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Dog Hip Dysplasia, more commonly termed by animal experts as Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD), is a disease largely seen among large breeds of dogs. It is characterized by the following:
- Loose and unstable hip joint. A dog’s hip joint attaches to the hind leg. The joint has a ball and a socket. This ball is the head of the long bone between the hip and the knee. The socket on the other hand is found at the end of the pelvic bone. Without CHD, the ball rotates freely within the socket when the dog is in motion because the two bones are held together by a ligament that stretches from the ball into the socket. A thick band of connective tissue holds the bone together. In this scenario, there is a stable joint function. A dog with CHD though has loose hip joint because the ball and socket move apart from each other.
- Rear Limb Lameness. Since the abnormal movement between the ball and the socket in the hip joint will naturally cause pain to the dog, it will resort to minimal movements. You will see that after exercise or a walk outside, the dog becomes lame and will hardly sit up or climb the stairs. For this reason, every time the dog tries to extend the rear legs it will show a painful reaction. Eventually, the rear limb is most at rest which will make the dog cripple.
Fortunately, there are plenty of treatment options for dogs with hip dysplasia. There are many medical treatments that will be explained to you by a veterinarian. Treatments that will provide temporary relief to dogs are acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Acetaminophen (or Paracetamol) is recommended for mild to moderate CHD to relieve pain. NSAIDs such as Aspirin reduce pain when taken at low doses, while it reduces inflammation when taken at high doses.
