The hip joint is the most common location of arthritis in dogs because of the high incidence of hip dysplasia in dogs.
Dog
leg injuries can also cause osteoarthritis, but these injuries are much
less common than hip dysplasia. Fortunately, there are many surgical
and medical treatments for osteoarthritis of the hip.
Hip
dysplasia is likely the best known and most common cause of arthritis in
dogs. Dysplasia technically means “abnormal development”. Hip
dysplasia is therefore the abnormal development of the hip joint. Hip
dysplasia in dogs is a genetic disease that can be made worse but is not
caused by activity or diet.
Hip dysplasia in young dogs causes pain because it stretches and tears soft tissues. In older dogs it causes pain because of the osteoarthritis that results. Weight control, moderate exercise, and anti-inflammatory medications are the basic methods used to treat hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis.
Surgery for hip dysplasia in young dogs includes triple pelvic osteotomy, femoral head and heck ostectomy, and, in very young dogs, juvenile pubic symphysiodesis.
In mature dogs, surgery includes femoral head and neck ostectomy and total hip replacement.
Read more in our Vancouver Animal Hospital veterinary blog about hip problems in dogs and veterinary surgical procedures...
