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Ortocanis

Hip dysplasia in dogs – lameness

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Do large breed dogs slouch?

Are the alterations in the movement of the hindquarters in our dogs due to hip dysplasia?

On many occasions consultations are made for movement disorders or difficulties, claudication, limping of the hindquarters, either in puppies or in adult dogs. It is important to understand that NOT all claudication responds to the same pathology and of course to the same treatment. It is very common to hear that older dogs “loosen”.

The term hip displasia popularly refers to hip dysplasia and if we refer to elderly animals, in most cases it is not the hip that is responsible for this problem, but rather conditions of the dorsal or lumbar spine, showing great displacement difficulties and even paresis of the posterior train. Spine problems can appear in dogs from 7 or 8 years of age, mainly in large breeds with or without dysplasia. The clinical manifestations of hip problems are more frequent in young dogs, but it must also be taken into account that a large percentage of animals are asymptomatic.

What happens in older dogs?

As our dogs get older, the first signs of aging appear: decreased activity and some lameness in the hindquarters.

If they were dogs that showed no gait problems when they were young, owners are surprised by the change in activity and it is common to think that hip dysplasia has knocked on the door. However, in many cases the spinal column of these dogs has suffered from the action of pressure and traction on the intervertebral discs, causing a fibrous hardening of the capsules (with which the cartilaginous discs support or cushion less blows and traction) and in many Opportunities the nuclei of these intervertebral discs move, squeezing the spinal cord (herniated disc) compressing the nerve roots and causing pain and neurological dysfunction.

This disease is known as spondyloarthrosis or degenerative stenosis in the lumbosacral region or in the thoracolumbar region of the spine.

The symptoms vary according to the location of the lesions, but on many occasions they are similar to hip dysplasia: pain in the hind limbs, claudication and difficulty standing up, staggering and less activity. Spondyloarthrosis can progress to paralysis of the hindquarters. Many animals have one or more affected vertebrae in a subclinical state (without symptoms) or show slight clinical signs.

In the case of spondyloarthrosis, the treatments must be very energetic.

Anti- inflammatories , neurotrophic vitamins, chondroprotective cartilage regenerators, analgesics, muscle relaxants, as well as rehabilitation therapies in more serious cases are used together. Consult your veterinarian in these cases since it is very important to make a good diagnosis, differentiate the different pathologies to implement the appropriate treatment.

What happens in puppies and hip dysplasia?

If we think specifically about puppies, not all of them show symptoms having hip dysplasia. The diagnosis can be made from 6 months of age through an X-ray taken with the animal under anesthesia, which allows a perfect position and distension of the ligaments of the coxofemoral joint.

Other lesions in the lumbar spine (cauda equina) may appear here, producing pain and lameness that may coexist with hip dysplasia or with totally healthy hips, making differential and specific diagnosis essential.

These concepts have the sole objective of giving a general idea of some of the pathologies that can affect our dogs, so as not to be left with the concept that the “hip is the mother of all evils”.

Specifically in “old” dogs and puppies, we can monitor and prevent joint problems. Oral and injectable chondroprotectors are used for this, which inhibit the processes of cartilage-degrading enzymes, are natural anti-inflammatories, nourish cartilage cells and stimulate cartilage regeneration.

It is also advisable that as our dogs approach 10 years, they are well fed but thin. Obesity or overweight is an ingredient against longevity. Moderate exercise will keep our animals active and with a good temperament.

Dr. Ana María Robles – Veterinary Doctor – MP 2626

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Ortocanis

Solutions to hip dysplasia in dogs. PennHIP Method

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Hip dysplasia is one of the most common mobility difficulties in dogs, especially large ones. At Ortocanis, we work every day to expand and improve our range of products for these types of problems, and we believe that any additional information is good. Here we leave you another interesting article.

At the University of León, a radiographic method has been developed for the early diagnosis of this disease with great emotional repercussions for owners.

Hip dysplasia is a very common disease in large and giant breeds of dogs, which consists of defective development of this joint.

In it, the two bones that form the joint, femur and pelvis, do not adapt correctly due to different biomechanical imbalances produced during the growth of the animal. It is a hereditary disease, so the main solution to eradicate it is to avoid breeding these animals, although it is also important to control factors such as nutrition, weight or overexertion of the puppy during its growth as well as consanguinity in selective breeding.

The symptoms presented by the animals vary according to the severity of the dysplasia, from a slight lameness to the total inability of the animal to lead a normal life.

The diagnosis of this disease is not easy, since there is no method that allows it to be determined in all cases. The method accepted in Spain for certificate purposes is radiographic, although it has the disadvantage that it must be carried out when growth has finished, that is, after twelve months for most breeds.

Early diagnosis can prevent transmission

In the Doctoral Thesis of Beatriz Melo Alonso, defended at the University of León and directed by doctors José Manuel Gonzalo Orden and Mario Manuel Dinis, hip dysplasia has been investigated in one of our native breeds: the Burgos Pointer.
The result of this research has been worrying, since 59.3% of the animals studied suffer from hip dysplasia in its different degrees, with 18.6% severe dysplasia. This high percentage should alert the Burgos Perdiguero associations to try to eradicate it.

Early diagnostic

The drawback is that the aforementioned diagnostic technique is very late, and therefore, has a great emotional impact on owners.
For this reason, another part of the research has consisted of perfecting, for this breed, a new diagnostic technique developed in the United States called the PennHIP or distraction method, which consists of taking a specific X-ray and taking a measurement on it called the index of distraction.

This study has concluded that with the PennHIP method this disease can be predicted from four months of age, and throughout the animal’s growth, with the same reliability, in the Pointer, and it has even been possible to enunciate a formula with the which will know the degree of hip dysplasia that he will have in the future from the distraction index that he presents at four months. This system could reduce this disease, which has so much repercussion, both on the animal itself and on the owners.

Source: University of León

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Ortocanis

Hip dysplasia in dogs

Probably one of the most common diseases in large dogs, here they explain what it is.

Hip Dysplasia is the most common osteoarticular disease in dogs. a typical disease of dogs of large and medium breeds, less frequent in small breeds.

It presents with a poor congruence of the acetabular cavity (hip) with the femoral heads that may appear dislocated or sub-dislocated, that is, out of their natural place. The head of the femur, not having a good coating, “dances” and this produces stress, inflames and weakens the joint and the periarticular tissues.

It is very common for degenerative changes of osteoarthritis to appear. Osteoarthrosis that appears due to dysplasia will cause problems of inflammation, pain, which in turn will cause the dog to carry more weight on the hands, less on the hindquarters and therefore use less hindquarters and a clear muscle atrophy appears in the posterior third that will aggravate the symptoms.

The symptoms vary a little depending on the breed and especially the age of the dog, we must think that for the diagnosis a distraction X-ray is performed, that is to say with the dog lying up and symmetrical traction on the hind limbs, normally with the dog anesthetized or heavily sedated, but the symptoms do not always correlate with the x-ray result.

Sometimes we see dogs with a lot of dysplasia and that have little or no pain and also the opposite case, a lot of pain with a result in the radiological examination that is not so bad. The pain depends more on the inflammation of the joint (synovitis) among other factors than on the dysplasia itself.

From 5 or 6 months, the warning signs begin, the dog stands badly (puts one leg out), has difficulty standing, does not bear weight on the hindquarters, may have signs of pain after exercise , slipping, falling, sudden mood changes, becoming more aggressive, avoiding the presence of the owner when petting him and presenting the typical gait of the dog with dysplasia, which is rocking the back and running like a rabbit. Sometimes at the end of growth the symptoms disappear or are greatly minimized, the only clear sign remaining is a rocking gait.

Hip dysplasia has clear indices of heritability, although dogs are often carriers but do not develop hip dysplasia, not all environmental factors such as rapid development and nutrition are clear, as well as genetics or their mechanisms of action and we can see offspring with hip dysplasia from normal parents and even vice versa, although it is not very ethical to raise sick parents.

Excess weight, a non-varied diet where dogs can choose are factors that have been shown to increase the chances of suffering from the disease. The most critical period for the development of this disease is between 3 and 8 months, reducing caloric intake and regular exercise without much impact could be an interesting decision to avoid hip dysplasia in this phase. colchon para perros, artrosis, displasia cadera perros, perro anciano

In older dogs, the problems are determined as a result of the osteoarthritis that they present, the most typical symptoms are difficulty getting up, swaying gait from the hips, we observe that it carries much more weight in front and that it walks with the help of the forelimbs (rowing more than propelling), they have a lot of difficulty getting on their hind legs, climbing stairs, getting into the car or getting on the sofa. In the image we can see the typical position that a dog with hip osteoarthritis adopts, with its legs open to increase the base of support and its head forward to load more weight on the front part, you can also see the muscular atrophy that exists in the later ones.

Sometimes they present a limp that disappears after walking for a short period of time, which is suffered more in the morning when getting up, especially if they have not rested correctly or on a suitable mattress, the limbs are usually flexed while they walk, their steps they are short since the extension of the hips hurts and they present a very important development of the muscular mass of the hindquarters (atrophy). The times of the walks are reduced a lot, the dog sits or lies down and does not want to go for a walk or for a long time during the walk.
Although there are various classifications, the International Canine Federation is based on this classification:

  • No sign of dysplasia.
  • Almost normal hip joints.
  • Mild dysplasia.
  • Moderate or medium.
  • Serious.

Although there are surgical methods: excision of the pectineus muscle, triple hip osteotomy, arthroplasty of the femoral head, forage, hip prosthesis… in the end, the treatment is purely palliative, it includes pharmacology: anti-inflammatories and cartilage protectors, weight reduction, exercise moderate and above all regular, physiotherapy can help a lot to better develop the muscles without pain to remove tensions and eliminate compensations that the dog has made, improvements in the environment: sleep on a good mattress for example the mattress for older dogs , not being cold or exposed to high humidity, and all the adjuvant treatments such as acupuncture, massages, reiki, bach flowers…

We can help our dog with hip dysplasia in many ways: regular physical exercisecolchón para perros, displasia, artrosis can help us a lot to improve muscle mass that can make us better withstand poor joint congruence, physiotherapy and massages allow the dog to always have a correct muscular state, cartilage protectors delay the onset of osteoarthritis, anti-inflammatories prevent or reduce pain, we can protect the dog from the cold with thermal blankets and if the dog has trouble getting up, help it with a rear harness , it is important that the dog feels comfortable and that we encourage it to move and exercise.

Orthocanis Team

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