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Canine Hip Dysplasia
An often misunderstood condition, canine hip dysplasia is a common degenerative joint disease that occurs in the hip area of dogs. It is often confused as a form of arthritis, but that isn't the case. Many times, dogs that suffer from hip dysplasia will develop arthritis, but this condition is caused by the hip dysplasia and isn't the disease itself. The condition most commonly affects mid to large size dogs that grow rapidly. It generally causes limited mobility and severe pain for the animal as the
femur bone of the leg grows at a different rate than the hip bone. There are different degrees of dog hip dysplasia dependant upon the extent of the arthritic changes that occur. Their may be only slight abnormalities in some cases, while in the most severe cases, the dog will not be able to move their hindquarters at all, or worse, the femur completely dislocates itself from the hip socket. Even if it is detected early, there is no "cure" for hip dysplasia in dogs. The dog must be treated with medication to reduce the pain, and the disease may require surgery.
What causes canine hip dysplasia?
Hip dysplasia in dogs is primarily caused by genetics though it can also be a result of the dog's diet or an injury. If one or both parent animals carry the genetic trait for hip dysplasia, it will be passed on to their offspring. Therefore, the only effective measure to prevent the disease is to not allow dogs with hip dysplasia to breed. However, not all animals with dog hip dysplasia show signs of the disease until they are older and beyond their breeding years. It has also been recently discoverd that the dog's diet can be a direct cause of hip dysplasia. To reduce the risk of developing canine hip dysplasia, puppies of mid to large size dog breeds should be fed a special diet during their first year. Finally, injuries to a young pup, incurred before or after birth, can also cause the condition.
What are the clinical signs and symptoms of hip dysplasia in dogs?
A dog with hip dysplasia generally becomes less active and seems to have little energy. The animal may have difficulty rising from a sitting position, lameness in its hind legs, hops when running or walks with a noticable limp, and is reluctant to climb up stairs. However, these symptoms aren't usually evident until the dog reaches middle age. In some more extreme cases, dogs may exhibit obvious hip problems as early as 5-6 months of age, though this is rare.
Unfortunately, there are no blood or genetic tests available that will detect if a dog is a carrier of hip dysplasia. Diagnosis of the disease is performed by a veterinarian through physical examinations and x-rays. X-rays help in assessing the degree of the condition, and through comparison with x-rays taken in follow-up examinations, it can also serve as a gauge of how well the selected treatment is working.
How is dog hip dysplasia treated?
As stated previously, there is no “cure” for hip dysplasia, but there are conservative or non-surgical ways to relieve its symptoms. Treatment depends upon the pet’s clinical signs and the amount of discomfort the animal has. There are very effective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that have minimal side effects. The choice of medication is made on an case-by-case basis and a number of drugs may need to be tried before finding the most effective one. Lame-eze is a safe, all-natural treatment that has been used in clinical practice for over 20 years and has been extremely successful in most cases. In chronic to severe cases, Hip Dysplasia Pain Formula or a combination of these remedies may be required.
If conservative treatments don't help, then surgery will be required to treat the condition permanently. Surgery can be very effective as it corrects the underlying cause of the hip pain which is a malformed joint. Surgery is approached in two different ways when dealing with hip dysplasia. Prophylactic surgery is done to prevent the progression of arthritis while therapeutic surgery aims to treat hips that are already arthritic.
Can canine hip dysplasia be prevented?
The best measure of prevention is through selective breeding since hip dysplasia is a heritable condition. The onset of hip dysplasia can be delayed in many dogs with a genetic predisposition by preventing excessive weight gain during the early months and by making sure that the puppy does not place undue stress on the hips. All breeding dogs should be x-rayed at a young age to check for signs of the condition.
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