Hip dysplasia is a very common problem in dogs. It is characterized by shallow hip sockets or misshapen features of the ball or socket components of the hip joint. The resulting looseness in the hip joint leads to degenerative arthritis that progressively worsens with age. The onset of arthritis varies with the degree of dysplasia. Dogs with severe cases of dysplasia can have arthritis starting at several months of age and become very crippled before they are elderly. Dogs with lesser degrees of dysplasia may have arthritis by middle age and show soreness with activity. Heredity is the primary factor causing hip dysplasia. Dogs considered for breeding should have their hips evaluated by x-rays, and affected dogs should not be bred.
It is seen most commonly in larger breed dogs, but dogs of all breeds, including mixed breeds, can be affected. Signs of dysplasia or arthritis of the hips include an abnormal gait in the rear legs, stiffness after activity, limping on one or both hind legs, or slowness in getting up or lying down. Treatment measures for dogs with arthritic hips include exercise restriction, maintenance of a lean body weight, anti-inflammatory medication, glucosamine-based supplements, and sometimes surgery (hip replacement). As with most medical problems, early detection is the key to minimizing the consequences of hip dysplasia. We now have a new method to check dogs for hip dysplasia at a much younger age than before.
Doctor Dennie traveled to Philadelphia in March to learn the PennHip technique and to become a certified PennHip provider. Many of you may be familiar with the OFA method of taking x-rays to evaluate dogs for hip dysplasia. The OFA method requires dogs to be two years old and grades the hips somewhat subjectively as passing (with a scale of excellent, good, or fair) or not passing (with a scale of mildly, moderately, or severely dysplastic.) Like the OFA method, the PennHip method generally requires that x-rays be taken while the dog is under anesthesia. The big advantages of the PennHip method are that puppies as young as four months can be accurately evaluated and that it provides a more objective, exact measure of the dog’s hip conformation.
Early diagnosis of hip dyplasia allows the owner to not only make decisions regarding the puppy’s suitability for breeding or specific types of training, but also to have options for alleviating or preventing the dysplasia from progressing to degenerative arthritis. Treatment measures for dysplasia detected early may include dietary changes, nutritional supplements, exercise modification, or surgery. If dysplasia is detected at four months of age a relatively simple surgery can be done to change the conformation of the pelvis and minimize the affects of the dysplasia. (Puppies having this surgery must also be neutered to prevent them passing dysplasia on to their offspring.)