<h2>Hip Dysplasia</h2>
<h6>What is Canine Hip Dysplasia?</h6>
<p>Hip dysplasia is a developmental disease where the hip joint grows in an abnormal way over the first few months of life. The hip joint is normally a “ball-and-socket” joint. Dogs with hip dysplasia are born with normal hip joints, but over the coming months, the hip joints become loose (as a result in unequal growth between the bones and the surrounding ligaments, muscles and tendons), gradually leading to a poor fit between the “ball” and the “socket”. The poor fit between the ball and socket can then lead to cartilage damage and development of osteoarthritis.</p>
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<h6>Why does the disease happen?</h6>
<p>Hip dysplasia is largely a hereditary / genetic disease. It is not caused by a single gene, so normal dogs may produce puppies affected by hip dysplasia (and vice versa) but for a puppy to have hip dysplasia, it must have several genes that predispose to hip dysplasia. Other factors such as rapid growth and excessive calorie intake over the first few months of life also increase the risk of development of hip dysplasia, as do hormonal imbalances and nutritional / dietary abnormalities.</p>
<h6>Will my dog develop osteoarthritis?</h6>
<p>Almost all dogs affected by hip dysplasia will develop some osteoarthritis as a result of uneven distribution of weight-bearing forces and cartilage wear caused by the poor fit of the ball and socket joint, or by stretching of the soft tissues that make up the joint capsule. However, the severity of osteoarthritis, particularly as assessed on x-rays, is poorly related to the severity of symptoms and some dogs will show no symptoms for many years in spite of long-term hip osteoarthritis.</p>
<h6>What are the symptoms?</h6>
<p>Some dogs present at less than 1 year of age. These patients may have lameness in one hind leg, but more commonly they have “clicking” hips or look “wobbly” when they walk, without an obviously painful lameness. <br /><br />Most dogs present when older, typically more than 2 years old, and many more than 5 years old. These patients may show reduced activity or unwillingness to exercise. They are often stiff, particularly after periods of rest, and may have difficulty getting up from a seated or prone position. They may struggle with certain activities such as climbing stairs, running or jumping, and may “bunny-hop” during these activities. Obvious lameness is relatively uncommon as most dogs will have the disease in both hips.</p>
<h6>How is hip dysplasia diagnosed?</h6>
<p>The diagnosis of hip dysplasia is made based on identification of these symptoms, examination by an experienced veterinary surgeon, and x-rays of the hips. While the x-rays can confirm the hip dysplasia, they only provide information about the basic shape of the bones and joints - since cartilage is not visible on x-ray, they cannot provide detailed information about the severity of osteoarthritis. <br /><br />We take special care to rule out other problems which can manifest similar symptoms such as lower back problems or knee problems, and may perform additional tests (such as an MRI scan or joint fluid samples) if we are suspicious of other problems.</p>
2009-08-27T14:45:40Z
Heartfelt thanks for all the wonderful work you do, your tireless help and support and for giving Shelley a life again - something I shall never forget...
Jane
30
Total hip replacement for canine hip dysplasia, total knee replacement, TPLO, TTA, slipped disc and bone fracture management are a few of the operations we perform on a daily basis.
surgery, rehabilitation, Fitzpatrick, referrals, small animal, orthopaedic, neurology, veterinary specialist, vets, nurse, health, care, dog boarding, pet, veterinary emergency, referral service, dog veterinary, animal hospital, veterinary hospital, mri, scan, xray, ultrasonic, hydrotherapy, canine
Veterinary Surgery | Knee and Hip Pathology
25
2,25
1
hip_dysplasia
Hip Dysplasia
2009-09-07T15:55:51Z