Hip dysplasia (canine) (HD) is a common genetic disease that affects Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. It is never present at birth and develops with age. Hip dysplasia is diagnosed by X-rays, but it is not usually evident of Cavaliers until they mature. Even in adult spaniels with severe HD, may not always indicate the disease. Late symptoms usually occur in old age and usually present as arthritis and stiffness.
What is Canine Hip Dysplasia?
Canine hip dysplasia is typically associated with larger breeds but can be a common issue for Cavaliers. Because this breed is so small, symptoms may not present until your dog is older. Vets often take x-rays to help diagnose hip dysplasia at 2-years-old or as early as 4 month using the PenHip diagnostic method. Symptoms may include lameness, stiff back legs, difficulties getting up and unable to enjoy physical activities.
Causes of Hip DysplasiaHip Dysplasia is known as multifactorial. This means there is not just one gene that causes it and there are other factors that influence whether your dog goes onto develop ‘bad’ hips. Ultimately, there is a loose fit between the head of the femur and the ball and socket joint of the hip. Dogs are not born with hip dysplasia and, although there has been selective breeding to try and reduce the incidence, it can’t be entirely bred out. Certain breeds may be more susceptible, but environment, growth rate, nutrition, hormones, activity level and muscle mass play a part.
Breeds prone to hip dysplasiaOverall 19.7% of purebred and 17.9% of cross-breed dogs had signs of hip dysplasia in one study. Certain breeds have a 50% prevalence of hip dysplasia, particularly larger and stockier breeds. Breeds such as Labradors have historically had high rates of hip dysplasia, but selectively breeding dogs that have good hip scores radiographically has reduced the incidence of the disease. While we generally associate larger breeds with hip dysplasia, it does crop up in small breeds such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with an estimated prevalence of 4% .
DiagnosisLarger breed dogs should be examined during their puppy health checks and while under general anaesthesia for desexing. A dog with early hip dysplasia may be less playful, swing their hips when walking, have difficulty climbing stairs, or bunny-hop with their back legs, scuff their back toes when walking or exhibit discomfort when sitting, rising or being touched around the rump.
If your dog is in a breed group at risk of hip dysplasia your vet might recommend radiographs even though your pet is not showing any signs. In some cases the laxity or loose fit of the hip joint can be picked up during a physical exam while your dog is conscious, but this is not always reliable. The muscles around the hips often resist manipulation, making hip dysplasia difficult to detect in the early stages without a general anaesthetic. If you have any reason to suspect your dog might have hip problems, early detection is key.
Hip scoringAlthough reputable breeders have been selectively breeding out dogs with bad hips, it cannot be completely eradicated. The standardised screening PennHIP method can be performed from 16 weeks of age, then should be repeated at 2 years of age for confirmation. The standardised hip score obtained from a PennHIP qualified vet allows a dog’s hips to be graded and ranked so as to determine which dogs have ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ hips. This is necessary for breeding dogs, but is not necessary to make a diagnosis of hip dysplasia.
NutritionIf you have an at risk dog, it is incredibly important to ensure your dog does not grow too rapidly. Overfeeding can lead to a number of other developmental bone problems such as osteochondrosis, elbow dysplasia and hypertrophic osteodystrophy, not just hip dysplasia. A study in Labradors showed a significant decrease in the onset and severity of dogs with hip dysplasia when fed 25% less food than a control group.
As a general guide you should always be able to feel your pet’s ribs and spine and your dog should be tucked in at the waist. If you are at all unsure about how much to feed your growing dog, chat to your vet. If your dog already has hip dysplasia, keeping your pet as lean as possible will significantly improve pain and mobility, more than any drug or surgery.
ExerciseAnother important management practice for dogs prone to hip dysplasia is avoiding overexercising your growing puppy. This does not mean turning your dog into a couch potato, but just avoid vigorous agility-style exercise and those 10km runs until your dog is fully grown.
Lots of short walks are better than one big vigorous run on the weekend. If your dog is already showing signs of discomfort from hip dysplasia, keep those walks shorter than the point where your dog starts slowing down. If your dog is sore the next day after a walk, keep it shorter next time. Chat to your vet about exercise and the pain relief options to keep your pet mobile.
SupplementsAnother significant risk factor for developing hip dysplasia is over-supplementing with vitamin D and calcium. Unfortunately this has been recommended in the past often by well-meaning breeders for large breed dogs. PubMedCentral has a great article on the role of supplements in the pathogenesis of hip dysplasia.
Important points
Preliminary Evaluations for Animals Under 24 Months
Frequently, breeders want early knowledge of the hip status on puppies in a given litter. Preliminary hip evaluations may be as valuable to the owner or breeder as the final OFA evaluation. This allows early selection of dogs for use as show/performance/breeding prospects and dogs best suited for pet homes.
The OFA accepts preliminary consultation radiographs on puppies as young as 4 months of age for evaluation of hip conformation. If the dog is found to be dysplastic at an early age, the economic loss from the cost of training, handling, showing and so forth can be minimized and the emotional loss reduced. These preliminary radiographs are read by the OFA staff veterinary radiologist and are not sent to the outside consulting radiologists. The regular OFA hip grading scheme (excellent, good, fair, etc) is used to report preliminary cases.
What is Canine Hip Dysplasia?
Canine hip dysplasia is typically associated with larger breeds but can be a common issue for Cavaliers. Because this breed is so small, symptoms may not present until your dog is older. Vets often take x-rays to help diagnose hip dysplasia at 2-years-old or as early as 4 month using the PenHip diagnostic method. Symptoms may include lameness, stiff back legs, difficulties getting up and unable to enjoy physical activities.
Causes of Hip DysplasiaHip Dysplasia is known as multifactorial. This means there is not just one gene that causes it and there are other factors that influence whether your dog goes onto develop ‘bad’ hips. Ultimately, there is a loose fit between the head of the femur and the ball and socket joint of the hip. Dogs are not born with hip dysplasia and, although there has been selective breeding to try and reduce the incidence, it can’t be entirely bred out. Certain breeds may be more susceptible, but environment, growth rate, nutrition, hormones, activity level and muscle mass play a part.
Breeds prone to hip dysplasiaOverall 19.7% of purebred and 17.9% of cross-breed dogs had signs of hip dysplasia in one study. Certain breeds have a 50% prevalence of hip dysplasia, particularly larger and stockier breeds. Breeds such as Labradors have historically had high rates of hip dysplasia, but selectively breeding dogs that have good hip scores radiographically has reduced the incidence of the disease. While we generally associate larger breeds with hip dysplasia, it does crop up in small breeds such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with an estimated prevalence of 4% .
DiagnosisLarger breed dogs should be examined during their puppy health checks and while under general anaesthesia for desexing. A dog with early hip dysplasia may be less playful, swing their hips when walking, have difficulty climbing stairs, or bunny-hop with their back legs, scuff their back toes when walking or exhibit discomfort when sitting, rising or being touched around the rump.
If your dog is in a breed group at risk of hip dysplasia your vet might recommend radiographs even though your pet is not showing any signs. In some cases the laxity or loose fit of the hip joint can be picked up during a physical exam while your dog is conscious, but this is not always reliable. The muscles around the hips often resist manipulation, making hip dysplasia difficult to detect in the early stages without a general anaesthetic. If you have any reason to suspect your dog might have hip problems, early detection is key.
Hip scoringAlthough reputable breeders have been selectively breeding out dogs with bad hips, it cannot be completely eradicated. The standardised screening PennHIP method can be performed from 16 weeks of age, then should be repeated at 2 years of age for confirmation. The standardised hip score obtained from a PennHIP qualified vet allows a dog’s hips to be graded and ranked so as to determine which dogs have ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ hips. This is necessary for breeding dogs, but is not necessary to make a diagnosis of hip dysplasia.
NutritionIf you have an at risk dog, it is incredibly important to ensure your dog does not grow too rapidly. Overfeeding can lead to a number of other developmental bone problems such as osteochondrosis, elbow dysplasia and hypertrophic osteodystrophy, not just hip dysplasia. A study in Labradors showed a significant decrease in the onset and severity of dogs with hip dysplasia when fed 25% less food than a control group.
As a general guide you should always be able to feel your pet’s ribs and spine and your dog should be tucked in at the waist. If you are at all unsure about how much to feed your growing dog, chat to your vet. If your dog already has hip dysplasia, keeping your pet as lean as possible will significantly improve pain and mobility, more than any drug or surgery.
ExerciseAnother important management practice for dogs prone to hip dysplasia is avoiding overexercising your growing puppy. This does not mean turning your dog into a couch potato, but just avoid vigorous agility-style exercise and those 10km runs until your dog is fully grown.
Lots of short walks are better than one big vigorous run on the weekend. If your dog is already showing signs of discomfort from hip dysplasia, keep those walks shorter than the point where your dog starts slowing down. If your dog is sore the next day after a walk, keep it shorter next time. Chat to your vet about exercise and the pain relief options to keep your pet mobile.
SupplementsAnother significant risk factor for developing hip dysplasia is over-supplementing with vitamin D and calcium. Unfortunately this has been recommended in the past often by well-meaning breeders for large breed dogs. PubMedCentral has a great article on the role of supplements in the pathogenesis of hip dysplasia.
Important points
- Keep your pet a normal, lean and healthy weight.
- Short, frequent walks are ideal.
- Supplement with fish oils, glucosamine and chondroitin.
Preliminary Evaluations for Animals Under 24 Months
Frequently, breeders want early knowledge of the hip status on puppies in a given litter. Preliminary hip evaluations may be as valuable to the owner or breeder as the final OFA evaluation. This allows early selection of dogs for use as show/performance/breeding prospects and dogs best suited for pet homes.
The OFA accepts preliminary consultation radiographs on puppies as young as 4 months of age for evaluation of hip conformation. If the dog is found to be dysplastic at an early age, the economic loss from the cost of training, handling, showing and so forth can be minimized and the emotional loss reduced. These preliminary radiographs are read by the OFA staff veterinary radiologist and are not sent to the outside consulting radiologists. The regular OFA hip grading scheme (excellent, good, fair, etc) is used to report preliminary cases.
Karen Dennehy & Natalija Zeljic
Small World Puppies (Taurunum Angels Kennel)
Small World Puppies (Taurunum Angels Kennel)