Hip Dysplasia in Our Canine Companions
By Dr Heather Matheson, DVM BSc
Balanced Paws Veterinary Care Ltd.
info@balancedpawsvet.com
One of the most devastating diseases a young canine can get is hip dysplasia. Early signs of this are bunny-hopping (using both back legs together when running instead of using them independently), being slow to get up and down (especially after exercise), muscle atropy in one or both hind legs, difficulty jumping into the car, going up stairs or jumping onto the furniture, being snappy when the back end is handled or brushed.
So what exactly is hip dysplasia?
Hip dysplasia is a bit of a catch-all term for poor hip conformation and the arthritis and pain that occurs secondary to that conformation. Normally the “ball” portion of the hip (the head of the femur) sits well within the “socket” portion of the pelvis. When the animal walks this acts as a well-oiled machine. In an animal with hip dysplasia either the “ball” portion does not sit within the hip socket but rather rests on the edge of the hip socket or the socket itself is too shallow to hold the hip in place. Instead of that nice smooth gliding motion, bone-on-bone contact occurs and just like wheels in a cog that does not fit properly, heat is produced. The body deals with this heat or inflammation by producing extra little bits of bone around the joint, this causes the joint surface to become uneven and rough, we call this arthritis. Over time the ball portion of the hip becomes more and more deformed which, of course causes more pain and more severe hip dysplasia. A simple X-ray will show both the conformation of the hips as well as any arthritis around the joint.
Hip dysplasia is a congenital problem, which means Mom and Dad may carry the genetics for poor hip conformation even if they show no signs of it themselves. Dogs as young as 5 months may show signs of hip dysplasia. Because of the congenital nature, hip dysplasia is more common in purebred animals, however we certainly see our limited-edition-mutts having the occasional problem. Diet and exercise may also play a role in the development of hip dysplasia. Too much exercise at too young an age puts excessive stress on joints that are still developing. Alternatively, an overweight pup fed on a diet high in carbohydrates may cause the bones to grow too quickly but puts excessive stress on muscles and bones that are not yet developed to handle that stress.
Now that we know what hip dysplasia is and how to recognize it what do we do about it? Treatment for hip dysplasia varies with the individual and depends on the severity. Some mild cases may show no outward signs until they are in their senior years and may require only a joint support such as Glucosamine. Glucosamine is an amino sugar produced from glucose and is one of the building blocks of gycosaminoglycans, which are incorporated into healthy cartilage, and connective tissue of the joints. Put simply, glucosamine is a vitamin for the joints.
What if Glucosamine is not enough?
Hip dysplasia typically responds very well to acupuncture. Acupuncture increases the circulation to the hips and in this way helps to take away the inflammation and heat from the joint. Acupuncture also causes a release of the natural anti-inflammatories and painkillers produced by the body. Acupuncture tends to have a cumulative affect; typically we see a greater improvement that lasts longer after each treatment. The normal protocol is one treatment once a week for 3 to 4 weeks. If we see significant improvement we can then start to stretch out the time between treatments or consider placing gold bead implants into the acupuncture points around the hips.
What are Gold bead implants?
Very small gold pellets are injected through a large needle below the subcutaneous (fat) layer in the acupuncture points surrounding the hip joints. Our canine companions do need a short anesthetic for this procedure because a surgical prep of the area is needed, we have to be very precise about the gold bead placement, and quite a large needle is needed to place the beads. The gold beads stimulate the acupuncture point long term so it is like our canine-friend is having acupuncture continually. The gold beads stay in place for the life of the animal and are not removed. This procedure is most beneficial in young animals but will help older animals as well.
Other more involved surgical procedures are also available such as a total hip replacement or femoral head ostectomy (removing the ball portion of the hip). These procedures can still be done if gold bead implants and acupuncture do not offer enough pain relief, however we find they are rarely necessary once the gold beads are done. Most animals are extremely comfortable after the acupuncture or gold bead procedure.
Anti-inflammatory drugs such as metacam or bufferin offer pain relief but they are not without their risks. Some animals, just like some people, simply cannot tolerate the unwanted side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Long-term use of such drugs can also put an increased burden on the liver and the kidneys, a definite worry for the older, geriatric K-9. Other more natural herbs are available that offer significant pain relief. Bosweilia (Ru Xiang), coryallis, green lipid mussel (perna mussel) and a homeopathic called arnica are just a few examples. Even if our family-friend does need the little “boost” that metacam offers, giving pain-relieving herbs and acupuncture or gold beads often allows us to lower the metacam dosage considerably, this also lowers both the side effects and the organ damage.Click here to find out more about Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine.
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Balanced Paws Veterinary Care at (250) 871-4355
or email info@balancedpawsvet.com.
We are located at 2785C Mansfield Drive in Courtenay (across from the Air Park).
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