HD is not like Degenerative Myelopathy, where only one gene is involved and thus a dog can be clear by parentage (if parents are both normal, the dog will only be able to inherit a normal copy of the DM gene). The more defective genes a dog inherits, the greater the likelihood of developing hip dysplasia. This is how two normal parents can still produce offspring with hip dysplasia, if that particular puppy happens to receive defective genes from both parents. This creates a more complicated inheritance pattern, allowing recessive alleles to “hide” and skip generations. Hip dysplasia is a polygenic trait, meaning it is controlled by multiple genes. Why? Because of the complicated nature of hip dysplasia inheritance. Unfortunately, this is just wishful thinking. Some breeders claim their dogs all have excellent hips because their parents and grandparents never showed any signs of hip dysplasia and therefore they are “clear” by parentage. Again, the ONLY way to prove hips are free of dysplasia is through x-rays. Then, when the dog is older and starts showing signs of dysplasia, the problems are just chalked up to “old age”. This “no indication of hip dysplasia” excuse is used by those breeders and individuals who avoid x-raying their breeding dogs prior to breeding them. Most owners contribute it to arthritis and old age, even if the dog is only middle aged. Without x-rays, mild and moderate HD will often go unnoticed and undiagnosed until the dog is older, at which point problems with running, jumping, rising after laying down, etc. Statement: “There has never been any indication of hip dysplasia in my dog/dogs therefore, their hips are fine.” Truth: Again, hip dysplasia can only be conclusively determined by x-ray. Mild and moderate HD will often present few signs until later in life. Severe hip dysplasia can often be ‘diagnosed’ by observing the dog’s movement, uneven muscle development, and hind end weakness, but must be conclusively determined via x-ray. This cannot be done by simple visual inspection of the dog’s physical appearance during a visit at the vet’s office, so unless the vet has x-ray vision, a statement of “hips seem fine” has very little merit in terms of diagnosing hip dysplasia. We must look at the actual morphology of the hip joint, how the hip socket and head of the femur fit together. Hip dysplasia (HD) is a disorder of the hip joint itself. Statement: “My vet looked at my dog and said his hips are just fine.” Truth: Hip dysplasia can ONLY be conclusively proven by x-ray. As the dog ages and loses some of the muscle mass that helps stabilize the hip joint, movement becomes more difficult, and can be incredibly painful or even debilitating for the dog. This results in excessive movement of the femur against the socket as the dog moves, which creates the inflammation that eventually will lead to arthritis. The ball of the femur does not fit well in the socket on the pelvis, either because the socket and the ball are deformed, or there is excessive laxity or looseness in the fit. With dysplastic hips, the actual structure of the hip joint is affected. ( Arthritis is always secondary to the dysplasia. Hip Dysplasia is a terrible genetic disease because of the various degrees of arthritis (also called degenerative joint disease, arthrosis, osteoarthrosis) it can eventually produce, leading to pain and debilitation. on orthopedic conditions like hip and elbow dysplasia, states: The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, the leading authority in the U.S. Statement: Hip dysplasia isn’t that big of a deal it is just a little arthritis in the hips Truth: Hip dysplasia is a problem with joint formation first, that can then lead to extensive arthritis. In this blog, we will tackle some of the more common statements out there about hip dysplasia. While there is much information on hip dysplasia available, there are still many myths and half-truths surrounding the condition that continue to circulate among the general public and among many of the backyard breeders for German Shepherd Dogs (for more information on breeders, please see our blogs on Breeder Websites, Backyard Breeding, and Large-scale Commercial Breeding Operations.). This condition affects the structure of the hip joint, and can range from being very mild to severe and crippling. Hip dysplasia is a common genetic problem among many large breeds of dogs, including German Shepherd Dogs.
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