The Signs of Canine Hip Dysplacia

• Difficulty getting up from a lying or sitting position or in climbing stairs.
• Moving both rear legs together while walking
• A painful reaction to extension of the rear legs
• Dropping of pelvis after pushing on rump
• A stilted gait or pelvic swing while walking
• An aversion to touch
• A change in behaviour
• Whining
• Reluctance to walk, climb stairs, jump, or play
• Lameness after strenuous exercise
• Hunching of back to avoid extending the hips when standing

It is very important to understand that the only way to accurately diagnose CHD is through x-rays. The above symptoms may also be seen in dogs with normal hips and affected dogs may display none of these symptoms at all. Literally, hip Dysplacia means "badly formed hip".

In order to understand this complex problem it is first necessary to understand the anatomy of the canine hip. This ball and socket joint consists of two basic parts - the acceptable and the femur.

The femur, or thigh bone, consists of the head (the ball) and the neck (the part of the femur that joins the long shaft of the bone to the head). The acceptable forms the socket part of the joint and it is into this socket that the head of the femur rests.

In unaffected dogs there is a good fit between ball and socket. However, if ligaments fail to hold the round knob at the head of the thighbone in place in the hip socket the result is a loose, unstable joint, in which the ball of the femur slides free of the hip socket. Swelling, fraying and rupture of the round ligament follows. This laxity causes excessive wear on the cartilage in the hip joint, eventually resulting in arthritis.

We got our dog Monty from Bellmead Kennels in Old Windsor. It is the country home of the famous Battersea dogs home in London. It was love at first sight. He was boisterous, didn't like being in a kennel and had already been there for 6 months. He is a German Shepherd (GSD) X  Collie. What a combination obsessive behaviour along with a strong bonding influence!

His history to date was 4 homes and he was only 18 months old. The information given to us about Monty was brief, he didn't like being left alone, he was destructive, not good with young children and the most bizarre trait was an aversion to birds. Great we will take him. I will go through his training on another day. But needless to say we had our work cut out.

It was about at the age of 3-4 that we first noticed he would sometimes appear to have stiff rear legs and did little bunny hops after a bout of exercise. We were not too concerned as it didn't worry him and it wasn't every time we walked him. After about 3 months I had just returned from quite an active walk, remember the aversion to birds well he was off chasing one in the sky for sometime before he came back to me!  We had just got back to our front garden and Monty collapsed on the floor with his rear legs going into spasms, it was very frightening for both of us. He couldn't get up, I couldn't lift him on my own, he was a dead weight. Then as quickly as it started it stopped he got up and we went indoors and rung the Vet.

After a very intense examination of stretching his rear legs out behind him, feeling all around his back and hips our Vet thought it might be Hip Dysplacia but an x-ray would let us know for certain. We were sent away with a Rymadel to relieve the inflamation and for pain relief.

We went back a week later for the x-rays which were conclusive he had a very progressive Hip Dysplacia, quite severe one side of his hip and only being slightly better on the other side. Options were a hip replacement, but bearing in mind one hip would have to support the other whilst he convalesced, it didn't look an option to take at this time.  The other option was drugs. On the advice of our Vet we took the drug route.  He was put on Rymadel which is an anti- inflammatory and pain killer, along with Cosequin which is for Arthritis.  His doses vary depending on the weather and the amount of exercise he has, but it has given him a complete new lease of life. He is now 11rs old and shows no signs yet of needing the operation, he has been x-rayed several times since and although his hips have deteriorated, it has not got to the point where the operation is necessary.

We have to keep an eye on his weight and watch for any signs of pain. He has regular blood tests to determine the dosage of Rymadel, any sign of any damage to his kidneys or liver and the treatment will have to change. But to date he has responded well to his routine of chewable tablets in his breakfast and dinner

We are lucky, Monty is our 3rd rescued dog from Bellmead (Battersea Dogs Home in Old Windsor,) although you don't know what you are taking on you never regret giving them a home.

We always Insure our pets, we might never make a claim on some of them, but Monty's drugs cost us £80 - £100 every 6 -8 weeks, which of course our UK pet insurance covers fully. If you are in the USA and need a recommendation for your pet Dog Insurance try QuickCare Pet Insurance.  The drugs might not suit every case of Dysplacia but they have worked wonders for ours.

The value of regular health checks for you dog means that your Vet can pick up any early signs of future problems and treat them before they take hold. Your vet might also recommend a course of Hydrotherapy, this can help build up their strength if they need an operation.

Treatment of Hip Dysplacia for large dogs