How to Know If Your Dog Has Hip Dysplasia Before the Vet Visit

If you are wondering how to know whether your dog has it, the short answer is this: watch for swaying hips when walking, stiffness or limping in the back legs, unwillingness to jump and decreased muscle mass in the hind limbs, then take that picture to your vet, who confirms it with a hands-on feel of the hip joint (the Ortolani sign) and X-rays taken under sedation.¹ You cannot diagnose it at home, but you can gather almost everything your vet needs. Here is what to look for and what happens next. For the full background on the condition, see our guide to hip dysplasia in dogs.

What hip dysplasia is doing inside the joint

The hip is a ball and socket joint, and in hip dysplasia it fits together loosely instead of snugly.² That looseness, called laxity, begins as dogs grow and is responsible for hip pain, limb problems and progressive joint changes, because continual abnormal movement of the ball deforms the socket.² Over the long term the joint loses cartilage, scar tissue forms around it and bone spurs develop around the ball and socket.² The looseness causes arthritis to develop over time, leading to pain and discomfort.¹

We cover that pattern in our guide to hip dysplasia affecting both hips.

The signs owners actually notice

Dogs showing signs of hip dysplasia generally fall into two groups: younger dogs with significant hip looseness but no arthritis yet, and more mature dogs that have developed hip arthritis from the condition.²

In a young or growing dog, look for:

• Limping or stiffness in the back legs, reduced activity or unwillingness to jump, decreased muscle mass in the hind limbs, swaying in the hips when walking, and shifting weight to the front legs.¹
• Reluctance to rise, and hip pain.²

In a middle-aged or senior dog, look for:

• Lameness or a change in gait, reluctance to walk or run, difficulty with stairs or jumping on the couch, difficulty getting up from lying down, and sudden behavior changes such as irritability.³
• A stiff hind limb gait, a waddle or sway through the body, and sitting with a leg straight or out on one hip.⁴
• Slipping and scrabbling on smooth floors, and more stiffness after a long rest. Dogs, like us, become stiff if they do not move around frequently.²

When it starts, and which dogs are most at risk

Dogs with hip dysplasia may show little or no sign early on, while others show signs as early as a few months old, or not until later in life, depending on severity and the development of arthritis.¹ At the mild end of the spectrum is the dog whose hip looseness is present but does not show itself until middle age.²

Genetics comes first. The cause is multifactorial, meaning several things contribute, but heredity is the biggest single risk factor.² The condition is common in medium and large breeds such as Labradors, German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Bulldogs.¹

Overfeeding and rapid growth in puppies can worsen the condition in dogs already predisposed, while restricted growth reduces how strongly the trait shows.¹ A large study found that higher body weight within a breed was significantly associated with a more severe hip dysplasia grade.⁵ Flooring matters as well: puppies kept on slippery surfaces during development have a higher incidence of hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis.⁴

What to do at home before the appointment

Do not push, pull or rotate your dog's hips. Painful joints do not need handling, and you will not learn anything a vet's exam will not tell you properly. Instead, collect evidence:

• Film your dog getting up from a cold start, first thing in the morning.
• Film from behind as your dog walks away from you on a flat, non-slip surface, watching for hip sway.
• Film the stairs or the jump into the car, if your dog still attempts them.
• Stand behind your dog and compare the thigh muscle on each side. Decreased muscle mass in the hind limbs is a recognised sign.¹
• Keep a short diary for a week: time of day, how long the stiffness lasts, how your dog is after rest and after exercise.

Bring the videos, the diary, your dog's weight history and a list of any supplements to the appointment.

How your vet confirms it

Hip dysplasia is diagnosed by X-rays combined with a physical exam and palpation of the hip joint, known as the Ortolani sign, where the vet feels the joint by hand.¹ Specific positioning is needed for the X-rays, which is why dogs must be sedated or anesthetized for the imaging.¹

Two screening schemes come up. The PennHIP distraction method is the most accurate measurement of the amount of hip looseness in puppies.¹ The OFA grades hips from X-rays taken after the dog is two years old, but the OFA image does not accurately predict later development of arthritis in puppies, which can miss a treatment window.¹ Subtle changes are hard to spot, so a physical exam always accompanies the imaging.¹

Telling it apart from the other causes of failing back legs

Hips are common, but they are not the only answer. In its early stages, degenerative myelopathy, a disease of the spinal cord, looks like the arthritis that often follows hip dysplasia in large breeds, which makes diagnosis challenging.⁶ With degenerative myelopathy the hind paws knuckle or turn under so the dog walks on its knuckles, and the hind feet scrape the ground when walking.⁶ Most affected dogs do not seem to be in pain, just very weak.⁶ Knuckling paws, scraping feet and swaying hindquarters that steadily worsen without obvious pain are the pattern to push for a neurologic workup about, since diagnosis takes a careful exam, spinal imaging and tests to rule out other causes.⁶

If the cranial cruciate ligament in the knee ruptures completely, a dog may suddenly become very lame and unable to bear weight on that leg.⁷ Other possible reasons for hind end signs include spinal injuries, spinal tumors, lumbosacral stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back) and fibrocartilaginous embolism (a blockage of the spinal cord's blood supply).⁶ X-rays and other spinal imaging are used to rule these out.⁶

Call your vet promptly, and treat it as an emergency, if your dog suddenly cannot stand, collapses, cries out, drags or knuckles a paw, loses muscle fast, or can no longer get outside to toilet.

What management looks like

Treatment depends on severity, age and response to therapy, and many cases are managed medically much like arthritis in any major joint: keeping a healthy body weight, pain relief prescribed and monitored by your vet, cartilage supplements and omega-3s, regular low-impact exercise such as walking and swimming, and physical therapy including muscle strengthening.¹ Be realistic about supplements: cartilage protective supplements are often recommended, but there is no evidence in peer reviewed literature that they help repair cartilage or protect against wear.² A slender body weight is by far the most critical part of arthritis management.⁴ Rehabilitation such as range of motion work, therapeutic exercises and water-based therapy helps improve joint mobility, increase muscle mass and improve endurance.⁴

Surgery suits specific dogs. Pelvic osteotomy, an operation that repositions the pelvis, is an option for immature dogs, ideally under eight to ten months, with hip dysplasia but no visible arthritis on X-ray.² Femoral head and neck ostectomy, which removes the ball of the hip joint, is more common for small to medium dogs, and total hip replacement is more common for large breeds.¹ Dogs that have a total hip replacement can have normal gait and range of motion.¹

Keeping your dog moving at home

Lay non-slip runners along the routes your dog uses most, swap stairs and jumping for a ramp, raise the food bowls, and use thick orthopedic bedding. Keep nails short, since long nails change how a wobbly dog grips. For dogs with degenerative myelopathy, management includes rugs, carpets or yoga mats on hardwood or tiled floors, pet ramps or steps, a sling or harness to help with walking and standing, and considering a wheelchair to support the hind limbs.²⁸

A rear support wheelchair makes sense when a sling is no longer enough, when walks have shrunk to the end of the driveway, or when your dog still wants to go but the back legs tire before the nose does. The OldPal Rear Support Dog Wheelchair carries weight through the padded harness at the hips and chest rather than the spine, the frame sits so the back legs hang free or lightly brush the ground, and dogs can squat to go to the bathroom while in it. It does not treat hip dysplasia. It supports mobility so your dog can keep walking, sniffing and being a dog.

Sizing uses one measurement, rear leg height from the top of the hip straight down to the toe pad. Use the measuring and fit finder page, or email a photo and your measurement to help@oldpalpets.com and a person will check it with you.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Hip dysplasia in dogs: the full picture
• When hip dysplasia affects both hips
• Hip dysplasia in Boxers

Sources