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Practice Scenario
Meet HERMAN
A 15-month-old, intact male Weimaraner
- Herman presents for hindlimb lameness. The owner reports the lameness typically occurs after long walks and games of fetch. Occasionally Herman will stop and refuse to walk or play any longer. He also seems stiff when rising from a down position and climbing in and out of the car.
- Herman eats a mixture of dry puppy and adult food topped with a few bites of raw steak. The owner is unsure of the brand but says that the puppy and dog food are not labeled for large-breed dogs. The owner also gives Herman a calcium supplement daily.
- Herman has a body condition score of 5-6/9, weighs 36 kg (79 pounds), and has normal muscle mass.
- On exam, he appears to resist hip extension on both sides. However, he is very excitable and thus his reactions are somewhat difficult to interpret. He appears otherwise healthy.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Canine Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is a developmental orthopedic condition characterized by coxofemoral joint laxity, which results in abnormal joint loading. Typically, the condition progresses to osteoarthritis. Similar to other developmental orthopedic conditions, hip dysplasia is more common in large and giant breed dogs. Affected dogs may present with clinical signs, e.g., stiffness, difficulty rising or jumping, or shortened stride length, as puppies (with hip instability) or as adults (when the disease has progressed to osteoarthritis). However, clinical signs are variable and often do not correlate to the severity of radiographic changes.1
Hip dysplasia is a heritable condition whose development may be influenced by other factors, such as over-exercise.1 Diet may play a role in its development as well as in management of osteoarthritis.
Key Messages
- In at-risk dogs, maintenance of lean body condition is key to reducing incidence and severity of hip dysplasia and subsequent hip osteoarthritis.
- Purina research showed that maintaining lean body condition from puppyhood reduced the development and severity of hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis.2,3
- Hip dysplasia was seen in 50% fewer dogs at 2 years old and, when present, was much less severe in the lean-fed versus full-fed group.2
- The lean-fed dogs developed hip osteoarthritis at a median age of 12 years versus 6 years of age in the full-fed group.3
- Purina research showed that maintaining lean body condition from puppyhood reduced the development and severity of hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis.2,3
- Another study showed that in overweight dogs with hip osteoarthritis, lameness scores improved after weight loss.4
- Avoiding excess calories helps prevent too rapid growth, which can stress the developing skeletal system and predispose to skeletal and cartilage abnormalities.
- Puppies should be fed a
growth diet or adiet labeled for "all life stages" until they reach adulthood, at a level to ensure steady, but not rapid, growth.- Large and giant breed dogs may not reach adulthood until 18-24 months of age.
- Large and giant breed puppies may benefit from a less energy dense growth diet labeled specifically for large and giant breeds.
- Feeding for a slower, more controlled growth rate will not affect the dog’s adult size.
- Puppies should be fed a
- Once disease has progressed to osteoarthritis, a multimodal management approach including targeted nutrition can help improve mobility as well as slow the progression of joint damage.
“Feeding your puppy an appropriate diet at a level which maintains lean body condition can help lessen the risk or severity of hip dysplasia. Puppies fed to safely grow at a slower, more controlled rate will still reach their same adult body size, it will just take a little longer.”
Related Tools and Content:
The Purina Body Condition System
The Purina Body Condition System is an easy and practical tool for assessing a pet's body composition.
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How to Perform a Body Condition Assessment - Dog
Assess a dog's Body Condition Score in just 3 simple steps.
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Large Breed Puppies: Rapid Growth Is Not Optimal Growth
Controlling the growth rate of large and giant breed puppies is critical for their long-term skeletal health.
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Feeding Large and Giant Breed Puppies
Large and giant breed puppies should be fed to maintain a steady growth rate and a lean, healthy body condition.
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Definitions of Key Terms Regarding Commercial Pet Foods
This glossary defines the key phrases used to describe commercial pet foods and explains the roles of two important associations.
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To Share With Pet Owner:
Evaluating Your Dog’s Body Condition
Assess your dog's Body Condition in just 3 simple steps.
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References
- Schachner, E. R., & Lopez, M. J. (2015). Diagnosis, prevention, and management of canine hip dysplasia: A review. Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports, 6, 181–192. doi: 10.2147/VMRR.S53266
- Kealy, R. D., Olsson, S. E., Monti, K. L., Lawler, D. F., Biery, D. N., Helms, R. W., Lust, G., & Smith, G. K. (1992). Effects of limited food consumption on the incidence of hip dysplasia in growing dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 201(6), 857–863.
- Smith, G. K., Paster, E. R., Powers, M. Y., Lawler, D. F., Biery, D. N., Shofer, F. S., McKelvie, P. J., & Kealy, R. D. (2006). Lifelong diet restriction and radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis of the hip joint in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 229(5), 690–693. doi: 10.2460/javma.229.5.690
- Impellizeri, J. A., Tetrick, M. A., & Muir, P. (2000). Effect of weight reduction on clinical signs of lameness in dogs with hip osteoarthritis. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 216(7), 1089–1091. doi: 10.2460/javma.2000.216.1089