Hip Dysplasia - What You Can Do to Prevent Or Treat It

Any size dog can develop hip dysplasia. It was often thought that only the larger breed of dogs are susceptible to hip dysplasia, but that's not true. Large breeds are more prone to getting hip dysplasia, but many of the small breeds can also be affected.

Breeds susceptible to hip dysplasia

Listed below are just some of the breeds that are more susceptible to hip dysplasia.

Dalmatians
Golden Retrievers
Labrador Retrievers
Doberman Pinchers
Pembroke Welsh Corgis
Standard Poodles
German Shepherds
Siberian Huskies
Pugs
Beagles

Some of the signs of hip dysplasia

Difficulty getting up when lying down
Decrease in their activity
Not wanting to climb stairs
Not wanting to jump up
Limping or starting to drag a rear leg
Swaggering gait - loss of rear balance
"Bunny hopping"
Pain from manipulating of the joint

Slowing down the process and/or trying to prevent hip dysplasia

Veterinarians have treated hip dysplasia with drugs and even surgery. If you have a breed that is susceptible to hip dysplasia, there are several things you can do to try to prevent it, or at least slow down the process.

1. While she is still a pup, feed the fast growing puppy well, but don't over do it. A leaner pup is better because she doesn't have to carry around the extra weight that puts stress and strain on her hips.
2. A low-mineral diet would be the better choice for young dogs that are at risk for hip dysplasia. This is because it contains less calcium and in most cases, has a better balance of electrolytes than usual. There are several diets available by prescription, just ask your Veterinarian.
3. Do not give calcium supplements. Yes, pups do need calcium, but not calcium supplements. Puppy foods already contain lots of calcium. Calcium supplements can actually interfere with the normal development of cartilage and bones in large dogs.
4. Exercise is good as long as it's not over-done. Swimming is a great way to exercise your dog because it helps reduce the wear and tear on the joints. Take the dog for a long walk as part of her daily exercise.

Showing signs of hip dysplasia

If your dog has already developed signs of hip dysplasia, there are still some things you can do to help relieve the pain.

1. Again, keep the weight down and keep her moving. Once or twice a day let her outside with you while you do yard work, or take her on a walk around the block for 10-20 minutes. Rest is important too; as it can help the hips feel better if she is hurting too much that day.
2. Ask your Veterinarian to recommend some over-the-counter drugs that would be good for her pain. When or if the pain worsens, she will probably have to be put on stronger prescription drugs.
3. Make sure she has a warm, dry place to sleep. Place extra rugs or blankets for her to sleep on. My old guy sleeps on the bed or on the extra blankets I've placed on the floor at the foot of the bed.
4. Give your older dog a gentle massage around the hip joints to help ease the stiff and sore joints.

To help you make the right decision

A while back I read an article about hip dysplasia that said if you are looking for a puppy, you should check out what breed of dogs are more acceptable to hip dysplasia before making your decision, and check to make sure the pups comes from a "family" with no history of hip dysplasia for at least 3 generations back.

Although that is good advice, there are no guarantees. If one of the parents had hip dysplasia in the past, she may have had puppies that were free from hip dysplasia, but these pups could be "carriers" of this disease and may show up in their offspring in later generations - but in my opinion, breeding 2 dogs together with good hips is the most logical and ethical thing to do. Through selective breeding, we can greatly reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia.