Hip dysplasia is a common disorder in domestic dogs that involves abnormal development and/or degeneration of the coxofemoral (hip) joint. “Dysplasia” simply means an abnormality of development in terms of size, shape or organization of mature cells in the body. The “hip” is the area of the body around the articulation of the large, long thigh bones (the femurs) and the pelvic bone. The “hip joint” is the ball-and-socket joint formed between the head of
Hip dysplasia is one of the most common skeletal disorders in domestic dogs. The hip joints of affected puppies probably have a genetic predisposition to partially dislocate, causing a number of potential clinical signs and, in advanced cases, ultimately leading to osteoarthritis. It is important for owners to recognize the symptoms of hip dysplasia so that effective treatment options can be pursued as early in the course of the disease as possible. Unfortunately, this can
Hip dysplasia is a painful degenerative disease in domestic dogs which causes arthritis-like symptoms and general hind-end lameness. It is caused by a combination of genetic, environmental and nutritional factors that contribute to laxity in one or both hip joints. Diagnosing this disorder is not particularly difficult, although a number of other diseases cause similar clinical signs and must be ruled out before a definitive diagnosis of hip dysplasia can be made.When a dog presents
While there is no cure for hip dysplasia, a number of surgical and non-surgical options are available to help alleviate a dog's pain and improve its quality of life. Surgery is usually reserved for severe cases, as the consequences of hip surgery can include pain and other debilitating symptoms that already are associated with the disorder. Left untreated, dysplasia will progress, the hip joint will continue to deteriorate and the dog’s symptoms will worsen and