Causes of Canine Hip Dysplasia

The main cause is genetic factors. The etiology and pathogenesis of CHD are not well understood. Some believe that CHD is a biomechanical disease caused by the rapid growth of the main pelvic muscle group and the bones being inconsistent. This imbalance of force forces the hip joint to tear, stimulating a series of changes, ultimately resulting in hip dysplasia and degenerative joint disease.

Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is a serious genetic disease in dogs. The incidence rates are highest in Golden Retrievers, Labradors, German Shepherds, and Chow Chows. This may be due to the lack of awareness of the disease in our country, the lack of attention in breeding, and blind breeding. Currently, there is an increasing trend in clinical cases.

I. Causes

The main cause is genetic factors. The etiology and pathogenesis of CHD are not well understood. Some believe that CHD is a biomechanical disease caused by the rapid growth of the main pelvic muscle group and the bones being inconsistent. This imbalance of force forces the hip joint to tear, stimulating a series of changes, ultimately resulting in hip dysplasia and degenerative joint disease.

Some also believe that it is caused by muscle spasms or shortening of the pubic muscle, resulting in an upward force on the femoral head against the acetabular margin, causing the acetabular margin to tilt upward.

II. Clinical Symptoms

The clinical symptoms of CHD usually appear between 4 and 12 months of age, but some dogs may show symptoms between 12 and 36 months. Some dogs have CHD but do not show any symptoms for a short period. The clinical symptoms of CHD vary greatly, ranging from mild discomfort to severe limping due to pain in the hip joint.

Main symptoms:

1. Likes to lie down and is unwilling to move; especially unwilling to go up and down stairs
2. Difficulty standing up after lying down
3. Runs with a three-legged hop, like a small rabbit
4. excessive hip movement when walking
5. Hypersensitive to palpation of the hip joint

To confirm the diagnosis, take your dog to the hospital for further examination and X-ray imaging.

The pathological features of CHD are discomfort between the femoral head and acetabulum; shallow acetabulum, small or increased neck-shaft angle, and joint laxity. Due to joint laxity, there is excessive friction between the femoral head and the acetabular posterior margin, causing the acetabular posterior margin to bear increased force, leading to increased wear and tear, and causing femoral head cartilage necrosis and osteophyte formation at the acetabular margin.同时，关节内滑膜液增多。许多病例中，髋关节呈现半脱位状态。