What Makes a Dog More Likely to Develop Hip Dysplasia?
Hip dysplasia is caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Dogs without the genetic component don’t develop the disease. However, many dogs can have the genetic predisposition, genotype, without actually developing the condition, phenotype. Therefore, dogs that stem from a lineage prone to hip dysplasia should not be bred. It is also important to check that the parents of any potential puppy purchase have been certified by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) as hip dysplasia free. Dogs with the genetic predisposition are more likely to develop hip dysplasia if they are overweight or if they grow too quickly as puppies.
