Is hip dysplasia an hereditary disease?
Hip dysplasia has an hereditary basis. The pattern of inheritance suggests that more than one gene is involved; however, the number is unknown. The practical implication is that breeding dogs for desirable traits, such as good temperament or large size may result in unwitting selection of animals that are susceptible to hip dysplasia. When both parents have hip dysplasia a high percentage of the offspring also become dysplastic. Selectively breeding animals that are disease-free by radiographic criteria reduces the occurrence of disease to 30%. Further reduction can be achieved by breeding dogs based on family performance and progeny testing. It has long been the goal of dog fanciers to eradicate hip dysplasia. Selective breeding has led to some improvements, but the disease has not been eliminated. A major problem is that we do not know the cause of hip dysplasia and we have only a few hints about factors that favor the expression of disease. A dog with normal hips may have one or mor
