Hip dysplasia is one of the most common inherited orthopedic conditions in dogs. Comprehensive management combining medical, physical, and surgical approaches can maintain excellent quality of life.
Hip dysplasia causes chronic pain that significantly impacts quality of life if not well-managed. The welfare challenge is identifying the condition early enough to implement interventions that prevent or slow arthritic progression, and managing pain effectively throughout the dog's life once arthritis develops. Many dogs with hip dysplasia live well into old age with appropriate management; the key is not allowing pain to be under-treated from a misplaced desire to 'avoid medication'. Weight management is one of the highest-impact interventions - every kilogram of excess weight increases joint loading and pain. Hydrotherapy enables pain-free exercise that maintains muscle mass critical for joint stability. Surgical decisions involve weighing significant upfront costs and recovery against long-term welfare outcomes, and should involve specialist input for complex cases.