{"id":227,"date":"2019-02-25T09:35:06","date_gmt":"2019-02-25T09:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelabradorsite.com\/?p=227"},"modified":"2021-09-13T13:09:56","modified_gmt":"2021-09-13T12:09:56","slug":"hip-dysplasiaimproving-the-odds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelabradorsite.com\/hip-dysplasiaimproving-the-odds\/","title":{"rendered":"Hip Dysplasia in Dogs: Improving The Odds for Your Puppy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hip dysplasia in dogs can be painful and disabling. We look at how to improve the odds that your puppy will have healthy hips. Many different breeds are affected by hip dysplasia. It occurs more often in medium and large dogs like Labrador Retrievers than in smaller breeds. Hip dysplasia in dogs is incurable, although it can usually be managed by medication or surgery. In this article we\u2019ll be looking at how you can improve the odds that your puppy won’t suffer from this disorder.<\/p>\n

Buying your Labrador puppy<\/h2>\n

When you search through advertisements for a Labrador puppy, you\u2019ll notice that many litters advertised for sale will state the ‘hip scores’ of the parents. And sometimes the advert will simply state that both parents are ‘hip scored’ without actually telling you what the scores are. Some will be even more vague, and simply say that the parents’ hips have been tested.<\/p>\n

It’s important that before you even visit your potential puppy, you find out exactly what the hip scores are. Identifying hip dysplasia in the parents could have a massive impact on your puppy’s future.<\/p>\n

Hip dysplasia testing<\/h2>\n

All<\/em> responsible Labrador breeders in Europe, the USA and elsewhere, now have their breeding stock tested for signs of hip dysplasia, using one or another standardised hip score. This is to help reduce the high incidence of hip dysplasia in dogs. This test is crucial and must be carried out by anyone breeding from a Labrador. That includes people that are simply breeding from a family pet. There are no exceptions.<\/p>\n

If the breeder of the puppy you intend to buy has not tested her female dog and\/or has not ensured that the stud dog was tested – walk away!<\/p>\n

\"Hip<\/p>\n

Help protect our breed<\/h2>\n

There are many excellent litters of Labrador puppies available nationwide, both show and field, that have been properly tested for hip dysplasia. Labradors are the most popular pedigree dog breed in the UK and in the USA. And the reason for the testing is to help reduce the high incidence of hip dysplasia in dogs.<\/p>\n

There is absolutely no need for anyone<\/em> to purchase a puppy from parents that have not been tested, or that have poor test results. Buying such puppies encourages the breeder to produce more of them and so puts another generation of puppies at risk. Now let\u2019s take a look at what the hip score means.<\/p>\n

What does the hip score mean?<\/h2>\n

Each dog that is to be hip scored, has its hips x-rayed. This must be done under sedation or a general anaesthetic. This is why scoring is not recommended if you just want to screen whether your dog might develop hip problems in the future. The x-rays are then sent off to a team of expert vets. They examine the hip joints and \u2018score\u2019 them according to a number of criteria.<\/p>\n

In the USA there is a descriptive system of grading managed by the OFA Canine Health Information Centre Normal hips are graded fair, good or excellent. Dysplastic hips as mild, moderate or severe. There is also a borderline grading between the two.<\/p>\n

In the UK the scoring is managed by the British Veterinary Association. Hips are scored numerically. The ideal or perfect hip joint will get a score of 0. Every deviation from perfection adds to the hip score. The scores for each check are added together to make a total score for each hip. Then the scores for the two hips are added together. A total score of 50 would be very bad indeed.<\/p>\n

The scores for each hip are usually written down as 5\/6 or 5:6 . In this case the score tells you that the dog has one hip with a score of 5 and the other hip has a score of 6. The overall total hip score would be 11.<\/p>\n

Why does hip scoring matter?<\/h2>\n

Hip scoring is a very important procedure. It gives us a clear indication of the likelihood of the dog being scored developing the serious disease that we call hip dysplasia. These scores also give us an indication of the likelihood that the offspring<\/em> of the tested dog will have sound hips – because there are genetic aspects to this disease To improve the overall joint health of Labradors (or any other breed of dog), it is important that breeders always breed from animals with normal (in the USA) or better than average (UK) scores.<\/p>\n

The British Veterinary Association displays current breed mean scores on their website. In 2016 the 5-year breed mean for Labradors was 9, compared to 12 in 2011. These newly released scores are good news I can give in this article’s 2019 revision and update. They clearly show that the breed has been improving over time.<\/p>\n

Hip dysplasia in dogs could be reduced even more by using a system known as estimated breeding values (EBV\u2019s). Let\u2019s have a look at what EBV\u2019s are and where to find them.<\/p>\n

What are EBV\u2019s<\/h2>\n

The EBV is a far better tool for determining the genetic risk for hip dysplasia in dogs than the parents\u2019 hip scores alone. This value considers the health pedigree information of three generations of its relatives as well.<\/p>\n

Calculation of EBV\u2019s is possible because organisations such as the Kennel Club in the UK have, over time, collected a lot of breed information. You can find the EBV of any registered Labrador on the Kennel Club\u2019s online tool. You will need the dog\u2019s registered name, registration number and studbook number.<\/p>\n

In the US the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine developed a search tool for EBV\u2019s. They used data supplied by the OFA Canine Health Information Center for the project. But let\u2019s see why it\u2019s so important to try and prevent hip dysplasia in the first place by looking at exactly what it is.<\/p>\n

What is hip dysplasia?<\/h2>\n

Hip dysplasia in dogs, or CHD, is a \u2018malformation\u2019 of the hip joint that the puppy is born with. Signs are not evident at birth but the hip joint degenerates over time. This causes pain and affects the dog\u2019s ability to move around freely.<\/p>\n

In a healthy dog the rounded end (ball) at the top of the major weight bearing leg bone (femur) sits comfortably into a deep socket. In a dog with hip dysplasia, the socket is shallow and inadequate. This leads to progressive damage to the hip joint as the dog ages. The hip sockets of a puppy born with CHD, in most cases, look similar to the hip sockets of healthy puppies. But the hips of puppies who inherit the CHD genes do not grow normally.<\/p>\n

Signs of hip problems might appear at a few months of age or much later in life. This depends on how severe the malformation is. The abnormal joints in dogs with hip dysplasia cause more wear and tear than usual. Eventually the joint’s cartilage linings wear down – until bone rubs against bone. At this stage the joint becomes inflamed and the dog experiences pain, swelling, stiffness and difficulty moving around. The inflammation causes further damage to the joint and you have the progressive condition commonly referred to as degenerative arthritis.<\/p>\n

How do dogs get hip dysplasia?<\/h2>\n

Unlike some of the other conditions we can now test our dogs for, hip dysplasia is a complex condition. It results from both the genetic information inherited by the dog from its parents and environmental factors that act on the dog\u2019s skeleton as he grows and ages. The mechanism of inheritance for hip dysplasia is not straightforward. It is not a question of a single faulty gene being passed on from one or both parents. Rather it is a polygenic condition. This means that several genes determine a puppy\u2019s potential for developing a faulty hip socket.<\/p>\n

The fact that CHD is not caused by one single defective gene makes it difficult to accurately trace the path of inheritance. What we do know, is that if we breed from a dog with poor hips then their puppies will be more likely to develop poor hips as well. But the genes inherited by the puppy are only a part of the story. A number of environmental factors can strongly influence the development of the joint.<\/p>\n

Two key factors involved in this process are how fast the puppy grows and the amount of physical stress applied to the joint while it’s still developing.<\/p>\n

What are the effects of hip dysplasia?<\/h2>\n

Because so many factors are involved in the development of this disease, hip dysplasia in dogs can vary widely in its severity. From premature arthritis and lameness in middle age to severe disability in a young dog.<\/p>\n

My own CHD dog (a working cocker spaniel) was crippled before her first birthday – x-rays clearly showed that she had virtually no hip sockets at all. This is an extreme form of the disease, but in most cases CHD causes pain and some degree of disability. It often requires (very expensive) major surgery to provide the dog with permanent pain relief and freedom of movement. You’ll want to recognise hip dysplasia in your dog as soon as possible..<\/p>\n

How will I know that my dog has hip dysplasia?<\/h2>\n

Your vet may suspect hip dysplasia if your dog is displaying a number of characteristic symptoms – but an x-ray is the diagnostic tool. If your dog is limping or moving awkwardly you need to have him checked out by a vet. My own dog went lame at ten months old after I increased her exercise. She also displayed a bunny hopping gait with both back legs being used together when she negotiated steps.<\/p>\n

Not all dogs with CHD will do this and not all dogs that \u2018bunny hop\u2019 will have CHD. So a vet\u2019s examination is essential, and an x-ray will be required to confirm the diagnosis.<\/p>\n

What can I do to protect my puppy from hip dysplasia?<\/h2>\n

There are three key steps you can take:<\/p>\n