Understanding hip dysplasia in dogs, one of the most common inherited orthopaedic conditions, and how breeding, diagnosis, and management can reduce suffering.
Hip dysplasia causes a spectrum of suffering from mild exercise intolerance to severe, chronic pain that profoundly reduces quality of life. The progressive nature of secondary osteoarthritis means that welfare deteriorates over time without adequate management. Pain assessment in affected dogs is critical: owners frequently underestimate the pain burden of CHD because dogs adapt their movement rather than vocalising. Multimodal pain management — including NSAIDs, gabapentinoids, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and weight management — can dramatically improve quality of life. The tragedy of CHD is that a significant proportion of cases are preventable through responsible breeding using validated hip screening programmes. The financial and emotional cost of managing severe CHD is substantial, yet breeding decisions that could reduce prevalence are not consistently made across the industry.