# Factors Affecting Development of Hip Dysplasia in Dogs



## lyra (Nov 2, 2012)

A little while ago I posted a thread called "Are we walking our puppy too much" http://www.vizslaforums.com/index.php/topic,6654.0.html because I had had so much conflicting advice about how much to excercise a puppy.

I was particularly concerned about the 5 min/month 'rule' that was quite often suggested by websites and some vets as we were already exceeding that by a long way. I spent a* lot *of time searching for any scientific basis for this advice and found none what so ever. There are plenty of sites that tell you that that is what you should do but they have no justification for this advice. 

Today I decided to look at this from a wider point of view and look for research on why dogs get hip dysplasia and not only did I still not find any research backing up the 5 min/month 'rule' but even found a 'clinical findings' paper (with links to other studies) that suggested that the opposite was true - it was the dogs that received less exercise who were at the greatest risk of hip dysplasia.

After spending several hours looking into this I thought it might be helpful to share what I have found and would welcome any research contributions that people have come across. I have put links to the best articles I found but read a lot more! Please can we stick to discussions about the science and not people's personal experience in this thread (as distressing as it is to have a dog who suffers from this condition).

Firstly, genetics are probably the biggest single factor. Anybody considering buying from a breeder should know what the hip scores are for the sire and dam and should know what the breed standard is (currently 12 in the UK scoring system). A good score isn't a guarantee of good hips but there is a much better chance with a low score. 

That is the start but even if you start with good hips you can still damage them. There seems to be increasing evidence that diet is an important factor, particularly the amount of Calcium and the Calcium/Phosphorous ratio. Too high a percentage of Calcium is not recommended. Also, calorific intake is an important factor; both in terms of weight gain (obesity) and too rapid growth causing skeletal distortions.

Early neutering can have a detrimental effect on joints (particularly males).

Finally there is the issue of exercise that I have already mentioned. This is a complicated area and you are best to read the information from the link to fully understand the issues and make your own decisions but their observation is that the best environment with regards to this issue is one in which "exercise opportunities are maximized, with several dogs of a similar age free to run and play all day and night in large paddocks". 

I hope that people will find this information useful and once again, if anybody has good links to research (as opposed to opinion) in this area please add them to this post.

Breeder Vet and Kennel Journal http://www.showdogsupersite.com/hips.html
Nutritional Risks to Large and Giant Breed Dogs: From Weaning to the Geriatric Years http://portais.ufg.br/uploads/66/original_Racas_grandes.pdf 
Why "Overgrowing" Your Large Breed Puppy is Dangerous http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/09/slow-growth-diets-for-giant-breed-puppy.aspx
Dietary Mineral Levels Affect Bone Development in Great Dane Pups http://www.bestfriendsvet.com/pdffiles/BoneDevArticleWa.pdf
Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0055937


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

Thank you for sharing your research. Off leash and on leash play were always very different in my eyes. I'll have to delve into some of the links you posted. We just saw an older german shepherd with Hip Dysplasia the other day and it was heartbreaking.


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## Nelly (Feb 7, 2013)

Thanks for this Lyra, really great information since there is so much ambiguity surrounding V puppy exercise. My mum is very traditional and never used any age/month rules (or any other as a matter of fact) re exercise so walked her pup whatever she and the dog saw fit from the word go, her girl never suffered hip or joint problems. This will be my night time reading tonight!


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