Rottweilers hip dysplasia

Rottweilers hip dysplasia hurts the dog and can make the animal disabled.

The cause of this disease is the abnormal development of the hip joint, when the femoral head does not properly correspond to the iliac cavity, which is easy to see on the x-ray of the dog.

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Hip dysplasia can occur in a dog in a mild form, not severely affecting the dog’s lifestyle, but can also be present in a severe form, causing arthritis.

The likelihood of developing hip dysplasia in a dog depends on several factors such as: gender, more common in dogs and dog size, dogs of large and very large breeds are more prone.

There is also a genetic predisposition to this disease for some breeds, such as the German Shepherd, Labrador, Golden Retriever and Rottweiler.

Environmental factors such as nutrition, overweight, and animal growth rate also contribute to the development of hip dysplasia in dogs.

Hip dysplasia begins to develop in young, growing dogs.

The earliest age when the first clinical symptoms of this disease can be seen is approximately four months, but some dogs may not have any symptomatic signs of the disease until they are more mature or even old.

Hip dysplasia is usually found in young dogs aged 3 to 12 months or already in adult dogs.

Rapid weight gain and a significant growth rate with excessive calorie intake increase the risk of the disease.

Symptoms

If your Rottweilers has hip dysplasia, you may notice a strange gait, stiffness in movement, or lameness. A puppy may show a “rolling” gait when the hips of the animal move up and down.

Your pet may refuse excessive physical exertion, experience difficulty climbing or descending stairs, that is, show signs of behavior that are not typical for puppy behavior.

More obvious signs are also possible: such as lameness, on one or both hind legs.

A more adult dog may show more obvious signs of the presence of this disease, for example, greater effort when changing the position of the body when the dog tries to lie down or stand up.

Thus, the following signs may indicate that the Rottweilers has hip dysplasia:

• Lameness (on one or both hind legs)
• Strange walk
• Discomfort when trying to lie down or stand up
• Reluctance to run and jump (especially in young dogs)
• Difficulty climbing or descending stairs
• Clicking sounds when driving
• Underdeveloped muscles on the hind legs (in chronic cases)

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Diagnostics

The veterinarian will conduct an external examination of the dog, assess the mobility and condition of the joint, determine how much the disease bothers the dog and hurts it.

An x-ray will help in establishing an accurate diagnosis, will show the severity of the disease.

Prior to a full examination, young dogs may need to use sedatives or even anesthesia, as palpation and manipulation of the hips can be very painful for the animal.