Dog Hip DisplasiaDog Hip Displasia can be a painful situation for an animal and if this is your own pet then you need to understand the situation and prepare a plan to deal with it. Unfortunately poor breeding methods, especially within breeds, has magnified the genetic problems and unscrupulous breeders have not taken precautions.You need to understand the symptoms and ask the important questions of the breeders. Understand the possibilities of your own dog hip displasia situation. What is the Definition of Hip Dysplasia? A dog's hip joint is made up of the socket of the hip bone and the ball of the femoral bone. With hip dysplasia, a dog's hip does not develop as it should. This makes the ball not fit in the proper way in the socket. Dysplasia means an unusual growth or development of a particular body part. What Causes Hip Dysplasia? As there is no real proof for why hip dysplasia happens, typically it is thought to be brought on either by genetics or environmental influences. No-one really knows.
Also, too little or too much exercise during the time the dog is a puppy can cause this developmental issue. Most agree with the genetic theory. A smart breeder has the hips of their dogs rated through the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals), the Penn-HIP (Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program) or one of the international orthopedic organizations. We could talk about the possibilities with both of these theories, but this would not alter the facts. When your dog suffers from hip dysplasia, as the owner you must do something about it. You could have already decided what to do, and you just need to need to understand what happens. At What Age Does the Hip Dysplasia Occur? If you believe that this condition is genetic, the dogs have it at birth. Dogs that suffer with severe forms of hip dysplasia many times have the disorder when they are puppies. At times, hip dysplasia will not be painful of a dog. It will not show any outward signs of this disorder until arthritis develops in its hip joints. Some of the dogs do not have as serious of the case and can live a long life with only a few symptoms or zero symptoms. What Symptoms are Associated with Hip Dysplasia? There are various symptoms that can show up with hip dysplasia. Many owners will report that their dogs did not walk correctly. While others report no symptoms showing at any time, or that their dogs just had a limp. The list below has some of the common symptoms a dog can have with this disorder. These symptoms do not automatically determine the dog has hip dysplasia. Side Sit - This is a slouch or also called a frog or lazy sit. As the dogs sit, their legs are not close to their body or in a bent position. They are kind of loose and placed to one side, or some of the legs could be projected straight in front of the dogs. Bunny Hopping - This is the tendency of dogs using both their hind legs in unison instead of separately. This can take place when the dogs are walking up the stairs or running. Sway Walk - This is also known as a loose walk. This is when dogs are walking, and their back ends go back and forth in a swaying motion since the hips are so loose. Limping - This is where the dogs are favoring one leg over another one. Lying in an Unusual Position - This is where the dogs place their legs are off to one side and have them straight when they are lying on their stomachs. Their legs could also be positioned behind them and straight. All dogs do this sometimes, and it does not always mean the hip dysplasia is present. The Dogs Don't Jump - They have a tendency to pull up onto the furniture with their front legs and will not jump on it or you for that fact. Puppies being Quiet - Puppies that have pain from this hip dysplasia usually are well-behaved ones. They will not play rough like the way typical puppies do. These puppies have a tendency to sleep a lot after taking a walk or playing. Many owners will say that a puppy suffering from dysplasia is the best-behaved dog they have ever owned. The Hind Quarters are Underdeveloped and the Chest is Overdeveloped - These can be brought on by the dogs not using their hind legs in the usual manner such as jumping. The dogs could be shifting their weight onto the front legs. Don't let your own dog suffer the chronic pain of hip displasia: understand the symptoms and ask your own vet about possible solutions.
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Since there is this differing of opinions, it has put the dog breeders and dog owners into an argumentative situation. Each blames the other one for this health disorder. Genetic means that the dog was born with this issue. While environmental causes could include the puppy being overweight for it size, which puts stress on the joint. 
