Hip dysplasia is a common but often painful condition that affects both dogs and cats, especially larger breeds like German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Rottweilers and Collie-type breeds. It happens when the hip joint doesn’t form properly, leading to discomfort, lameness and potential long-term mobility issues. However, with early detection and proper care, you can manage the condition and keep your pet moving comfortably.
What is hip dysplasia?
Hip dysplasia (HD) is a condition where the ball of the hip joint doesn’t fit properly into the pelvic socket, causing pain and mobility issues. The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint: the ball comes from the femur and the socket is in the pelvis. When these don’t align properly, the joint becomes unstable, leading to discomfort. While humans can also be affected, the condition in pets, particularly dogs, can lead to more serious mobility issues, such as lameness and joint degeneration.
Breeds prone to hip dysplasia
Dr Harvey Saunders, a specialist in small animal surgery at Brisbane Veterinary Specialist Centre (BVSC), explains that hip dysplasia is most commonly seen in larger breed dogs. Breeds like Rottweilers, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds are most affected, but small dogs and even cats can also develop the condition. If you have one of these breeds, it’s important to keep an eye out for signs of hip dysplasia.
Signs of hip dysplasia
The earlier you spot the signs of hip dysplasia, the better. Dr Saunders says that common signs to watch out for in dogs include reluctance to stand or walk, tiring quickly after exercise, and the tell-tale “bunny hopping” motion when running.
Dogs with hip dysplasia may also exhibit a pronounced hip sway while walking. These signs can often be subtle at first, so it’s important to monitor your pet closely, especially if they belong to a breed prone to the condition.
Causes of hip dysplasia
Dr Saunders explains that genetics play a significant role in the development of hip dysplasia, but environmental factors are also at play. Issues like diet, exercise and growth rate can all contribute to the severity of the condition.
“There’s no definitive way of pinpointing which genes are responsible, but there’s definitely a genetic predisposition,” he adds. In addition, environmental factors such as rapid growth or improper weight management can worsen the condition.
How hip dysplasia is diagnosed
Treatment for hip dysplasia is more effective before arthritis has developed, which means it’s best to have your pet’s hips assessed as soon as possible, especially if they’re an at-risk breed. A vet can screen for HD as early as 12-16 weeks of age.
“The only way we can really screen for hip dysplasia is by actually examining dogs when they’re young, assessing if there’s any laxity in the hips and doing X-rays,” explains Dr Saunders. “Sometimes screening X-rays of the parents can allude to the problem but even parental dogs with no signs of hip dysplasia can still be carrying the genes that predispose to the condition.
“The reason why we recommend young dogs being assessed is because we have a less-invasive surgery available to us that we can do at an early age that can greatly reduce the manifestation of hip dysplasia in dogs with lax hip joints.
“Called a juvenile pubic symphysiodesis surgery (JPS), it’s a non-invasive surgery where we basically cauterise one of the growth plates to try and affect how the pelvis is developed as they get older. It’s potentially salvaging these patients from pretty invasive surgeries at later days that are more likely to be associated with risks and complications.
“Problem is, you have to do that surgery early.”
Dr Saunders points out that 12-16 weeks is also a time that most young dogs are receiving their last vaccination, so he recommends that if you have an at-risk breed, it’s worth having the hips assessed by your vet so the opportunity to proceed with the JPS surgery is not missed.
Can cats get hip dysplasia?
Dr Saunders says that cats can also get hip dysplasia, but it’s not as common.
“There are the occasional cats that do develop it, but it’s not something we see very frequently at all,” he says. “It very much seems to be a condition that we see primarily in dogs. It is possible cats are better at hiding the signs of dysplasia.”
Treatment and management
Dr Saunders says hip dysplasia isn’t usually very painful at the beginning but becomes more of a problem as a dog grows and the longer duration laxity remains.
“So, rather than a ball and socket that fit together really nicely, we have excess movement,” he explains. “It’s that repetitive contusion of the joint that leads to arthritis development and it’s that arthritis and loss of cartilage in the joint that leads to the manifestation of pain.
“A lot of dogs can live with hip dysplasia and not show any symptoms apart from maybe some subtle gait abnormalities. It isn’t a problem until they start losing their cartilage on their joints and hit a position where there’s bone-on-bone contact and inflammation of the joints.
“Once that arthritis manifests, that’s when we start seeing pain and discomfort and once arthritis is there, we can’t undo it.
“There’s a variety of surgeries and ways of managing hip dysplasia, but for the most part, it’s very much just managing the arthritis that’s there, or at least trying to slow its progression.”
Prevention of hip dysplasia
Prevention is possible, especially if you take a few proactive steps. The first is to buy puppies from reputable breeders who screen for hip dysplasia in their breeding dogs. This can greatly reduce the chances of the condition developing.
For large-breed dogs, it’s important to keep them at a healthy weight, to avoid straining developing joints. Exercise that is joint-friendly, such as swimming, can help keep muscles strong without putting too much stress on the hips.
