The normal hip joint in dogs is in the form of a ball and socket. The upper part of the femur (the ball) fits perfectly into the hip (the socket) with ligaments, cartilage and muscle holding them in place. Hip dysplasia is a disease that over time breaks down this joint and makes it in imperfect fit.
This disease is most common in older, large breed dogs, but dogs of any size and age can be affected. Genetics plays a large role in the disease process. If a dog’s mother or father has hip dysplasia, there is a great chance that the offspring will develop it at some point in their lifetime. That being said, genetics are not the only factor. Nutrition, exercise and weight are all very important things to be aware of to try to prevent this disease.
If your pet does develop hip dysplasia, there are many ways to treat it. The most common method is through medical management, this includes weight management, proper exercise habits, use of anti-inflammatories, comfortable places to rest and sleep, massage/physical therapy and making the pet’s everyday activities less painful. Other options include surgical correction. Two of the more practical surgeries are called “total hip replacement” and “femoral head and neck excision”. These are major surgeries and therefore require months of post-operative care.
This is an awful disease that we hate to see in practice, so we urge owners to be aware of any signs of lameness or painful hips and do the proper diagnostic if they have a large/giant breed dog that is prone to hip dysplasia.
Written by Jordan Christensen