And is it as often as it is in dogs?
But from some quick googling it looks like it is something you’re born with and is treated very very early.
It is not as common in humans as dogs
It is more common in large breeds than smaller ones. The last link has some good info on occurrance per breed.
Hip dysplasia is why Carrie Weaver, the fictional doctor on ER, has used a crutch all these years. Hers is congenital, and recently required surgery, as it’s getting worse.
And isn’t it more common in quadropeds than in bipeds? Something to do with the way the hips are constructed and used?
I’ve heard that it’s more common in certain dog breeds due to inbreeding. I dunno if that’s true, though.
With good breeding, it shouldn’t be, but I don’t know. We have owned numerous Newfoundlands (one of the most affected breeds), and the bloodlines were pure- all AKC champions, all straight and clear of hip and other joint problems- yet these dogs produced puppies who later developed hip problems. So it’s not as if breeders are using inferior dogs for breeding purposes, because reputable ones don’t.
I’m not sure what you can do about it, at least at this point.
“Caused by inbreeding” seems like such a catch-all. I raise dogs but don’t breed them, so my info ain’t exactly GC. Maybe a breeder or vet could wander in here?
As mentioned above hip dysplasia can be congenital and passed along. As a result unscrupulous breeders, not caring for more than furballs to sell, will not pay attention to this in their dogs and breed them indiscriminately. This can result in generations of dogs who have the problem and can get quite bad.
For instance take German Shepherds. So many people liked the “sloped” back (hips lower than the shoulders) that it was often selected for which sadly increased issues of hip dysplasia.
My dog is a Shiloh Shepherd which is an attempt at breeding back to the original German Shepherd ideal (think Rin Tin Tin). The Shiloh Shepherd, while having other breeds bred in, are still mostly German Shepherds. Part of the “fixing” of the German Shepherd in the Shiloh Shepherd was an attempt to seriously decrease the incidence of hip dysplasia. As an owner our breeder mandated (we signed our contract with this in it) that we get our dog x-rayed every two years and submit those to the breed association. The results of these will be used to track which lines show less hip dysplasia and presumably only those dogs with better bloodlines will be bred.
Sadly there are now some offshoot registries for Shilohs as some breeders did not like the almost fanatical restrictions and care with which the original registry is maintained. Personally I liked that they were all freaky about protecting the breed but where there is money to be made there will always be someone who thumbs their nose at what they should do.
How is your Shiloh Whack? I remember looking into the breed based on one of your posts!
Most people’s dysplasia is, like, way square. 
She’s doing great! Thanks for asking. If I knew how to link to photos in Snapfish I’d link a pic of her. Suffice it to say she is a sweetheart of epic proportions. The article I linked above does a good job of pegging the Shiloh and my pup fits it all. Big hearted, clam temprament, scarily intelligent, protector and best friend. Love her to death.
Hope your furry kids are doing well too! Like you I read up on Newfies after chatting up dogs together in some thread ages ago…one of my dog’s best friends is a Newfoundland (kidjanot…seeing him is about the only time my dog will forget herself and rip my arm off to go play with him…he does the same to his owner and I swear they can spot each other blocks away dragging us helplessly the whole way).
As long as Dr. Weaver is bred with someone without a history of hip dysplasia, everything should be fine.
Thanks for asking about our black, furry kids! We lost the “old man” this year, Tristan the Bionic Newfie, he of the four hip surgeries. And we lost Brendan a couple of years ago to leukemia.
But Angus is doing very well despite his two bad hips and torn ACL, and Holly is a joy, even if she isn’t exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer… seriously, she is the dumbest Newf I have ever met, and they are a DAMN smart breed.
It runs in my family. My niece had it, and so did my daughter. If you’ve ever seen a newborn in traction, it’s a pretty pathetic sight. She had to wear a sleeping brace between her feet after the traction and had corrective shoes until she was a few years old.
Shilohs are beautiful, eh. 
I would love to own one, but due to all the arguing between the registries, I don’t think I would want to deal with them. Do you reccommend any breeders?
Even in the best of breedings, defects can show up. Though not nearly as common with ethical, thoughtful breeding.
I have a long haired Rottweiler. Both parents OFA excellent, from a long line of show & working champions. His half brother took BOB at Westminster last year.
However this dog has dysplastic elbows (more common than HD, in Rottweilers though not usually as serious.) You can tell by how his front feet turn out. However he is five and competes in agility and obedience; I keep him very lean, which helps.
I did know a guy with hip dysplasia. It wasn’t a problem, or diagnosed, until he was an adult. He has several surgeries to rebuild the joint, and set off metal detectors.
Whack-a-Mole, those are gorgeous dogs! I know the overangulation favored in the US is looked down upon by many because of the higher incidence of weak hips. The same is said of breeding over-large Rottweilers. Most in the US ring are well over 100lbs, much larger than the breed was originally meant to be and not nearly as athletic or structurally sound.
I agree about the overangulation thing in GSDs. They look horrible. I didn’t realize that Rotties were supposed to be less than 100 lbs. Were they not originally cattle dogs?
Beautiful dog by the way.
Well, there isn’t a weight requirement in any of the standards, just height and proportion. But in the show ring “mid sized is preferred” and with the maximum height for a male being 27", only the largest bones males get significantly over 100lbs. Plus IMHO, most in the show ring look a bit chubby! The earlier ones - German foundation stock for modern Rottweilers from the 20s & 30s - averaged about 80lbs and were a bit smaller-boned. Also generally more athletic, from what I have read.
Cooper (the one in the pic) is 26" and quite heavy boned, I keep him at about 95-97lbs. I have a little shelter Rottie who is lithe and about 70lbs; she can run rings around him.
Yes, they were cattle drovers and general farm guard animals, also used for carting. One of the few non-herding breeds eligible to compete in AKC herding events. UKC classifies them as a “guardian” breed, but historically they’re an all-purpose, rural working dog.
They are naturally territorial and can be hard-headed, though generally very biddable dogs if treated fairly.
(Don’t get me started, I’m a real Rottweiler geek! Had them for 19 years.)
Hey, whaddya know? I was talking with my mom last night, and it turns out I had hip dysplasia as an infant! It was considered extremely mild, and I wore corrective shoes as a toddler. I do remember every so often having a terrible ache in one hip and staying home from school. I think in my case, puberty must have “cured” it as my hips grew and spread, because I haven’t had a problem in years, despite being rather overweight now.
Risk factors in humans for DDH (or the old name, Congenital Dysplasia of the Hip) are remembered by medical students as the four F’s.
Firstborn
Female
Feet-first (i.e. Breech delivery)
Family History
You know the way every newborn baby has someone mucking about with their hips and listening for clisks or feeling for crunches- they’re looking for DDH.
More websites:
http://ibis-birthdefects.org/start/hipdysp.htm
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20001001/tips/22.html
It is more common in people than ZipperJJ’s cite suggests- about 0.4% of boys and 2% of girls are affected.