Canine hip dysplasia is one of the most common and painful orthopaedic conditions in dogs, particularly affecting large breeds. It causes chronic pain that significantly reduces quality of life and is substantially preventable through responsible breeding.
Dogs with hip dysplasia experience chronic pain that worsens progressively with age and arthritis. Pain assessment in dogs relies on behavioural indicators — reduced activity, altered gait, vocalisation, and changes in temperament — that owners and vets must learn to recognise. Undertreated chronic pain is a major welfare problem; many dogs with hip dysplasia receive inadequate analgesia because signs are missed or accepted as normal ageing. Responsible breeding using hip screening data can substantially reduce the prevalence of the condition over generations. Weight management, appropriate exercise, and early intervention with anti-inflammatories and physiotherapy dramatically improve welfare for affected dogs.