Hip dysplasia is a congenital defect that occurs among dogs. This painful condition occurs when the hip bone, also called the femoral head, doesn’t fit properly inside the hip socket. Hip dysplasia is also associated with abnormal muscles, connective tissue and ligaments that do not properly fit the joint. According to the Doctors Foster and Smith website, dogs of all ages are subject to hip dysplasia. In fact, puppies with severe cases can begin to show symptoms when they are as young as five months old. Dogs with hip dysplasia are often placed on pain medications and joint supplements and can usually undergo surgery to fix the hip. The sooner you treat hip dysplasia, the better the chances are for recovery, which is why it is helpful to know the signs of this devastating condition in puppies.
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Pain
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According to Doctors Foster and Smith, puppies as young as five months of age can show signs of pain during and after exercise as a result of hip dysplasia. The pain can progressively get worse over the course of their lives until normal daily movement is painful. If these puppies are not treated, many will be unable to walk later in life. Puppies will usually limp or avoid putting any weight on the affected leg when in pain. In addition, they may become stiff in the rear legs after they exercise or wake up.
Abnormal Gait
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Puppies with hip dysplasia will often have an abnormal gait, or walk. According to Dr. Nicholas Trout of the Pet Place website, the puppy may look like it is hopping or that its hips are rolling up and down when it walks. In addition, the puppy may have trouble walking up and down stairs or show reluctance to exercise too much, all of which are abnormal for puppies.
Abnormal Radiographs
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Owners of puppies that have parents with hip dysplasia often have radiographs, or x-rays, taken of their pup’s hips to check for signs of the disease. This is wise, states the Healthy Pet website, because some puppies will not show the symptoms until the disease gets progressively worse. If you are able to treat the dysplasia early, you can prevent your puppy from experiencing serious pain later on.
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