What are the symptoms of hip dysplasia in dogs?
The main sign of hip dysplasia in dogs is either a swaying walk, because the dog has learned a strange way to move his leg that doesn’t hurt; or “bunny hopping.” A dog with hip dysplasia will avoid pain, reluctant to climb stairs, jump, stand on his back legs (like begging for treats) or do much exercise. You may start to see the symptoms of hip dysplasia in dogs after only four months of age, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes either the deformity, or the symptoms, won’t arise until adulthood or old age. This is because the dog may have learned how to avoid pain in the affected leg, but after time a secondary problem like osteoarthritis will strike, where there’s no way to avoid the pain. If your veterinarian thinks your dog has dysplasia in the hip, she’ll observe the dog’s walk, feel the hip move through its range of motion. If there’s a concern after that, then she’ll order an x-ray to confirm dysplasia. An alternative to the x-ray is to listen for a “clunk” noise (called th
