Hip Dysplasia is a term given to a collection of conditions in which the hip joints fail to properly develop resulting in malformation and subsequent arthritic changes in the joints. Hip Dysplasia is a developmental disease -- i.e. it occurs as the animal grows. Most clinical cases of hip dysplasia occur between 9 and 15 months of age although it can show up at any time. Clinical signs include lameness, reluctance to rise, reluctance to climb stairs, pain, and stiffness. Severity of signs range dramatically from very mild to extremely severe.
Since it is an anatomic problem, the only way to improve the condition is to change the anatomy. Surgical options include femoral head osteotomy (FHO), triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO), and hip replacement. FHO surgery removes the head and neck of the femur which takes away the source of the arthritis and allows a false joint of muscle and connective tissue to form. FHO's tend to work better in smaller dogs although they can be quite successful in larger dogs. Dogs with a FHO will never have a normal gait. TPO surgery consists of breaking the pelvis in three places and realigning it to provide a better hip joint. This surgery is limited in success to younger dogs. When it works, it provides excellent results in minimizing or preventing further arthritic changes. In the total hip replacement surgery the head of the femur and the acetabulum (the part of the hip joint on the pelvis) are replaced with metal and teflon to make a better joint. When successful, the total hip replacement gives excellent results. It is very expensive, however, and does occasionally prove unsuccessful in that the anatomy is too malformed to maintain even the artificial joint.
Prevention of the condition itself lies with breeders. All breeding dogs, male and female, should have their hips radiographed and analyzed by a specialist for signs of hip dysplasia. Some very dysplastic dogs can have little or no clinical signs hence the imperative need for radiographs to determine presence of the dysplasia. For those dogs prone to hip dysplasia, nutritional (moderate growth with balanced calcium and phosphorus) and management (non-slick floors, regular exercise) factors can limit expression of the disease. Dogs with hip dysplasia should be spayed or neutered, kept slim and fit, given pain relief as needed, and surgical therapies considered.
For more information, please contact your veterinarian or email me..