What is canine hip dysplasia?

Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) is one of the most frustrating

diseases in veterinary medicine today simply because it is so

difficult to prevent and treat. CHD is a developmental disease

of the bones in which the head of the thigh bone poorly fits

the hip socket, causing damage to the cartilage, gradual

destruction of the joint, pain and swelling. This disease

should not be confused with hip arthritis. Rather, it is the

most common cause of arthritis in the hips.

How is canine hip dysplasia transmitted?

CHD is a heritable disease. It is passed on by the parents to

the offspring. The only effective measure therefore to

eradicate the disease is to prevent dogs with hip dysplasia

from breeding. However, this is easier said than done, because

not all dogs with hip dysplasia show signs of the disease.

Seemingly normal dogs still carry the gene for CHD and are

bred, causing the disease to stay within the genepool.

How does one know if a dog has hip dysplasia?

A dog with hip dysplasia generally has less energy and

movement. It has difficulty rising from a sitting position,

lameness in the back legs, is hopping like a rabbit when

running, and is reluctant to go up the stairs. However, these

symptoms are usually not evident till the dog reaches middle

age. In extreme cases though, some dogs exhibit obvious hip

problems as early as 5-6 months of age.

How does a vet confirm if a dog has hip dysplasia?

Sad to say, there is no blood test or genetic test yet that

will detect if a dog is a carrier of CHD or not. Diagnosis of

the disease is routinely done through physical examinations and

x-rays. X-rays help in assessing how bad the condition is, and

through comparison with future x-rays, it can also serve as a

gauge of how well the chosen treatment is working. Two

techniques for taking x-rays of CHD-afflicted dogs are listed

below:

1.hip-extended ventrodorsal view x-ray – It provides a frontal

view of the pelvis and hip-joints and best assesses the degree

of severity of arthritis present.

2.PennHIP radiography technique – It is used to detect hip

looseness in dogs as young as four months of age.

What are the treatment options for canine hip dysplasia?

There is no real cure for CHD just yet, but there are

conservative or non-surgical ways to relieve its symptoms.

These include the use of drugs to relieve pain and

inflammation. Rimadyl, Ectogesic and Deramaxx are effective and

have given a lot of suffering dogs the relief needed to live a

normal life. Weight loss programs, controlled exercise and

physical therapy are also very effective in certain cases.

When conservative treatment is not enough, the only other

option is surgery. Surgery can be very effective as it corrects

the underlying cause of hip pain which is a malformed joint.

Surgery is approached in two different ways when dealing with

hip dysplasia. Prophylactic surgery is done to prevent the

progression af arthritis while therapeutic surgery aims to

treat already arthritic hips.

Triple pelvic osteotomy is the primary preventive procedure

available. It involves cutting the pelvis in three places and

rotating the hip sockets to provide better coverage. This

procedure is effective as long as it is done before arthritis

sets in or before the joint is damaged. Another kind of

preventive surgery, although still being studied if it is

effective or not, is pubic symphysiodesis. This involves

manipulating the way the pelvis grows to ensure a tighter hip.

This procedure is done on very young dogs.

Therapeutic procedures include total hip replacement and

femoral head ostectomy. Total hip replacement is performed

mainly on larger dogs. High density, medical plastic is used to

replace the socket and a high-quality, non-corrosive alloy is

used for the ball. This procedure has a high success rate,

almost completely eliminates pain and enables the dog to

completely resume activity.

Another therapeutic procedure for hip dysplasia is femoral head

ostectomy. It involves the removal of the top of the femur which

then eliminates the painful grinding at the hip joint. The femur

is then allowed to float freely causing the formation of scar

tisue which then serves as a false joint. This procedure is not

recommended for mild cases of arthritis and is generally

effective only on smaller, well-muscled dogs.

Can canine hip dysplasia be prevented?

The best measure of prevention is of course careful breeding

since hip dysplasia is a heritable condition. The onset of hip

dysplasia can be delayed in many dogs with a genetic

predisposition by preventing excessive weight gain during the

early months and by making sure that the puppy does not place

undue stress on the hips.

OFA and PennHip offers information on breed risk. Prospective

puppy buyers are advised to check for pedigrees for OFA,

PennHip or GDC certifications.