Canine hip dysplasia is one of the most common orthopedic conditions in dogs, causing chronic pain that requires multimodal management and ideally prevention through responsible breeding practices.
Hip dysplasia causes chronic pain that impairs mobility, reduces activity, and progressively worsens quality of life in affected dogs. Many dogs mask significant pain through behavioral adaptation, making welfare compromise easy to underestimate. Responsible breeding that selects for improved hip scores reduces incidence in future generations — perhaps the most impactful long-term welfare intervention available. For affected individuals, multimodal management addressing pain, weight, fitness, and environmental adaptation can maintain good quality of life for years. The ethical obligation to improve breed health through selection against dysplasia falls on breeders and breed clubs who control the genetic trajectory of affected breeds.