Could my 4-month-old puppy have hip dysplasia based on x-rays?

Looks like mild hip dysplasia of the left hip. There also seems to be narrowing if the medial joint space in the right knee but this could be due to positioning. It would be easier to give you advice if you could give us more information about Milo’s clinical signs and what diagnosis your vet gave.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The hips are not fully grown or developed at this age however the subluxation that is seen in both hips is definitely abnormal and is likely to cause problems with walking and jumping. I am afraid the dysplasia looks serious and Normal may need surgery in the future to maintain normal mobility.

From what I can see his hips look pretty good, there is good coverage of the femoral head by the hip socket, the femoral heads seem to be pretty smooth and rounded, but if you want a second opinion, you can ask your vet for copies of the x-rays or ask them to send them to a veterinary radiologist for an expert eye.

Hello. It can actually be rather difficult to diagnose hip dysplasia in a puppy this young with x-rays. Often we need to be able to diagnose laxity in the joint under anesthesia or see pain when the hips are manipulated, Lameness when walking or bunny hopping when running are classic signs, too. I am not sure I would be doing the Osnate - d ( Vitamin D ) or the Xobix ( anti-inflammatory medication ) as the Vit. D can cause imbalances & if there is no pain or lameness, the anti-inflammatory is not going to do any good. I think you need another opinion, perhaps with a veterinary neurologist, to make sure there are no spinal cord lesions affecting his gait. If this is hip dysplasia, unnecessary supplementation with the Vit. D may make things worse as most dogs seem to get much better on their own by the time they are 12-18 months of age. If you can have Ghost reevaluated, that would be the best thing to do. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach..

That is possible. It is best to have Dace examined by your vet. X-rays are usually performed to determine if there is hip dysplasia present so that preventive measures can be taken to help protect the hip and keep it healthy. If Dace was from a breeder, asking if they have records of any dysplasia tests, etc can also help.

At this age, it’s hard to say- it could be either. Bernadette will need to start or continue her puppy vaccines around this age anyway, so have your vet do a good exam of the hips while you’re in for that. We really can’t diagnose hip dysplasia without xrays (unless it’s so severe that the hips are popping out of their sockets) but your vet could certainly do that at any time. Hope this helps and best wishes to you and your big puppy girl!

I agree with the doctor who said the x-rays were not positioned properly. In order to obtain really diagnostic quality hip x-rays, the patience should be fully sedated. Without being able to bend the hips all the way downward, you simply can not obtain completely accurate results. Depending on the current clinical picture, I might possible recommend starting medication. Joint supplementation definitely can't hurt, but starting an NSAID at this early of an age is not advisable unless there is clear and obvious discomfort / inflammatory pain. Hope this helps!