Hip dysplasia in dogs: How to help your four-legged friend
Hip joint dysplasia or simply hip dysplasia or HD is especially an issue for →large dog breeds like the German Shepherd. Noticeable mobility restrictions and severe pain, which can even lead to immobility, are just a fraction of what dogs with such a joint disease can expect. Learn here how to recognize hip dysplasia, how veterinarians treat it, and how you can support your dog.
Cause: How does hip dysplasia develop in dogs and what is it?
In almost all cases, dogs are already born with hip dysplasia if it is genetically predisposed, and it is only very rarely "acquired" through poor posture. A malformation in the hip joints means that the hip does not develop properly, is deformed, and therefore cannot allow for normal movement patterns.
Where in healthy dogs the femoral head sits in the hip socket and glides there during movement, in HD, this head regularly slips out of the socket. The reason: Due to the malformation, both joint parts do not anatomically fit together. As a result, the cartilage is also affected, which wears down quickly and severely due to friction and further diseases, such as →osteoarthritis with joint wear can be triggered, for example.
With hip dysplasia, the femoral head regularly slips out of the socket in the hip joint. This leads to severe pain, swelling, and inflammation.
Symptoms: How can you recognize hip dysplasia in dogs?
How does hip dysplasia actually show itself? Hip dysplasia causes pain in dogs, which often initially manifests as refusal to move. It is important to listen to your four-legged friend and consult your trusted veterinary practice if you notice the following signs:
Strongly swaying gait: What may look like a practiced hip swing that could make some belly dancers jealous is actually a serious symptom. In technical terms, this swing is also called the LSÜ twist.
Joint cracking
Tension
Sensitivity to pain, when the back or hip area is touched
Warm hip joints
Avoidance of running, climbing stairs, jumping
Sitting down, even in the middle of a walk
Lying down and getting up is difficult
Pain that is made clear by howling or whining
Hopping: Your dog can no longer alternate his legs when walking quickly and hops with both hind legs at the same time
Muscle loss
Does my dog have hip dysplasia?
If you notice several symptoms in your dog, there is a possibility that your dog is suffering from hip joint dysplasia. However, only a precise diagnosis can be made by your veterinarian, since the disease literally lies beneath the skin and a comprehensive diagnosis is necessary.
Diagnosis of hip dysplasia
Once at the veterinary practice, your dog will first be thoroughly examined. First, veterinarians will palpate the body and stretch the hip joint using special methods. This allows them to see if this causes pain for your dog and whether the joints are still flexible. Using the Ortolani test, the professional deliberately manipulates the joint so that the head of the joint briefly pops out of the socket.
Veterinarians know exactly how hip dysplasia manifests and can often assess at first or second glance whether HD is present.
Due to the distinctive gait, that dogs show with this disease, a trained eye can often tell just by observing whether there is a hip joint dysplasia. The suspicion can then be confirmed by an X-ray examination. The faulty development of the hip joint then becomes clearly visible.
How is hip dysplasia in dogs treated?
Conservative methods
Surgery is not always immediately necessary. Although, according to current knowledge, hip dysplasia—just like osteoarthritis—can not be completely cured, there are still some options to help your dog regain their usual quality of life.
If the HD is not too advanced, the veterinarian will prescribe your dog physiotherapy. The goal is to maintain and build up muscle and mobility. Painkillers and anti-inflammatories relieve the pain and make it easier for your dog to walk. Using bandages or casts the head of the joint can be fixed in the socket. The bandage then stays on for a while to prevent it from popping out and to strengthen the muscles accordingly.
A healthy diet is essential
The next step is usually to change your dog's diet. A →healthy diet should be your top priority, as it has a significant impact on your dog's health. You can support your four-legged friend with important minerals for joint and cartilage health.
With our →Pets Deli Wet Food VET Joint Fit we are by your side even in tough times. Fresh salmon is rich in valuable omega-3 fatty acids, such as EPA, which can support both joint health and brain function in your dog. The New Zealand green-lipped mussel, which is important for joint diseases, green-lipped mussel contains the glycosaminoglycans chondroitin and glucosamine, which can support the cartilage metabolism and cartilage health.
Supporting you during treatment: Pets Deli VET
You can also support your dog with a suitable oil, such as our →Omega Joint Oil or →special joint tabs. Supporting joints with oil and tabs—how does that work? Essential active ingredients such as New Zealand green-lipped mussel, fish oil, MSM, and hyaluronic acid have been proven to promote joint metabolism.
When is hip dysplasia surgery needed for dogs and how much does it cost?
If the hip dysplasia is advanced and the genetic predisposition is so strong, that your dog is constantly in pain and conservative methods do not achieve the desired result, then surgery is the best solution for your dog. The aim of surgery is to keep the constantly dislocating joint head in the socket again and ensure that it stays there.
The range of surgeries is diverse. Which one the veterinarian performs depends on the age, size, and weight of your dog as well as the extent of the disease. Options include:
Artificial hip joint (THR)
Gold implant
Denervation
Femur realignment
Triple pelvic osteotomy
Sometimes hip dysplasia is so advanced that surgery is required to replace the hip joint or to fix the femoral head in the socket.
The cost of surgery depends on the required method. The most expensive is the artificial hip joint. Including anesthesia, overnight stay, and aftercare, this method exceeds the €5,000 mark. Methods such as the triple pelvic osteotomy cost about €1,200–1,500 per hip side each. The range varies greatly. If you want to avoid having to pay such amounts, we recommend getting a dog health insurance —especially for →predisposed, large dog breeds such as German Shepherd, Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, and Golden Retriever.
What is the life expectancy with hip dysplasia and how old do dogs get with it?
Are you afraid your dog might have HD and wonder what that means for your future together? The disease itself is not responsible for shortening your dog's life. However, if HD is not treated properly and your dog is not well managed with medication, he will also experience wear and tear and pain in old age as a result. So it's more about maintaining quality of life through the best possible treatment in the long term.
What helps my dog with hip dysplasia?
There is also a lot you can do yourself to help your dog. This includes not allowing him to jump. Also, movements like climbing stairs should ideally be off-limits for your dog. What's important here are targeted movements like during normal walks and during physiotherapy. Anything that puts strain and overloads the joints can worsen the symptoms.
Moist wraps and wrapped cool packs can soothe and reduce swelling in painful areas if your dog's hip is causing problems.
It's also important that your dog does not suffer from →overweight. To relieve the joints, adjusting the food and →feeding recommendations is essential so your dog does not consume too much energy that cannot be used due to limited mobility. If he is carrying a bit too much weight, you should →take measures to help him lose weight in consultation with your veterinarian.
Additionally, prevention is better than aftercare: If you →adopt a puppy, make sure to find out →where you are getting it from. Hobby breeders without a license and papers should be avoided, even if there are puppies at the farm next door. Undetected hereditary diseases are passed on and sometimes only become apparent after years. Reputable breeders on the other hand, must have the parent animals checked for HD and are only allowed to breed if they are completely healthy.
