle mass

• pain

• stiffness or limping

In diagnosing Canine Hip Dysplasia, your veterinarian will perform a physical exam, such as manipulating the legs to test the looseness of the joints and detecting pain or reduced range of motion. Sometimes, this exam is enough for your veterinarian to suspect hip dysplasia. The final diagnosis, however, comes with the performance of radiographs or X-rays, which determine the degree and severity of dysplasia.

What Next?

Once the disease is diagnosed, owners should work with their Canine Wellness team to determine the best solution for their individual dog. This plan should focus on reducing symptoms and reducing disease progression where possible.

Lifestyle Change

Sometimes, your Canine Wellness team will suggest lifestyle changes to benefit your dysplastic dog. This may be the case if the hip dysplasia is not severe or if the dog is not a candidate for surgery for medical or financial reasons. In this case, lifestyle modifications such as the following are often used to improve the dog's condition:

• weight loss

• exercise

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatories

• nutritional supplements 

• pain relief medications

• acupuncture

• manual therapy

It's important to work with your vet when devising a plan of action that will benefit your dog.

Surgery

When hip dysplasia is diagnosed before significant osteoarthritis develops, your vet will likely recommend surgery to repair the affected hip joint. As the disease progressively degenerates the joints, it can cause the painful condition of osteoarthritis, which is why many dogs require increasingly aggressive intervention as they age. Veterinarians specialising in orthopedic surgery can determine the best procedure based on an individual dog's situation. Standard surgical procedures that veterinarians use to treat hip dysplasia in dogs are:

• Double or triple pelvic osteotomy 

• femoral head ostectomy 

• total hip replacement.

Compensation Issues Resulting from Hip Dysplasia

In the article "Comparing Hip Dysplasia in Dogs and Humans: A Review" a group of experts highlighted their observations of hip dysplasia's effects on the rest of the body—in humans and dogs alike. They argue that because of the resemblance in body structures, certain diseases in both species have a common ground. One of these diseases is hip dysplasia (in humans, it is called developmental dysplasia of the hip).

However, in dogs, because of the dominance of the front legs over the hind legs, they’re capable of compensating for hip abnormalities by lowering their neck and increasing the load on the non-affected side. Since the dog's body structure is not designed for this shift of the body's weight, if this happens due to disease, the muscle groups and joints to which the load is transferred suffer. In the long term, this can cause additional health complications in other parts of the dog’s body.

Can This Disease Be Prevented?

If we consider that hereditary genes only account for a portion of the population that suffers from canine hip dysplasia, and we learn to identify risk factors better and take preventative action, then it may be possible to reduce the prevalence of the disease, but it is unlikely that it could be prevented in all cases.

Breeders often screen their dogs through hip and elbow testing. This is a positive step that helps to reduce the likelihood of offspring being affected through genetic means. People looking to add a dog to their families should ask prospective breeders what measures they are taking to screen for hip dysplasia and be bold and walk away if they don't feel comfortable with the risk.

But if you already have a dog, especially a larger dog or a breed prone to developing this disease, there are things you can do to reduce the risks of developing it. Joint and bone health should be imperative from the earliest days. Some puppies have special nutritional requirements and need food specially prepared, such as for large-breed puppies, to prevent excessive growth that can lead to skeletal disorders.

Furthermore, talk to your vet about whether you can improve your adult dog's health by providing supplements. One recommended supplement is Antinol Rapid, made from natural ingredients as a natural anti-inflammatory, especially aimed at supporting healthy joints. Joint supplements are often used for early intervention and throughout the progression of arthritis, as they are safe for long-term use in most patients.

Proper exercise and healthy body weight also have a significant impact. Obesity in dogs creates a lot of pressure on the dog's joints, which can further promote the development of the disease. Talk to your vet or canine nutritionist about the best diet for your dog and your canine fitness professional about the appropriate amount of exercise your dog needs each day to keep them in good physical condition.