Faqs

In basic terms hip dysplasia is the improper growth of the hip joint. This can lead to the hip moving and this in turn, over time, can result in arthritis also called degenerative joint disease, arthrosis, osteoarthrosis. It can be a very painful condition. Although it is more normal for large breeds to be susceptible to CDD, medium and even small breeds can develop the condition; the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals is an organisation that keeps a database of many canine conditions including CHD the Pug (a toy breed) is ranked the second worst with 63.8% of those tested (390 tests) being dysplastic and yet at the other end of the height spectrum the Borzoi ranked #157 with only 1.8% having a dysplastic result.

Damage caused to the cartilage that lines the hip joint, which results in CHD, may be onset by the result of trauma or it can be caused by inherited defects; an abnormally developed hip joint.  When the cartilage is afflicted various enzymes cause a process which results in the cartilage loosing its thickness and elasticity. This thickness and elasticity has the important job of absorbing the loads placed on the joint during movement e.g.  rising, running, walking etc.  The degeneration is progressive and the enzymes and other debris spill into the joint lubrication fluid. This results in the joint be inadequately lubricated and the cartilage not receiving the nutrients it requires. As the cartilage gets thinner it eventually allows the synovial fluid to make contact with nerve endings which causes pain. In some cases to counter-act this the dog's body produces new bone around the edges of the joint (spurs) and this added bone can cause the range of motion in the joint to be decreased and additional pain.

Dogs afflicted with CHD may exhibit many symptoms, lameness, unwillingness to walk upstairs,  difficulty rising from a sit or a dropped (sleeping) position. They may also exhibit personality changes due to pain. The only certain diagnosis is by X-ray. Some vets may be able to see, from the X-rays, that the animal is suffering from the condition but normally it is advisable to have the X-ray reviewed by a professional using a recognised scoring system.

It is not possible to predict when clinical signs will develop; environmental factors such as the amount of exercise and the weather etc can make its mark on the severity of the symptoms observed. There also is no correlation between the severity of changes found by X-ray and the clinical findings for example dogs with severe arthritis can jump, play and run as if there was nothing evident and yet some dogs have barely any arthritic X-ray changes yet they are severely lame and clearly in pain.

Unfortunately some Basenjis have been known to suffer form CHD although the results are normally not 'severe' but borderline or moderate. Thankfully (based on statistical data available from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) which is based in USA) Basenjis evaluated in America under the OFA system are one of the least affected breeds at 3.2% of those tested being dysplastic and 23.7% having an 'excellent' score.    It is a condition for which conscientious breeders test breeding stock and do not breed from animals whose score is high. During puppyhood good nutrition, not over feeding or over exercising has been known to reduce the rate at which CHD occurs.

In severe cases the only treatment for the joint itself is by surgery. There are numerous drug treatments; rather like arthritis in humans glucosamine and condroiton and other natural remedies have proven to be effective in relieving the pain of the condition.