American Chesapeake Club

What is it?
Hip Dysplasia is a condition in which the hip joint forms abnormally and can subsequently cause arthritic changes that can be painful. It occurs in all breeds of dogs, but the occurrence is greater among some larger breeds.

Is it inherited? Hip Dysplasia is a polygenetic inherited condition. Puppies are born with normal hips, but both genetic and environmental factors can lead to abnormal development of the joint.

Can it be prevented?
Breeders and owners can take steps to reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia. Breeders can screen all breeding animals by x-raying hips after 24 months of age and submitting those radiographs to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals for evaluation and rating. (Learn more about this process below by viewing the OFA link.) Breeders can then factor that information, along with careful study of the orthopedic history of closely related dogs to pair dogs that are less likely to produce hip dysplasia. Emerging research is also shining a light on the environmental effects that can contribute to the expression of hip dysplasia. During the first 60 days of life (during critical joint development) gentle, unforced, weight-bearing exercise on surfaces with good traction shows promise in reducing the incidence of HD.

Once puppies go home at eight weeks of age, new owners have a role to play in reducing the risk of hip dysplasia as well. Maintaining proper weight is critical. Excess weight on puppies and growing young dogs can interfere with the healthy development of the hip joint. High impact exercise such as the use of stairs, jumping in and out of a vehicle, and other hard jumping can be detrimental. It is also important to allow a young pup to both initiate and end exercise in accordance with how they feel. So, forced long walks or runs can be too much for developing joints.