Since I started my work with Paw Print GeneticsTM and began discussions with many in the canine community, I have been asked more about hip dysplasia (HD) than any other disease. Perhaps it is due to the significant decrease in quality of life it can create for affected dogs or perhaps it is because historically, it has been one of the most extensively studied canine diseases. Regardless of the reason, it is clear to me that dog owners and breeders are concerned about the disease and would love to see it eradicated. Unfortunately, we may be years off from fully understanding all of the contributing causes and thus, preventing this often debilitating disease.
In the most basic sense, HD is simply a condition of loose hip joints, but it is the secondary consequences of these loose joints that cause the clinical condition we recognize in dogs. In affected dogs, laxity in the hip joint leads to abnormal alignment between the head of the femur and the pelvic socket (acetabulum) that serves as the gliding surface for the head of the femur during movement. This improper alignment leads to abnormal wear and tear of the ...