We mentioned hip dysplasia in February 2020 but we may have given it a low priority when discussing it, but it is a very interesting and important subject that needs to be covered more fully. Breeders and private individuals should know about genetics and how to breed their dogs in the best possible way before they take up cynophilia. It has been said that dysplasia is a congenital malformation of the coxo-femoral joint that is so severe that it causes dislocation of the femoral head. Many dog breeds are predisposed to the large and giant ones, less so the medium and small ones. So if a dog has a chromosome that causes this disease with the environmental stimulus it increases its situation. There are also many factors that contribute to this situation: calcium deficiency, lack of protein, excessive body weight, extreme exercise, pelvic deformity, heredity, etc. The disease can be diagnosed as early as in puppyhood and the first signs are poor movement, difficulty in standing up, rabbit-like gait, lameness and here we have reached the extreme cases!!! In adults, the pain can be more severe, especially with advancing age; the head of the femur comes out and goes back in, the cartilage degenerates and there is a lot of pain. It is important to diagnose the disease early with orthopaedic examinations. The optimal period is between three to five months during which examinations can be carried out with the external rotation and hip extension tests, the Ortolani test, the Barlow test and the AR-AS test. In the Ortolani test, the dog is placed laterally with the knee flexed, exerting slight pressure to abduct the limb; in the Barlow test, pressure is exerted on the knee with the femur placed vertically with respect to the radiographic table, simulating the physiological load on the femur, the limb is abducted towards the median plane; in the AR-AS test, the angle is evaluated using a goniometer. For the radiographic examination, the dog is placed under anaesthesia and in dorsal decubitus in a V position. The Norberg angle is used to assess joint congruity, this angle is considered physiological when it is equal to or greater than 105g. This measurement is most accurate in adult dogs. The tomographic examination allows for greater evaluation than the radiographic examination.
There are different grades of dysplasia: Grade A no sign of hip dysplasia, Grade B near-normal hip joint, Grade C mild dysplasia, Grade D medium dysplasia, Grade E severe dysplasia.
When we will mate our subjects we have to look very carefully at the clinical picture of both parents, if they are both A, it means that we will have healthy offspring, less with B-C and D-E but this is not a rule but only probability, certainly forbidden to cover with E. At birth the hip is almost always normal, the symptoms become evident with the passing of time, also the heredity has its good weight but the genes responsible for this disease have not been identified yet. It is recommended to all breeders to make prevention, to test young and breeding subjects in order not to have bad surprises later on! Even if the institutions, especially for bums, do not make it compulsory. It is up to us not to introduce unhealthy subjects in the selection and in the market since we see many dysplastic subjects and carriers of this gene. ENCI and FCI should make compulsory, and I speak for my tramp breed, the tests for dysplasia even if it is said that when two dogs are mated, they must not present genetic defects, behavioural problems and must be free from transmissible diseases……. Therefore the dogs must not only conform to the standard but also be healthy…. The private breeder should also be instructed and informed when he decides to have a dog on how to choose a good subject so as not to encounter unpleasant surprises. A serious breeder should not only think of profit and have litters all year round to earn big money, but should pay attention to the product he selects with seriousness and dedication to preserve his breed in the best possible way! There is so much to say !!!! It’s up to our conscience to be good in carrying on a cynophilia that very often loses the objective that was set, that is to protect the breeds. But these are just my opinions without any hurt !!!!!!!!!