Clean Run - August 2019 - 17

Using
PennHIP

to Detect Hip Problems
in Canine Athletes
© LesLey mattucHIo, WWW.PBase.com/LesLeyLou

By Matt Brunke, DVM, CCRP, CVPP, CVA, DACVSMR and Debra Canapp, DVM, CCRT, CVA, DACVSMR
Photos courtesy of VOSM except where noted

Hip dysplasia occurs in both humans
and canines. In dogs, large breeds (Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Bernese Mountain Dogs) are commonly affected, but
medium and small breed dogs can also
be affected.
Not all hip dysplasia patients will develop osteoarthritis. In companion animals,
some dogs may have a mild hip sway,
moderate cases may "bunny hop" when
moving fast, and severe cases can have
trouble just standing up. Those cases, in
the hands of veterinary rehab and surgical specialists, can be well managed and
the dogs can often live a comfortable,
productive life.
But what about the athletic canine? The
Sheltie who isn't hitting the turn into the
tunnel, or the Border Collie that is slow
up the dogwalk? Could that dog be
dysplastic? In this article, we will discuss
some common findings, diagnostics,
and potential treatment methods for
hip issues in athletic dogs.

Evaluating Dogs for Hip Problems
When your dog isn't right, you know it. He may be off in training or competition. It can
be scary, or just something you think you are imagining. The safe way to approach
these problems is to give the dog rest, have him evaluated by your veterinarian, and
get a consult with a rehabilitation, sports medicine, or orthopedic surgical specialist
for further evaluation.
When we evaluate your dog, we will watch him walk and trot. If you have videos of
him in sport showing the issue, we want to see those too. At Veterinary Orthopedic
Sports Medicine Group (VOSM), we do an objective gait analysis on the Gait 4 Dog
pressure mat, which allows us to pick up weight distribution abnormalities, as well
as to measure step/stride length. This gives us a baseline for the athlete, and we can
repeat this testing along the way to see improvement.
We will do a full physical examination and work on finding either a direct problem (like
a torn ACL) or an area of discomfort (like hip/low back) that may then need further
evaluation. Let's say we have a two-year-old agility dog who isn't turning well. The
neurological examination is normal, and the toes, hocks, and knees are normal. But
we find some low back pain, a sore iliopsoas, and some hip discomfort on full extension. Which is the problem, and which are secondary consequences of the problem?
You may have had radiographs of the hips taken, and they are interpreted as normal.
Historically, this is a sedated ventrodorsal view with the legs extended, the typical
OFA-style view. This can help evaluate arthritis, but it does not represent the weightbearing position of the hips. But if it is normal (good femoral head coverage, no arthritis), we move on to other tests.

Not all hip dysplasia patients will develop osteoarthritis. In companion animals, some dogs may have a mild hip sway,
moderate cases may "bunny hop" when moving fast, and severe cases can have trouble just standing up. Those cases,
in the hands of veterinary rehab and surgical specialists, can be well managed and the dogs can often live
a comfortable, productive life.

August 19 | Clean Run

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Clean Run - August 2019

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