What is hip dysplasia?The hip joint is a "ball and socket" joint: the "ball" (the top part of the thigh bone or femur) fits into a "socket" formed by the pelvis. If there is a loose fit between these bones, and the ligaments which help to hold them together are loose, the ball may slide part way out of the socket (subluxate). With time, as this occurs repeatedly, other degenerative changes in the joint occur (also called osteoarthritis) and your dog will become painful, lame and weak in the hind end.
This disease is progressive; that is, it gets worse with time.
Is hip dysplasia inherited?
Yes although scientists do not yet know which genes are involved, or how many genes. Factors that can make the disease worse include excess weight, a fast growth rate, and high-calorie or supplemented diets.
What breeds are affected by hip dysplasia?
Hip dysplasia is the most common inherited orthopaedic disease in large and giant breed dogs, and occurs in many medium-sized breeds as well. When obtaining a dog from a large or giant breed, you should ask the breeder about hip certification in their breeding dogs.
What does hip dysplasia mean to your dog & you?
While there is a severe form of hip dysplasia that affects young dogs (less than one year of age), signs of this disease are most common in older dogs. The loose fit at the hip joint will be present in young dogs, but it may take years for the other changes (such as osteoarthritis) to cause pain. Your dog may be painful after exercise, have difficulty with stairs, or even have difficulty getting up. You may only notice this once in a while, but over time you will find it getting worse. There is no cure, but your dog’s pain and lameness may be reduced by making sure that s/he is not overweight, restricting exercise, and using pain-relieving medications and/or alternative therapies such as acupuncture or hydrotherapy.
Large and giant-breed dogs are more likely to get hip dysplasia later in life if they are overfed and gain weight quickly as puppies. If you have such a puppy, you may be able to reduce the chance of future hip dysplasia by careful feeding. Your veterinarian can help you determine the right body weight and diet for your dog.
How is hip dysplasia diagnosed?
Your veterinarian will probably suspect hip dysplasia if your large or giant breed dog has pain or lameness in the hips. Your vet will take x-rays to evaluate the general fit of the femur and pelvis, and to look for any osteoarthritic changes in the hip joint. Usually sedation or anaesthesia is required to ensure proper positioning of the dog.
There is an established scoring system in South Africa to evaluate radiographs for the presence of hip dysplasia. It evaluates a standard ventrodorsal view with hips extended and knees rotated internally. Radiographs are scored based on degenerative joint changes and evidence of subluxation. The ratings range from A1 (excellent) to E2 (severe). Click on this website for more technical information about the scheme: Vet Imaging Specialists
How is hip dysplasia treated?
The degree to which the hips are dysplastic does not always correlate with the amount of pain. Some dogs with very bad hips on x-ray are less painful than others who’s x-rays show only minor changes.
Although there is no cure for hip dysplasia, there are ways to manage the pain. Your veterinarian will work with you to keep your dog comfortable.
An appropriate diet in the growing phase of a dog’s life will go a long way towards preventing a problem or at least minimising it. That means keeping the energy and mineral balance correct and not over feeding. Overweight dogs suffer from osteoarthritic pain far more than slimmer dogs so if your dog is overweight it would help to put him on a diet. There are specifically formulated joint diets containing natural anti-inflammatory supplements that can alleviate pain.
Nutraceuticals such as glucosamine and chondroitin may also be helpful. These substances help to lubricate the joint and may replace lost nutrients in the damaged cartilage layer. Omega 3/6 oils help to alter the composition of the fatty layer surrounding the cells making it more likely to breakdown into non inflammatory rather than inflammatory products. A combination of the two is ideal.
Various other supplements have been used to mixed effect. There are topical preparations you can apply to alleviate muscle tension resulting from joint pain.
Controlling exercise is important in managing the pain. Obviously it is best to rest the dog if the pain is acute but if you need to exercise then short frequent walks are better than long.
Physiotherapy, massage, acupuncture and hydrotherapy are also highly recommended as adjunctive therapies to strengthen and relax the muscles.
If conservative therapy doesn’t work your vet may resort to prescribing anti-inflammatory drugs or even surgery. In young dogs with no signs of osteoarthritis an operation can be performed to realign the socket part of the joint. It is called a Triple Pelvic Osteotomy. In older animals, procedures such as a hip replacements or femoral head excisions, may be required to alleviate pain.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DISORDER, PLEASE SEE YOUR VETERINARIAN.