Early intervention for Hip Displasia
Jan 30, 2025Hip Displasia is a medical term for a condition where the development of the hip socket is abnormal and the hip socket doesn't fully cover the ball portion of the upper thighbone.
Puppies are typically born normal, but as the puppy matures, the joint alignment becomes progressively worse. The misalignment can cause wear and tear on the joint. The stress on the bones as they rub together causes damage to the joint, and pain. The bones grow thicker in response to the stress, making it worse.
Severe displasia can be obvious as young as 16 weeks, but you may notice pain of gait abnormalities earlier. More typically it becomes obvious later in development. HOWEVER, if your pup does have severe displasia issues there are some incredible techniques that can be performed while your pup is STILL VERY YOUNG that are off the table which mean they might still be able to have a pain free life which are off the table once their growth plates close so you wouldn't catch me dead waiting that long. I will summarise the two main procedures that i think that guardians need to be aware of to help inform decision making and link some veterinary resources that go into a bit more detail (and if you are a vet and would like to guest author a more detailed piece for us, please let me know).
The first is the Juvenile Pubic Synthesis:
This procedure is best performed between 12-16 weeks, and can be performed up to 18 weeks.
It is a procedure that fuses the pubic symphysis cartilage before it turns to bone, preventing growth in that area, while the rest of the pelvis continues to grow, which rotates the hip sockets into a more normal alignment, improving the contact between the hip socket and the ball of the femur. Multiple studies have documented the benefits of this procedure on both hip mechanics and other clinical outcomes - like degree of Osteoarthritis.
Check out this summary from DVM360 for more information.
The second is a double or trip Pelvic Osteotomy (DPO/TPO).
This procedure is an option for dogs less than 8 to 10 months of age who have diagnosed hip displasia but no visible arthritis. (ideally less than 8–10 months old) with CHD but no visible radiographic arthritic changes.
It involves cutting the pelvic bone and rotating the segments to improve coverage of the ball of the femur by the hip socket and decrease hip laxity.
Check out this article from the American College of Veterinary surgeons for more information (it also details some of the diagnostics below.
So if you have any inkling your puppy could be in pain DON'T WAIT and go ahead and be PROACTIVE.
How can you be PROACTIVE and identify it early?
Hip Displasia can be identified and treated as young as 10 weeks!!
A good canine physio can evaluate gait, laxity and joint movement to identify if a problem is likely present, and they should also be able to conduct an evaluation for the Ortolani sign.
The Ortolani sign
A specific physical test to identify Hip Displasia, the Ortolani Sign is a way of examining joint laxity. It has been used in newborn children since 1937 and is considered the “gold standard” for the early diagnosis of hip dysplasia in newborns. It has been used in young puppies since 1985 - though typically under light sedation. If present, it confirms that the puppy will usually have hip arthritis by one year of age. In theory, your primary care veterinarian should also be able to perform this exam at your 10 week vaccination, but not all veterinarians are versed in the technique, depending on their focus.
2. 16 week PennHip X-rays
Something I wish that someone had told me is that you can get hip scans from a PennHip certified practitioner from as young as 16 weeks, and X-rays CAN identify significant issues earlier. A clear puppy X-ray doesn't mean that a dog won't have hip displasia, and significant changes happen between 6 and 9 months and up to 2years which is why standard X-rays are recommended after 2 years. But it should be remembered that this standard is mainly for confirmation of clear hips or rating of hips, to minimise the likelihood that poor anatomy will be passed on when breeding. At 16 weeks, PennHip is predictive of Hip Displasia in adults.
1. Early testing as described above.
2. Early gait analysis
Get some good video!! You don't need to panic about every little thing, puppies are growing and move weirdly!! But the more video of them moving, the easier it will be to see if there are any red flags. The most obvious is the classic hip wobble, and puppies may also bunny hop (but people are notorious terrible at identifying bunny hopping due to a lack of familiarity with normal gait), be intermittently lame, or struggle to or be reluctant to climb stairs or into the car.
IF YOUR PUPPY SHOWS SIGNS OF PAIN DON'T WAIT
3. Puppy appropriate fitness - apart from early intervention STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING is BY FAR the best way to delay or mitigate the expression of symptoms.
If you need help with a gait analysis, or some puppy appropriate fitness, do reach out, and please FOR LOVE OF DOG, get some early diagnostics.
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