Hip Dysplasia in Dogs
I was asked about hip problems in German Shepherd Dogs, and how to treat it. This is not a condition I'm overly familiar with, as it is uncommon in Greyhounds as whole. So I did some Googling research and prepared this article based mainly on that research, and partly on my own experience. The full article can be viewed at this page.
Hip dysplasia is a condition in dogs in which the hip joint does not fit tightly.
The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. The socket is the pelvis and the ball is on the top of the femur, or upper leg bone. The socket and ball should fit together very tightly. In dogs with hip dysplasia the bones don't fit tightly. This allows this ball to move around more than it is supposed to, causing undue wearing of the cartilage in the joint, leading to arthritis in
hip dysplasia patients.
Hip dysplasia can occur in any breed of dog, but it's most common in the large to very large fast growing breeds. German Shepherds, Rottwielers and Labrador Retrievers seem to be genetically predisposed to hip dysplasia. Being a genetic disease, hip dysplasia is passed down
through the bloodlines in affected canine families.
Hip dysplasia may not show signs of occurring until 5 to 6 years of age, but in severe cases it can show up in 2 year old pups. Your vet will use a radiography to verify the disease. Early signs are wobbly gait and pain in the hind legs. Radiographs (X rays) will show early stages of hip
dysplasia as young as 5 months.
Conservative treatment includes altering the diet and weight reduction, while more radical treatment involves operating and replacing the hip joint.
The greyhound breed is virtually free of genetic bone disorders, primarily because unsound animals don't win races, and so they seldom enter the gene pool. This is not the case with the show greyhounds, which are developing into a niche breed within the greyhound breed. It is my opinion that the show breed of greyhounds will begin to display signs of hip dysplasia in time, due to them not selecting breeding pairs based on racetrack soundness. Show greyhounds also appear to stand on the ground behind their hips when looked at in profile. This is quite exagerated, and must place more strain on the hip joint in my opinion.
To read the full article and other articles on dogs in general, and greyhounds in particular, this page.
posted by Russell Savige @ 10:42 AM
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