Can I tell if my dog has hip dysplasia?

The only accurate way to tell if a dog has hip dysplasia is by taking x-rays. In young dogs, this is recommended at six months of age. If the dog does not show evidence of problems at that time, we recommend x-raying again when they are two years of age. These x-rays can be "graded" using two systems that are nationally recognized:

- The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) system
- The Penn Hip system

If at two years of age the animal has good hips, then you can breed them to other animals that have been graded free of problems. If at either six months or two years of age a problem is apparent, that animal should be neutered or at a minimum, never bred.

In the older animals, we usually identify hip dysplasia when the owners bring the pets in for the following reasons:

- Limping in the rear legs.
- Trouble rising in the morning or after resting.
- Having difficulty jumping into the car.

When these symptoms are present, we take x-rays and often find dysplasia.

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