Hip dysplasia is a common orthopedic condition that affects pitbulls and other larger breed dogs. Here is a comprehensive guide on preventing, diagnosing, and managing hip dysplasia in pitbulls.
What is Hip Dysplasia?
Hip dysplasia occurs when a dog's hip joint does not develop properly, leading to looseness, arthritis, and joint deterioration over time. Some key points about hip dysplasia include:
- It is a genetic condition, commonly seen in larger breeds like pitbulls.
- Environmental factors like diet, exercise, and injury can influence its development.
- Dogs with hip dysplasia are born with normal hips, but the hip joints start becoming loose as the dog grows.
- It can occur in one or both hip joints.
- Symptoms usually start between 6 months to 1 year as the pitbull enters adulthood.
Preventing Hip Dysplasia in Pitbulls
While genetic predisposition plays a big role, there are several ways pitbull owners can help prevent or reduce the severity of hip dysplasia:
Choose Responsibly Bred Pitbulls
Reputable pitbull breeders should screen breeding dogs for hip dysplasia through:
- Hip radiographs and OFA or PennHIP certification
- Only breeding dogs with excellent or good hip scores
This helps reduce the chances of puppies inheriting bad genes that cause hip dysplasia.
Appropriate Nutrition
- Avoid overfeeding leading to rapid growth in puppies. Overweight puppies are more prone to developmental orthopedic diseases.
- Feed a high-quality diet with appropriate levels of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins to support joint health.
- Supplement with glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega fatty acids for cartilage and joint lubrication.
Moderate Exercise & Prevent Injuries
- Avoid high-impact activities like running on hard surfaces, jumping, playing roughly etc. Restrict access to stairs or furniture puppies can fall off. This prevents injuries that can trigger hip problems.
- Focus on lower impact exercise like swimming and controlled leash walking to build muscle while limiting concussion to hip joints.
Early Evaluation & Monitoring
Early screening and monitoring for signs of lameness allows for quicker intervention if hip dysplasia does develop.
- Evaluate gait starting at 6 months for any bunny-hopping, swaying, stiffness, or limping.
- Get hip radiographs done around 1 year old and submit to OFA for evaluation of hip conformation.
Signs & Symptoms of Hip Dysplasia
Some common signs of hip dysplasia in pitbulls include:
- Bunny hopping run with back legs together
- Swaying side to side or lifting legs higher when walking
- Difficulty standing up, lying down, or climbing stairs
- Stiffness, limping, or back leg lameness
- Reluctance to run, jump or play
- Popping sounds from hip joints
- Muscle loss and arthritis may occur in later stages
These usually start developing when the pitbull is between 6 months to 1 year old as the skeleton finishes growing. The earlier symptoms manifest, the more severe the hip dysplasia is likely to become.
Diagnosing Hip Dysplasia
If hip dysplasia symptoms show up, the next step is confirming the diagnosis through:
Physical Exam
The veterinarian palpates the joints and muscles for signs of looseness, instability, or pain indicative of hip dysplasia.
Hip Radiographs (X-rays)
This is the gold standard for diagnosing hip dysplasia. The hip joint shape is examined for looseness and signs of arthritis. Each hip joint is also scored based on severity.
| Hip Dysplasia Scoring System | Interpretation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| OFA Scores | Excellent, Good, Fair, Borderline, Mild, Moderate or Severe Hip Dysplasia | ||
| PennHIP DI Index | DI between 0.7–1.0 is normal. <0.7 indicates increased laxity and risk of osteoarthritis |
Other Diagnostic Tests
Advanced imaging like CT scans and MRI provides clearer evaluation of soft tissue damage in severely dysplastic hips. These are reserved for dogs undergoing surgery.
Treating & Managing Hip Dysplasia
The treatment approach depends on the age of onset and severity of symptoms:
Puppy With Early Onset
Attempting to stabilize developing hip joints with:
- Strict crate rest for 4-6 weeks to restrict activity
- Anti-inflammatory medication to control pain & inflammation
- Glucosamine/chondroitin supplements to support cartilage
- Swimming therapy once rest period is over to strengthen hip & leg muscles
If laxity and symptoms persist beyond 6 months old, surgery should be considered before arthritis sets in.
Mildly Lame Adults
Conservative management for mild hip dysplasia aims to alleviate pain and slow arthritis:
- Glucosamine, chondroitin, & polyunsaturated fatty acid (fish oil) supplementation
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain relief
- Low-impact exercises like swimming and controlled leash walking
- Maintaining lean body weight
- Physical therapy modalities like therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, massage
Severely Lame Adults
Surgery may be the only viable option for severely dysplastic hips causing disabling lameness and marked arthritis:
| Surgical Procedure | Overview |
|---|---|
Hip Replacement | Dysplastic hip socket & ball removed and replaced with prosthetic implants Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO) | Pelvic bone cut & rotated to better cover femoral head for improved joint stability Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) | Femoral head removed to eliminate bone-on-bone arthritic pain. Leaves scar tissue joint with some mobility.
Outlook for Dysplastic Dogs
The prognosis for severely dysplastic hips is relatively poor if arthritis has already set in. Mildly dysplastic dogs well managed with meds, supplements, exercises, and weight control have a better prognosis.
In summary, hip dysplasia can be a challenging condition for both dog and owner. Close monitoring, early intervention, and proactive treatment provide affected pitbulls their best chances of living active lives. Committed owners partnering with veterinarians give dysplastic dogs the greatest possibility of comfortably reaching older ages.
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