Dog Hip Dysplasia Symptoms: Early Signs You Can Spot at Home

Hip dysplasia is abnormal development of the hip joint in large dogs, which leaves the joint loose and leads to degenerative joint disease, also called osteoarthritis.¹ The symptoms usually come on gradually, often after years of slow joint degeneration: weakness and pain in the hind legs, reluctance to get up from a lying or sitting position, limping or hesitation on stairs, and a back end that looks wobbly.² If you want the full background on the condition, start with our overview of hip dysplasia in dogs.

The dog hip dysplasia signs owners notice first

Hind-leg weakness, a wobbly way of moving, and reluctance to get up from a sitting or lying position are the usual signs, while only some dogs actually limp.² In rough order of how often they show up:

• Difficulty rising from lying down or from a sit.
• "Bunny hopping", where both back legs swing forward together.¹
• Stiffness, a common sign of osteoarthritis, which may get worse in cold, damp conditions.³
• Limping linked to the hip joint. Lameness may be mild, moderate, or severe, and is worse after exercise.¹
• Reluctance to climb stairs.²
• Swaying, wobbly hips when walking away from you.
• A grating sound from the hip during movement. A loose joint, reduced range of motion or stiffness, and a grating sound and pain when the joint is fully straightened or bent may all be present.¹

What are the first signs of hip dysplasia in dogs at different ages?

Some puppies with loose hips start showing weakness and pain in the hind legs as early as a few months of age, although signs are most common in dogs one to two years old.²

Although hip dysplasia begins in puppyhood, most affected dogs do not develop clinical signs until later, and it often takes years of gradual bone degeneration before a dog becomes symptomatic.² Osteoarthritis is a progressive, degenerative disease in which the cartilage that cushions the joints gradually wears down, leading to inflammation, stiffness, pain, and reduced mobility.³

Signs you see when your dog sits, lies down and stands

Watch the still moments, not just the walking, because that is where early signs show up most clearly. Owners commonly describe a "lazy sit", where the dog sits sideways with one back leg kicked out instead of sitting square. Sitting with the back legs off to one side instead of squarely is also listed as an early sign of cranial cruciate ligament disease, a knee problem.⁴

Other things worth writing in a symptom diary:

• Shuffling and circling before settling, or shifting position again and again while lying down.
• Scrabbling and splaying on slick floors, then managing fine on carpet.
• Standing with the weight tipped forward onto the front legs.
• Needing a run-up or a boost to get into the car.

Muscle changes that confirm the pattern

Signs of osteoarthritis include lameness, joint swelling, wasting away of muscle, and thickening and scarring of the joint lining.⁵ At home, stand behind your dog and run a flat hand down each thigh and over the rump, comparing left to right and comparing the back end to the shoulders. If the thighs feel soft and the shoulders feel solid, that is muscle loss, and it is useful information for your vet. Photos from behind, taken a month apart, show it better than memory does.

Lab hip dysplasia symptoms, German Shepherds and other at-risk dogs

Although any dog can be affected, hip dysplasia is seen predominantly in larger dogs such as German shepherds, Saint Bernards, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, Old English sheepdogs, and bulldogs.² Small dogs get it too, since any dog can be affected.²

Hip dysplasia is a genetic disease that is also influenced by diet, environment, exercise, growth rate, muscle mass, and hormones.² In one study of puppies at risk, two thirds of those fed as much as they wanted developed hip dysplasia, compared with only one third of those fed measured meals.² A study of German shepherds found that overweight puppies were almost twice as likely to develop hip dysplasia as their normal-weight counterparts.² A large screening study also found that higher body weight within a breed was associated with a more severe hip dysplasia grade.⁶ Additional studies have shown that spaying or neutering at an early age may lead to an increased incidence of hip dysplasia in some dogs.²

How a vet confirms it

Clinical signs and joint looseness that the vet can feel by hand, called a positive Ortolani sign, may indicate hip dysplasia,² and a hip X-ray taken under general anesthetic is the preferred way to diagnose it.² X-rays are also useful for judging how much arthritis is present and for planning treatment.¹

Some pets with significant signs of hip dysplasia or osteoarthritis on X-rays may not show any clinical signs, while others with minimal changes may experience severe pain and lameness.² Treat the dog in front of you, not the film.

What else causes weak back legs and gets mistaken for hips

Other problems cause hind end trouble too, and some travel together with bad hips: in one study of dogs treated surgically for cranial cruciate ligament disease in the knee, about 36% also showed signs of hip dysplasia on X-rays.⁷

If a cranial cruciate ligament ruptures completely, a dog may suddenly become very lame and may be unable to bear weight on the affected leg.⁴

A nerve problem looks different again. Degenerative myelopathy is a spinal cord disease that causes progressive muscle weakness and loss of coordination, and it typically affects dogs around eight years of age or older.⁸ Signs often start in one hind limb and then progress to include both, with the hind end gradually losing muscle and coordination as the disease advances.⁸ Scuffed toenails on the hind limbs are a typical sign.⁸

Treatment and day-to-day management

Since excess weight puts undue stress on the hip joints, weight loss is strongly recommended in overweight dogs.² Moderate daily exercise and avoidance of high-impact activities, such as jumping, may help keep the dog mobile and strengthen the supporting muscles.² Physical therapy is highly effective at improving quality of life and should be part of any treatment plan,² and rehabilitation including therapeutic exercise, hydrotherapy, laser and shockwave therapy can be beneficial.² Most dogs with hip dysplasia should receive veterinary-approved joint supplements, including omega-3 fatty acid supplements.² Pain control is your vet's call, and it is worth asking about at every recheck.

At home: rugs or yoga mats on slick floors, short flat walks instead of weekend marathons, nails kept short, a ramp for the car and a supportive bed. Keeping your dog's nails short increases traction and reduces strain on joints.³ If medical management stops holding the line, surgery enters the conversation. The two most common procedures are total hip replacement and femoral head and neck ostectomy, which means surgically removing the ball at the top of the thigh bone; less common options include triple pelvic osteotomy and juvenile pubic symphysiodesis, both operations that reshape the pelvis.² Our guide to hip dysplasia treatment options walks through how those decisions are usually made.

When mobility support makes sense

Mobility support makes sense once your dog's back end can no longer carry him for the distance he still wants to go. For a dog with degenerative myelopathy, using a sling or harness to assist with walking and standing, and considering a wheelchair to support the hind limbs, are standard parts of management, along with rugs, carpets or yoga mats on slick floors and ramps or steps where needed.⁸

A good candidate is alert, has a strong front end, and can still take some weight behind, even shakily. The OldPal Rear Support Dog Wheelchair carries weight through the hips and chest with a padded harness rather than through the spine, and the frame sits so the back legs hang free or lightly brush the ground. Dogs can squat and go to the bathroom in it, and the all-terrain wheels handle grass and gravel. It comes in five sizes covering rear leg heights from 3 to 27 inches, sized by one measurement, so check the size guide and fit finder before ordering, or email help@oldpalpets.com with a photo and a measurement. If you are weighing it up, our piece on wheels for arthritic and dysplastic hips goes deeper.

Red flags: call your vet today

• Sudden refusal to put any weight on a back leg.
• Dragging paws or walking on the tops of the toes (knuckling).
• Loss of bladder or bowel control.
• Rapid collapse or sudden paralysis, which is an emergency.
• Yelping when touched, or a dog who cannot settle at all.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Hip dysplasia in dogs: the full picture
• When both hips are affected
• Treatment options explained

Sources

Related guides

• Dog Hip Dysplasia Stance: What It Looks Like at Home
• Dog Joints Hurt: Signs of Joint Pain and What Helps
• How to Know If Your Dog Has Hip Dysplasia Before the Vet Visit
• Dog Dislocated Hip: Signs, First Aid and What Treatment Involves
• Dog Back Leg Joint Problems: Joints or Nerves, and What Helps