Hip dysplasia is a common cause of limping in dogs, so it's brought up often in discussions of bone and joint health. But what is hip dysplasia, exactly? The term is a bit confusing—obviously, the condition affects the hips, but what is dysplasia? And how will you know if your puppy has it?
The basic structure of dog hips is similar to human hips. The largest bone of the leg, the femur, forms a “ball-and-socket” joint with the pelvis.
In a normal dog hip, the ball and socket have a very snug fit. The bony parts are covered with smooth cartilage so the joint can move freely.
Hip dysplasia happens when the bones of the hip joint grow abnormally. Dysplasia causes the hip joint to be too loose. You probably won’t be able to see this looseness, but even a little abnormal joint movement causes problems. The smooth cartilage gets bumped over and over and begins to break down. This leads to pain in the hip joint.
Hip dysplasia can be mild to severe. And not all dogs with hip dysplasia have signs—in fact, depending on each pup's personality, the degree of pain may not match the severity of the dysplasia. Stoic dogs with severe abnormalities on x-rays may show no sign of pain. Other, more sensitive dogs can have mild bone abnormalities but still experience severe pain. However, most severely affected dogs will start to have pain between the ages of 6 and 18 months, while dogs with mild or moderate dysplasia won't have symptoms until later in life.
Hip dysplasia is an inherited condition that usually occurs in medium- and large-breed dogs. You can visit Orthopedic Foundation for Animals for a list of hip dysplasia statistics by breed.
So, how will you know if your puppy has hip dysplasia? Your veterinarian will need to take x-rays to know for sure, but here are some things to watch for at home:
- Less activity than normal
- Sitting or lying down more often
- Trouble when trying to lie down or get up
- Limping
- Trouble walking up stairs
If you’re concerned your puppy is showing signs of hip dysplasia, get your veterinarian involved right away. A physical exam and x-rays are the first steps to getting an accurate diagnosis.
The signs of hip dysplasia can look like signs of other diseases. Getting the right diagnosis early means your puppy will get the best treatment sooner!
