Hip Dysplasia Signs, Causes, and Treatments

One of the services we offer at Western Carolina Veterinary Surgery is help for Hip Dysplasia. We would like to highlight a great reference for hip dysplasia found on the American College of Veterinary Surgery website.

CANINE HIP DYSPLASIA Overview Canine Hip Dysplasia is a condition which begins in immature dogs with instability or a loose fit of the hip joint. The hip joint laxity is responsible for early clinical signs and joint changes. The abnormal motion of the hip stretches the fibrous joint capsule and ligament connecting the head of the femur to the pelvis, producing pain and lameness. The acetabulum (the hip socket) is easily deformed by continual movement of the femoral head. Causes Causes of hip dysplasia are considered to be multifactorial; including both hereditary and environmental factors. Rapid weight gain and growth through excessive nutritional intake may encourage the development of hip dysplasia. Mild repeated trauma causing synovial (joint lining) inflammation may also be important. Incidence and Prevalence The incidence of hip dysplasia is greatest in large breed dogs. Two populations of animals show clinical signs of lameness: (1) patients 5 to 10 months of age, and (2) patients with chronic degenerative joint disease. Signs and Symptoms The clinical signs of hip dysplasia are lameness, reluctance to rise or jump, shifting the weight to the forelimbs, loss of muscle mass on the rear limbs, and pain when the hips are manipulated. Dogs may show clinical signs at any stage of development of the disease, although many dogs with hip dysplasia do not show overt clinical signs. Some dogs are painful at 6 to 8 months of age but recover as they mature. As the osteoarthritis progresses with age, some dogs may show clinical signs similar to people with arthritis such as lameness after unaccustomed exercise, lameness after prolonged confinement, and worse problems if they are overweight. Risk Factors Risk factors for CHD include breed (genetic), rapid growth and nutrient excesses. When to Seek Veterinary Advice Some veterinarians recommend radiographing the hips at 6 months of age to help identify dogs with hip dysplasia early enough to perform a triple pelvic osteotomy. For many dogs, the owners seek veterinary surgery advice when the dog has been consistently lame, and has not responded to medical therapy. Many of the surgical treatments for hip dysplasia are performed by surgical specialists. Treatment Options Treatment depends on the dog’s age and degree of discomfort, physical and radiographic findings, and owner’s expectations and finances. Conservative and surgical options are available for juvenile and mature animals with hip pain secondary to hip dysplasia. Most immature animals are best treated with conservative or medical management. Although early surgical intervention with juvenile pubic symphysiodesis or triple pelvic osteotomy may increase the prognosis for long-term acceptable clinical function, approximately 75% of young patients treated conservatively return to acceptable clinical function with maturity. The remaining 25 % require further medical or surgical management at some point in life. In puppies less than 20 weeks of age, juvenile pubic symphysiodesis (JPS), a technique for stopping the growth of the pubis (part of the pelvis) may be performed to alter the growth of the pelvis and increase the degree of coverage of the acetabulum over the femoral head. Most puppies of this age do not show clinical signs of hip dysplasia, so diagnosis depends upon use of a screening technique for documenting hip laxity, such as Penn Hip, to determine which animals may be candidates for the procedure. Although specific criteria for application of JPS have not been developed, puppies under 20 weeks of age that have palpable and radiographic evidence of laxity on a hip distracted view can be considered for the procedure. Immature dogs (less than one year) with loose fitting hips, but no arthritic changes can be treated with a pelvic osteotomy (also sometimes called a triple pelvic osteotomy). This procedure involves cutting the pelvic bone in three places and rotating it to stabilize the hip joint and in many cases slow the progression of osteoarthritis.

More information and photos on Canine Hip Dysplasia may be found on the ACVS website.
Click here to view the report.

The American College Of Veterinary Surgeons

Here at Western Carolina Veterinary Surgery, we are very proud of Dr. Crouch and all his accomplishments. One accomplishment that we would like to highlight is Dr. Crouch is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). Below is information and some common questions about what it means to be a Diplomate with ACVS.

Founded in 1965, the American College of Veterinary Surgeons is the American Veterinary Medical Association specialty board which sets the standards for advanced professionalism in veterinary surgery.

Following the 2010 certification examination, ACVS includes more than 1,470 Diplomates. Approximately 65 veterinarians earn their Diplomate Credentials every year. More than 60 percent of the ACVS Diplomates operate in private and specialty practices that accept cases on a referral basis from primary care practitioners. The remainder are primarily employed by academic institutions and industry where they teach, conduct research, practice in teaching hospitals, and participate in the development of new products and treatments which improve the quality of veterinary and human health care.

The ACVS defines the standards of surgical excellence for the profession, promotes advancements in veterinary surgery, and provides the latest in surgical educational programs. By fostering the highest standards of excellence in veterinary surgery, the ACVS is helping the veterinary profession achieve its goals of providing outstanding service to the public and care to animals.

Q: What is a Diplomate?
A: An ACVS Diplomate in an individual who has been certified as a specialist in veterinary surgery by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.Q: What does “board certified” mean?

A: A board certified surgeon is an individual who has completed the requirements of the ACVS to become certified as a specialist in veterinary surgery (an ACVS Diplomate).

Q: Do I need a surgeon who is board certified?
A: Advances in animal health care have led to a wider variety of treatment options, including highly specialized surgical procedures. Board certified surgeons spend at least four years after achieving their veterinary medical degree (DVM) focusing strictly on surgery. This concentrated training in surgery allows the ACVS Veterinary Surgeon to keep current with frequent advances in veterinary medicine. Ask your veterinarian if the procedure requires a specialist. General procedures may be less likely to require someone who is board certified.

Please visit http://www.acvs.org/ for more information.

Ice, Ice, Baby

Winter has set and its time to bunker down and maker good decisions to keep our family and pets safe. Periodically, Western Carolina Veterinary Surgery will be posting facebook updates for cold weather advice.

For starters, I know Paris Hilton probably brought them on the scene and made them more trendy, but coats and booties can help your dog stay warm. In particular, short-haired or elderly dogs benefit from wearing a coat or sweater. We would suggest to look for coats or sweaters with high collars or a turtleneck that covers the dog from the base of the tail on top to the belly underneath.

WCVS On Facebook

Tips, reminders, community events, surgery insights, holiday hours, and much more can be accessed right at the tips of your fingers through our website, http://www.wcvs.org/ or through our Western Carolina Veterinary Surgery's facebook page.

We update our facebook regularly to bring you helpful information and we would like to invite you to check out our page.

Please join us a fan and stay connected with us!

Our latest facebook update...

" This gave me a little chuckle. Check out the latest news about reindeer adoptions from the Asheville Humane Society http://www.ashevillehumane.org/

Newsletter

About once to twice a month, we like to send out an enewsletter to keep people in touch with creditable information regarding their pets health and different happenings around WCVS. Here is a look into the November newsletter...

Does your pet limp or skip? This may be an indication of a significant joint problem. Since many dogs and cats may not cry out in pain, they may be hiding a serious orthopedic condition. A thorough orthopedic exam may be required to diagnose your friend’s condition. Dr. Crouch offers consultation in orthopedic diseases affecting dogs and cats. Our practice is limited to surgery and all cases must be referred from your family veterinarian .

Warmest regards,

Dr. Crouch and the staff at Western Carolina Veterinary Surgery

Please visit our website or send an email to info@wcvs.org to be added to our information list!

Pilots N Paws - Another Successful Rescue

Our friends at Pilots and Paws have been keeping busy and blessing many people and animals in the process. Check out their latest story about a lucky German Shepard named Skye.

Skye made it to NJ thanks to everyone who helped us with this sweet girl! She had a restful night—and is eating me out of house and home! What an appetite. Deb and I made it back with about 30 min to spare before that storm with the 70 mph winds hit–yes, the one with the sideways rain. Skye was great in the plane, and in the car (we had to detour for quite a while during the storm b/c of downed trees and flooding—took over an hours and 1/2 to get home—she was patient!!). She is thin—but will put the weight on.
Again, THANK YOU.

Hugs,
Linda

Find more stories at www.pilotsnpaws.org

www.wcvs.org

Pet Adoption Made Easy

I wanted to take a moment to highlight a website that connects shelters and breeders to potential pet owners.

If you have every considered adopting a pet, here is your place to look. On their website, you can learn about adoption, search for adoptable pets, find adoption groups, and post a classified ad. They have done an excellent job at streamlining the process for adoption.

Another perk about the site is how easy they have made it for searching for the pet. It seems as tho they have thought of everything!

Take a peek at www.petfinder.com or click on the photo of Dexter, the puppy. He is currently living at Animal Compassion Network waiting on a home.