| Canine hip dysplasia is a common developmental | | | | leads to stretching and tearing of the joint capsule |
| disease of puppies. It usually affects both hips and is | | | | and ligaments in the hip which causes swelling and |
| seen in many different breeds. It is considered a | | | | pain. As the dog gets more mature, it is the wearing |
| multifactorial disease with a strong hereditary | | | | away of the cartilage and arthritis development within |
| component but also influenced by environmental | | | | the joint that leads to pain. |
| factors. | | | | Hip dysplasia in dogs is primarily determined by |
| The underlying disease in canine hip dysplasia is a | | | | hereditary factors. This means that dogs that carry |
| laxity in the structures that hold the hip joint | | | | the genes for canine hip dysplasia will pass them on |
| together. A puppy with the disease is born with | | | | to their offspring. Even dogs that show no signs of |
| normal hips. As the puppy develops however, the | | | | the disease may carry the genes for it and if bred to |
| support ligaments and joint capsule that keep the | | | | another dog that is a carrier, could have offspring |
| normal joint tight become too loose. This results in | | | | with the disease. This is a large reason why |
| the femur pulling away from the acetabulum of the | | | | controlling hip dysplasia in dogs is so difficult. |
| pelvis, a condition we term subluxation because the | | | | Recommendations are to screen both parents and all |
| joint is starting to luxate but doesn't completely | | | | offspring in high risk breeds and to not breed any |
| luxate. This subluxation of the hip joint occurs every | | | | dog that shows signs of being a carrier. |
| time the puppy takes a step. | | | | Whether or not a dog shows signs of hip dysplasia is |
| In a normal hip joint, the head of the femur sits | | | | also influenced by environmental factors with the |
| inside the acetabulum and is well covered on the top | | | | main one being nutrition as a puppy. Abundant food |
| by the dorsal acetabular rim. When a puppy has a | | | | consumption as a puppy has been shown to shorten |
| dysplastic hip and the joint subluxates, the head of | | | | the time to first appearance and increase the |
| the femur puts excessive pressure on the edge of | | | | severity of hip disease. While overfeeding itself |
| the dorsal acetabular rim which it is not able to | | | | doesn't cause hip dysplasia, it does maximize the trait |
| handle. This leads to microfracturing of the dorsal | | | | expression in genetically susceptible dogs. The |
| acetabular rim over time. When the head of the | | | | mechanism of how this works is not known. |
| femur subluxates, it also rubs the cartilage off of the | | | | Recommendations for high risk puppies are to limit |
| head of the femur exposing the bone below the | | | | food consumption to 25% less than what is normally |
| cartilage surface. In puppies, subluxation of the hip | | | | fed for the first year of life. |