Hip dysplasia is one of the most common skeletal diseases found in dogs in general and poodles in particular; and one of the most painful and debilitating diseases. Hip dysplasia is a degeneration and/0r malformation of the hip joint, in which the ball of the femur, or thigh bone, doesn’t fit properly in the socket in the poodle’s pelvis. As a result there are abnormal forces on the bone structure, creating very small cracks in the cartilage.

Cause of Hip Dysplasia

The cause of hip dysplasia in dogs isn’t fully understood. It has been believed that the root cause is genetic and is an inherited trait, but new research conclusively suggests that animal’s environment also plays a significant role. To what degree the causality is genetic and an inherited trait and what portion is environmental is a hot topic of debate. Environmental influences would include being overweight, injury to the dog at a young age or overexertion at a young age on hip joint, ligament tear at a young age and/or a repetitive motion injury on the forming joint.

The incidence of hip dysplasia varies between the different breeds and interestingly it does also occur occasionally in small dogs, but they don’t seem to show the same symptoms. Apart from genetics, it appears that overfeeding with the rapid weight gain is a major contributing factor to the development of the disease in poodles. Not surprisingly research has shown that restricting the dog’s food consumption as they grow may reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia.

In dogs, the problem most often appears before the dog is 18 months old. The disease, which can eventually cause severe osteoarthritis, can manifest is range from mild to severely crippling.

Symptoms and Diagnosis Hip Dysplasia

Symptoms of hip dysplasia can appear in dogs as young as 4 months of age up through their 18th month in general.

One of the most characteristic symptoms of hip dysplasia is that your poodle will “bunny hop” on their back legs, and may show signs of a “swaying gait.” They have a hard time getting up and are reluctant to walk up stairs. They avoid exercise, especially in the form of running and they’re usually sore in the back legs.

Your Vet will make an initial diagnosis of hip dysplasia looking at the range of motion in the dog’s hip joint.

The diagnosis of hip dysplasia will be confirmed by your veterinarian using x rays. The poodle is given a general anesthetic so the Vet can manipulate the sore hip(s). The dog is laid on his back and the hind legs are stretched to fully extend the hip(s). In the early stages of hip dysplasia, you can see the abnormal shape of the femur head as well as the hip socket.

Treatment of Hip Dysplasia

The most important first step in preventing hip dysplasia in any poodle, and in fact reducing the incidence of the degenerative disease in any breed, is whenever possible, the careful selection of the parents. You also should look at the parents’ “family history” that is check their pedigree, to discover if there are cases of hip dysplasia in their parents or litter mates. The pedigree gives the dogs a “hip score” in which a lower number indicating better hips.

There are many variables even when you take all this information into account. For example, the stud and the dam have excellent hips, but they have pups with high hip scores, so their pups may still end up with hip dysplasia.

The good news is that dog breeders are becoming more aware and responsible when it comes to evaluating their breeding stock for such heritable conditions. In the case of rescue adoption, an option that is preferred when possible, the genetic die is cast (in the case of senior dogs you will leady know) and you will need to be extra vigilant with the environmental factors.

It’s stressful when your poodle receives a diagnosis of hip dysplasia. It usually means they will need treatment off an on for the rest of their life, or in the worst case scenario, surgery to keep them free of pain. However, with the help of your veterinarian, they can live a happy, long and pain free life!