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Are all dogs candidate for hip dysplasia?

Canine hip dysplasia

Canine hip dysplasia is a common but crippling disease that may happen to the man’s best friend.  It is a common disease that may affect dogs of any large breed.  There may however be breeds that may develop hip dysplasia but can outgrow such condition.  They may not even show symptoms because they are able to manage the problem.

This does not necessarily mean that all canine are candidates to hip dysplasia.  The breeds that are susceptible to hip dysplasia are the following dog breeds:

  • Labradors
  • Golden Retrievers
  • Bloodhounds
  • St. Bernards
  • Boxers
  • Rottweilers
  • Siberian Huskies
  • Dobermans

Almost all large breeds of dog are susceptible to canine hip dysplasia.  However, even smaller dogs especially those that are too much exercised may be candidates to hip dysplasia.

As mentioned above there are some who may have hip dysplasia but may outgrow said condition and thus they may not suffer from this painful experience.

On other hand, parent dogs that may not have experienced hip dysplasia may grow a puppy that may the disease.  Too much exercise and food intake may likely increase the risk of developing dog hip dysplasia.

[caption id="attachment_1310" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Canine hip dysplasia susceptible Boxer dog breed"]canine hip dysplasia boxer dog breed[/caption]

Another reason for the development of hip dysplasia may be sudden and excessive growth or nutritious excesses.

What are the symptoms of hip dysplasia?

  • Changes in behavior may be linked to a condition including hip dysplasia
  • Difficulty in moving up from lying or sitting down.
  • For small dogs that may have developed hip dysplasia, shows symptoms by yowling or grumbling when handled.
  • Stiffness and lack of motivation to move
  • Increased sensitivity to touch
  • Increased sensitivity to touch
  • Playing or exercising may be difficult
  • Slowness in movement
  • Difficulty in climbing stairs
  • Whining or making noises for no apparent reason
  • Hiding and disappearing in sight
  • Painful or violent reaction to extension of rear legs.

Diagnosis for Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is difficult to assess.  Your veterinarian may recommend radiograph to young dogs of 6 months to assess if the dog is a candidate to hip dysplasia.

If the dog shows signs and symptom while already on their adulthood, clinical examinations, canine screening and imaging may be necessary.

Neurological and orthopedic tests may likewise be conducted to assess the condition properly.

Treatment for hip dysplasia

Short term treatment for canine hip dysplasia includes taking medications such as Analgesics and anti-inflammatory medications such as NSAIDs and Cortisones.

Surgery is a last resort, and it is dependent on the age of the dog and the severity of his condition.  The financial condition of the owner may likewise be a consideration because the surgery can be costly.

Exercise restrictions and weight management may likewise help alleviate the pain that your dog is experiencing.

Canine hip dysplasia may happen to any dog but this does not necessary mean that all dogs and breeds are candidates to this problem.

If you are careful about your dog, you may avoid medical condition including hip dysplasia.  Take care of your best friend and he will be with you for a long time.

Photo source:boxerdogz.blogspot.com


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2 Comments »

  • Casey said:

    Two things your readers may find interesting about hip dysplasia: The carting folks report an improvement in dogs used for carting. (Of course you wouldn’t just throw a severely dysplastic dog into harness and expect a miracle!) The other thing is stem cell treatment. This is a cutting edge technology and still in it’s infancy (and of course very expensive) but the initial reports are looking very promising. Google the relevant keywords to find more info on these topics. :)

  • The Main Dog said:

    Casey,
    I bet stem cell treatment may prove to be very effective, however I can not image many dog owners being able to afford it.

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