The bone structure of the hip attaches your dog's body to its hind legs by joints that rotate freely to allow your dog to walk. Two of these ball and socket joints are present in your dog, one for each leg. The two joints need to be a matched set; if one of them is abnormal, your dog may suddenly start to limp, which may be a symptom of hip dysplasia.
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Causes
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According to Pet Place, hip dysplasia seems to stem from abnormal development of the hip joint in which the head of the femur does not fit properly into the socket of the joint. The disease can be mild or severe with crippling arthritis. It seems to affect larger breeds of male dogs, typically young, growing, large-breed male dogs. It may also be a genetic disease, since certain breeds are affected more than others. Other factors in hip dysplasia may be a deficiency of protein and calcium, the type of diet that your dog is on, weight gain and rate of growth. One of the first signs of hip dysplasia in dogs is sudden limping.
Symptoms
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As stated in Pet Place and Vet Info, your dog will exhibit sudden limping, difficulty walking, swaying or staggering, reluctance to run or jump, decrease in activity and playtime, unusual gait and visible discomfort when trying to lie down or perform any usual activities. Usually both legs are affected, though it can also involve a single leg. One leg always seems much worse than the other, even when both are affected. The pain usually improves as the dog starts to move around, but may become worse again with activity. Its pain will be more prominent as it is trying to lie down or, even more so, getting up from a lying down position.
Diagnosis
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Your veterinarian will do a complete examination, watching how your dog walks and trots, a "rolling" hind leg gait, any sudden limping and lameness in the legs, and how difficult it is for the dog to get up or lie down. He will assess the range of motion in the hip joints and whether he can hear a "click" of the hip popping out of joint, as well as a grinding sound that would happen with bone-on-bone friction that would indicate cartilage loss. X-rays will be taken to determine the extent of the hip dysplasia and any associated arthritis.
Treatment
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There are several medication and surgery options available to treat hip dysplasia and sudden limping (among other symptoms). Hip Dysplasia in Dogs and the Pet Place elaborate on the types of surgery available for your dog. Triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO) is a preferred type of surgery for the younger dog with no damage to the joints. This surgery has a high success rate. However, if your dog suffers from the degenerative disease of hip dysplasia, it will need a total hip replacement. A new procedure, juvenile pubic symphysiodesis, is also known to lessen your dog's risks of developing arthritis due to this disease. This procedure involves fusing the hip bones, helping the problem joints to heal correctly and normally. In minor conditions of hip dysplasia, a medical regimen of weight loss, moderate exercise and anti-inflammatory medications can help to alleviate the pain and inflammation around the hip joint.
Prevention/Solution
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If surgery is not an option, you can make your dog comfortable by keep it at a proper weight, providing it with moderate exercise, providing a good orthopedic foam bed with plenty of warm blankets for its comfort and keeping its joints warm at all times, and adding some supplements of chondroitin and glucosamine to its food. Speak with your veterinarian and ask him to demonstrate to you a proper way to massage your dog's hips and legs. With proper at-home care and preventatives, you can help your dog through the discomforts of hip dysplasia.
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