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In today's society, you can not pick up a newspaper without seeing numerous articles regarding medical advancements. Advancements in Cancer, AIDS, and many other diseases are happening every day. However, you only tend to hear about advancements pertaining to human medicine, what about all of our four legged friends? Humans are not the only species afflicted with disease. Dogs all over the world are suffering from a disease known as , and their human owners may have no idea. How many times have you noticed Fido limping about and thought nothing of it? That limp may have been the first sign of CHD, and with the proper medical attention Fido could have been alleviated of unnecessary pain. After reading this paper, humans will better understand and the studies that are being done to eliminate this painful disorder.
is abnormal development and growth of the hip joint (Anonymous, 1997). This painful disorder is the most common orthopedic disease in large and giant-breed dogs (Smith,1997). In order to fully understand this disease, you must understand the canine hip. The normal canine hip is a ball and socket joint consisting of the acetabulum and femur (Minnier, 1996). The acetabulum and femur provide for a tight fit and allow pain free movement. In a dog with CHD, the fit between the acetabulum and femur is loose causing friction between the two bones. This is manifested by varying degrees of laxity of the muscles and ligaments around the hip joint along with instability and malformation of the joint components (Anonymous, 1997). Much like Sickle- cell anemia, a genetic disease in humans, CHD is also believed to be a genetic (Smith, 1997). To date, genetics is the only known cause of , however, other factors may play a role in exasperating the condition. Such factors are nutrition, environment, body size, growth rate, and muscle mass (Anonymous, 1996). These factors alone CAN NOT cause , they can only affect an animal with the genetic trait.
Now that you know what is, you probably want to know how to tell is your beloved pooch is afflicted. A puppy that is afflicted with CHD can have no symptoms what so ever. If your dog is laid back and inactive, that alone could possibly be a sign of CHD. These symptoms solely should not make you run frantically to the Veterinarian, for they most likely mean nothing. The more common signs of CHD are as follows; lameness and pain, stiffness in the morning, slowness getting up, not wanting to exercise, a change in stride, "bunny hopping", wanting to sit down during walks or while eating, and reluctance to stand up on hind legs (Anonymous, 1997). If your animal shows one or more of these symptoms it would be best to have him examined. Just like any disease, the earlier it is detected the easier it will be to cure. The Veterinarian will be able to give a tentative diagnosis by use of history, clinical signs, and results of palpation (Smith, 1997). A definitive diagnosis of CHD requires a x-ray of the hip joint (Moore, 1997). This x-ray must be taken with the dog flat on his back with the femurs extended parallel and the knees slightly inward (Moore, 1997). A new method, PennHip', is being tested to diagnose . This method involves measuring the passive hip laxity of the canine's hip joint (Minnier, 1996). The x-ray is still the only way to reach a definitive conclusion regarding CHD.
Once your animal is diagnosed with there are three routes you can take for treatment. The non-surgical approach utilizes anti-inflammatories to improve the function of the joint and reduce pain (Minnier, 1996). Acupuncture, chiropractic rituals, and vitamin therapy are all non-traditional approaches to relieving CHD. These approaches are not commonly used among Veterinarians, however there are a few who believe that it works. When all else fails, surgery is the way to go. The Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO), is utilized for dogs 6-8 months old with no evidence of degeneration (Moore, 1997). During this surgery, the acetabular portion of the pelvis is rotated to provide increased coverage of the head of the femur. The Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) has produced the best results from smaller breeds of dogs (Moore, 1997). The head of the femur is removed and the surrounding muscles compensate for the missing joint. Uncemented hip prosthesis uses a beaded surface so bone and tissue can grow and secure components (Moore, 1997). The BOP shelf arthroplasty is a relatively new surgery. During this surgery, lattices are implanted in the joint. New bone begins to grow over the lattice, and correction of degeneration of the joint occurs (Moore, 1997). The most commonly performed surgery is very similar to that used in human hips. The Total Hip Replacement consists of a replacement of the head or ball of the joint with metal prosthesis and a replacement of the acetabulum with a polyethylene socket (Moore, 1997). This surgery is performed on dogs over nine months old that have fully developed growth plates. Unfortunately, the pain experienced by the dog can not always be alleviated leaving euthanasia as the only option (Moore, 1997).
In order to eliminate any chance of poor Fido being put to sleep, caution must be used for prevention. can be prevented by careful breeding (Minnier, 1996). If you know that you have a dysplastic dog, do not breed him! Genetics is the key word here. If you are purchasing a puppy, ask about a history of C.H.D. in the family tree. If there is a possibility that your dog does have CHD you can prevent the onset by watching his nutrition and environment. Do not allow excessive rough play and try to keep weight gain at a minimum. If you follow ...
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