German Shepherd Hip Dysplasia: What Owners Need to Know
German Shepherds have one of the highest rates of hip dysplasia among large breeds -- decades of popular sire effect and selection pressure for a sloped topline have taken a toll. The good news: responsible breeders testing hips and selecting for normal scores have measurably reduced rates in their lines.
Signs of Hip Dysplasia in German Shepherds
Bunny-hopping gait (using both rear legs together), difficulty rising from a lie, reluctance to use stairs or jump, rear leg lameness especially after exercise, progressive muscle loss in the hindquarters, pain or discomfort when the hip is manipulated. Symptoms may appear as early as 5-12 months, but many dogs compensate until middle age when arthritis becomes severe.
Hip Evaluation Options
OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) evaluates hip radiographs taken at 2 years and issues grades: Excellent, Good, Fair, Borderline, Mild, Moderate, Severe. PennHIP uses a different technique, can be done from 4 months, and provides a distraction index (DI) score. Both are accepted by reputable breed registries. Only dogs with Good or Excellent OFA scores or a low DI should be bred.
Treatment
Weight management (critical), controlled, low-impact exercise, NSAIDs and joint supplements for pain management, physical therapy and hydrotherapy, total hip replacement (THR) for severe cases in otherwise healthy dogs. THR success rates in dogs are excellent (>90%) when performed by experienced surgeons.
Recommended Health Tests
- OFA or PennHIP hip evaluation
- OFA elbow evaluation
- Degenerative myelopathy (DM) DNA test
- MDR1/ABCB1 drug sensitivity test