Hip Dysplasia
An ounce of prevention is worth $2500 of
cure
If you are thinking of
getting a new puppy, especially if it is a large breed, we recommend
that you ask the breeder or pet store if there is any history of hip
dysplasia in the puppy's bloodline. Hip dysplasia is a genetic
malformation of the hip joint. The hip joint should be a deep ball
and socket type of joint, but in dysplastic dogs, the socket is
shallow and the head of the femur (thighbone) becomes thickened and
flattened, resulting in arthritis and pain in the joint. Symptoms
include: trouble getting up of down stairs, "bunny" hopping when
running, limping, trouble rising when laying down, bearing excessive
weight on the front legs. Some dysplastic dogs develop these signs
very early as puppies; others may not show symptoms of hip dysplasia
for years.
Hip dysplasia can be
diagnosed with a physical exam and X-rays. Once you know that
your dog has this condition the options are few: medication to
control the pain or surgery to correct the problem. For mildly
dysplatic dogs or dogs that are too old to consider surgery we
recommend various anti-inflammatory medications like buffered
aspirin or the new (but expensive!) medication called Rimadyl.
We also usually add a natural type medication called Glycoflex
that helps lubricate the hip joint and nourish the joint
cartilage.
For some dogs these medications are not enough to keep them
comfortable, and for these dogs we recommend surgery. The most
common surgery for hip dysplasia is a total hip replacement,
where an artificial joint is inserted that takes the place of
the dog's hip joint. Hip replacement surgery is performed by a
team of orthopedic specialists in Annapolis, costs about
$2500.00, and the dog has a 3-month recovery period. Younger
dogs (<1 year) whose hips don't look too bad on X-rays may
qualify for a little different type of surgery that costs a
little less but has the same recovery time. Smaller dogs (< 40
pounds) whose hips don't have to bear as much weight as the
large breed dogs can usually get by with a salvage type of
surgical procedure that is MUCH less expensive and is performed
at our hospital by Dr. Spofford.
The best way to
eliminate hip dysplasia is to prevent it. Conscientious breeders
will have their dogs checked for hip dysplasia before they breed
them. When the potential breeding dog is 2 years old, it should
have x-rays taken under sedation. The x-rays are then sent to
one of 2 possible organizations to be evaluated by experts.
Based on the x-rays, the dog will receive a grade that will
determine whether it is a good candidate for breeding, or if it
might pass on hip dysplasia to its offspring. Dogs may be given
a poor, fair, good, or excellent rating. Any dog that receives
less than a good rating should not be used for breeding.
Unfortunately, breeding dogs that have not been screened for hip
dysplasia has perpetuated this disease.
If you are thinking of adopting a puppy, ask for papers that
show that both of the puppy's parents received a favorable
rating on their hips. It is not enough that the puppy's parents
look okay and don't seem to be limping. As we mentioned above,
some dysplastic dogs don't develop a limp or show any symptoms
until later in life.
