Dog Hip Dysplasia: Breeding, Prevention and Welfare

Hip dysplasia is one of the most common heritable orthopaedic conditions in dogs, causing chronic pain and reduced mobility that is significantly preventable through evidence-based breeding.

Key Facts

Hip dysplasia affects up to 70% of some large breeds including German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers
The condition involves abnormal development of the hip joint causing painful arthritis from early adulthood
Heritability of hip dysplasia is estimated at 25-45%, making breeding selection a powerful prevention tool
Hip scoring schemes including the BVA/KC Hip Scheme provide objective assessment enabling selection against dysplasia
Environmental factors including obesity, rapid growth and excessive exercise during puppyhood increase risk
Multimodal management including weight control, physiotherapy, NSAIDs and in severe cases surgery significantly improves welfare

Welfare Considerations

Hip dysplasia causes chronic pain that affects dogs from early adulthood through their entire lives, with severity progressively worsening as arthritis develops. The genetic component means prevention through responsible breeding is the most impactful intervention. Breeders who screen and only breed from dogs with good hip scores dramatically reduce dysplasia rates in subsequent generations. For affected dogs, multimodal pain management combining weight control, physiotherapy, appropriate exercise and pain medication provides meaningful welfare improvement.

What You Can Do

Only purchase dogs from breeders who provide hip score certificates for both parents
Maintain ideal body weight in growing large-breed puppies to reduce developmental hip stress
Seek veterinary assessment if your large-breed dog shows stiffness or reluctance to exercise
Discuss multimodal pain management options with a veterinary specialist for affected dogs
Support breed health improvement programmes establishing minimum hip score requirements for breeding