Hip Dysplasia in Puppies

We use the latest techniques to diagnose and treat hip dysplasia in puppies to help get them off on the right paw!

Hip dysplasia is a devastating condition seen in many common dog breeds and is much more prevalent than you may think. In fact, in certain breeds more than half of the dogs of that breed are living with hip dysplasia and will go on to develop early and  painful arthritis as a consequence of the condition. For that reason we recommend screening puppies for hip dysplasia in all Cavoodles, French bulldogs, Labradors, Border Collies, German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers. (See below to check if your pup’s breed is at risk.)

At Macquarie Veterinary Hospital, we take hip dysplasia extremely seriously and are proud to be one of the few clinics in Sydney able to diagnose hip dysplasia in pups as young as 16 weeks of age. This early diagnosis allows us to provide the earliest possible, minimally invasive Juvenile Pubic Symphosiodesis surgery as an option in the case that your pup does have hip dysplasia.

We can then guide you through the rest of your pups growth and adulthood to ensure they get the most out of their hips and life. You’re in good hands!

Early Diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia

For all at risk breeds, we offer diagnostic hip xrays under general anaesthetic using the latest PennHIP method – the world leading standard. We can pick up hip dysplasia in puppies as young as 16 weeks of age and start with treatment before your dog has even started showing the ill effects of hip dysplasia! This also helps reduce the chances of needing more major, invasive procedures to correct the hips later in life.

Through taking hundreds of thousands of hip xrays of various dog breeds, the PennHIP program has developed a list of breeds that are most at risk of developing hip dysplasia. The program has also developed a number system of ‘normal’ and ‘dysplastic’ ranges for the hips so that we can compare your dog’s hips to other dog’s of the same breed.

We recommend PennHIP xrays are taken of the following breeds:

  • Large breeds: German Shepherds, Huskies, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Great Danes, Malamutes, Standard Poodles,
  • Medium breeds: Cocker Spaniels, Kelpies, Border Collies, Blue Heelers,
  • Small breeds: Cavoodles, Poodles, French Bulldogs

The short answer to this is yes, absolutely! Good breeders will always do their best to screen their breeding dogs for hip dysplasia and other conditions, and hopefully you’ve done your research in finding a reputable breeder.

However, hip dysplasia is only partly due to genetics. It is also due to each individual puppy’s growth rate, diet and potential for injury from falls, trauma or heavy play. Keep in mind that very few vet clinics are trained to perform the PennHIP method and gain a deeper insight into hip health of some of the breeding dogs. Simply,  we know there is more hip dysplasia out there than what has been diagnosed.

For these reasons we always recommend every single puppy of ‘at risk’ breeds is checked at 16 weeks of age.

Hip dysplasia is a complex condition with no one specific cause. Hip dysplasia is due to a combination of known factors, including:

  • Genetics and breeding – parents with hip dysplasia are more likely to have puppies with hip dysplasia
  • Weight – the more overweight the puppy the more likely it will occur
  • Trauma and exercise – repeated or major falls during puppyhood can impact their hip development
  • Growth rate – the faster a puppy grows, the more likely it is to occur

For all of the reasons above, we recommend the following things to help decrease the chance of you puppy developing hip dyplasia:

  • Choose a high quality breeder with no history of hip dysplasia in their breeding lines (ideally with confirmation of PennHIP xrays)
  • Keep your pup in healthy, lean condition throughout growth and adulthood
  • Reduce access to stairs and avoid jumping on beds and couches until at least 6 months of age

The word PennHIP stands for the Pennsylvania Hip Improve Program, which is a special technique of taking hip xrays developed in America. This  technique has been developed over the last 30 years by taking and comparing hundreds of thousands of xrays of dogs hips and measuring the degree to which the hips are tight or loose. A set of ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ numbers has then been developed for each specific breed that we can test your dog against.

Very few clinics in Sydney are able to offer this technique. We are proud to offer this service to you as our vets have undergone further training in this technique and both Dr Matt Buchanan-Pascall and Dr Michael Stephen are certified practicioners of the PennHIP program.

The main benefit of the PeenHIP method is that it allows for the earliest possible diagnosis of hip dysplasia in puppies from 14 weeks of age. This means we can help your pup before it even feels the pain of hip dysplasia.

Taking the PennHIP xrays of your dog’s hips is considered a ‘day procedure’ and is performed under a short general anaesthetic. Whilst your pup is under anaesthetic we are able to perform special tests on the hip to feel for any unusual laxity (looseness) of the hips as well as take a series of specific xrays of their hips.

We then take specific measurements from the xrays and can immediately report back to you whether your puppy’s hips are perfectly normal or alternatively confirm that your pup has hip dysplasia and to what degree they are affected.

Prior to the anaesthetic we offer a blood test designed to pick up at an early stage any internal health concerns so that we can handle the anaesthetic safely. The test includes a check of the liver and kidney values, blood glucose level, electrolyte levels, overall protein level and overall red blood cell count.

Your pup will then return home with you that afternoon and will likely be a little sleepy after the anaesthetic. We expect a full return to normal activity levels the following day.

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Minimally Invasive Hip Surgery

If we pick up hip dysplasia in your puppy we can offer a procedure called the Juvenile Pubic Symphosiodesis (JPS), which aims to help improve the conformation (shape) and movement of the hip to protect the hip long term. This is a minimally invasive surgery with a quick recovery and lots of research showing the statistical benefit of the procedure. This means your dog will be back on its feet, walking normally the same day of surgery.

The Juvenile Pubic Symphosoidesis (JPS) surgery is considered a ‘preventative’ procedure and is designed to reduce the chance of dogs with radiographically noticeable hip dysplasia going on to develop clinical issues and reduce the rate of arthritis formation in the future.

The pubic symphysis is the cartilage at the front of the hip that connects the left and right halves of the hips together.  The procedure involves making a 5cm incision on the puppies abdomen and then using heat (via a machine called a cauteriser) to seal this cartilage and stop it from growing. This means the back of the hip continues to grow much more than the front part of the hip and leads to the deeper sockets for the hip to sit in.

This is a day surgery that puppies recover from quickly and has been shown to have a very positive outcome in dogs with hip dysplasia.

The Juvenile Pubic Symphosoidesis (JPS) surgery is a day surgery. You will drop your dog off in the morning after withholding breakfast, ready for the anaesthetic. We perform a pre-anaesthetic blood test to ensure your puppy has a healthy liver and kidneys and place them on fluids to help hydrate them and keep their blood pressure stable throughout the procedure.

The surgery itself takes approximately 30 minutes and they are monitored closely through the anaesthetic and during their immediate post-operative recovery.

Your puppy is discharged later the same day with an Elizabethan collar on their head and lots of pain relief to keep them comfortable. We then see you 7 days later to ensure they are making a good recovery.

We then recommend repeating the hip x-rays between 7-9 months of age to monitor the progress of your dog’s hip dysplasia to help guide further treatment if required.

The Juvenile Pubic Symphosoidesis (JPS) surgery is a relatively non-invasive surgery that puppies recover from very quickly. The two main risks are the same as for any other surgery – swelling at the surgery site called a ‘haematoma’ that resolves with further rest or infection of the surgery site that requires antibiotics. We expect to see these complications in less than 5% of our patients and the quieter you can keep your puppy after surgery, the lower those chances become.

We take anaesthetic monitoring extremely seriously and are proud to offer the highest level of monitoring care for you pet.

We go above and beyond the accepted standards to include:

  1. monitoring of oxygen levels via an spO2 probe (called pulse oximetry)
  2. a continuous ECG trace to track the heart’s rhythm throughout surgery;
  3. blood pressure monitoring – this is the key to a successful recovery;
  4. carbon dioxide monitoring to ensure the lungs are able to blow off all harmful gases;
  5. patients are warmed with a ‘bare hugger‘ to prevent deleterious cooling;
  6. all patients receive intravenous fluids to ensure hydration remains perfect;
  7. we use the most modern anaesthetic machines and drug protocols.

Patient comfort is also key and again we go above and beyond! We ensure all patients are kept as comfortable as possible with a combination of local anaesthetic pain relief, opioid pain relief and anti-inflammatory pain relief.

There have been multiple studies into the JPS procedure showing how effective it is as a procedure. Some extra reading for you includes:

Ongoing Hip Care

In all cases of hip dysplasia the home care that you provide plays the biggest role in your puppies growth and quality of life long term. We will help guide you on that journey.

We know that weight is the number one factor in predicting hip dysplasia and also predicting the outcome long term.That means overweight puppies are at higher risk of developing hip dysplasia but also of struggling with the early onset arthritis that follows.

So, keep your puppy in a lean, healthy weight throughout it’s growth and then entire adult life. Extra weight on your dog not only increases the load on the joints and puts more strain on them, but we also know that fat cells are ‘pro-inflammatory’, meaning they keep the body and joints in a constant state of inflammation.

The ideal weight is described as the “ribs (easily) palpable with minimal fat covering. Waist clearly visible when viewed from above. Abdominal tuck evident – particularly when viewed from the side.”

You might find this link to condition scoring your dog’s weight helpful and again, always ask us for help – we are here to guide you.

Research has found that trauma from stairs and large falls during growth can have a negative impact on hip development. Therefore, we recommend limiting access to stairs and jumping on an off surfaces for growing pups. This might mean restricting access to beds, the couch and even parts of the backyard during your puppies growth phase.

Additionally, we recommend limiting ball throwing and crazy running around with other dogs until your puppy is fully grown. There is no studied limit to the amount of play, but we believe keeping the more strenuous activities off lead to 20 minutes is a fair compromise. You can then round out the rest of your dog’s exercise needs with on lead walks and quieter play.

Injections of pentosan polysulphate (known as zydax or cartrophen) are given under the skin each week for 4 treatments. The injections contain a synthetic medication which draws more water into the joints, effectively thickening the joint fluid to provide a cushioning effect. By reducing the rubbing between the cartilage surfaces, the cycle of inflammation is interrupted which can delay the progression of the disease.

The course of injections is repeated every 3-12 months depending on the stage of hip dysplasia and arthritis and on how your dog is coping with the condition.

There is lots of help available beyond the JPS surgery and these extra treatments can have major positive impacts on dogs showing the clinical signs of hip dysplasia. Treatments include referral for physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and acupuncture. You will be guided as to how often you need to have these procedures performed to keep your dog feeling the best they can!

Supplements and neutraceutical use in dogs is an area of debate between veterinarians. There is still limited evidence for the use of various supplements, however, we believe that they may indeed play some role in helping our pets.

The most heavily studied supplement recently is green-lipped muscle and it comes in two forms, either a lower concentration in a product called 4Cyte or in a stronger concentration in a product called antinol. In our experience,