Has Rover been limping around your house lately? Is he having
trouble making it up the stairs? Does he seem sluggish and
reluctant to stand up? If so, your pet may be suffering from hip
dysplasia, which affects the connection between the ball and
socket of the hip joint. Even if your pet is free of these
symptoms, he may still develop the disease. This issue of Pet
Planet will help you identify signs of hip dysplasia and teach
you how to care for your ailing friend. What is hip dysplasia?
In basic terms, hip dysplasia means "badly formed hip." In
unaffected animals, the ball at the end of the leg bone fits
smoothly into a pocket in the hip, just as pieces of a puzzle
fit together. In affected dogs, the "pieces" don’t come together
as well. The ball may roll around loosely in the socket, making
for a rather uncomfortable fit. This looseness is what may cause
your pet to limp or seem pained during certain activities. Who
gets it? The joint disease is common in large dogs; about 50
percent of some larger breeds