Hip Dysplasia
This page is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or emergency care. Always consult your primary veterinarian or a rehabilitation veterinarian before starting treatment. If your pet cannot walk, has sudden paralysis, severe pain, or breathing difficulty, seek urgent veterinary attention.
What is Hip Dysplasia?
Also known as: canine hip dysplasia (CHD); developmental dysplasia of the hip; dysplastic hips.
Hip dysplasia describes abnormal development of the coxofemoral joint: a shallow acetabulum, poor femoral head coverage, and joint laxity. Abnormal motion damages cartilage and drives progressive osteoarthritis. Large and giant breeds are predisposed, but any dog can be affected. Genetics play a major role; growth rate, nutrition, and body weight influence clinical expression.
Signs may appear in young dogs with laxity-related pain or later as osteoarthritis dominates. Bunny-hopping, difficulty rising, and exercise intolerance are common owner observations. Diagnosis is veterinary (exam plus radiographs; distraction index or other scoring in screening contexts).
Management is multimodal: weight control, pain relief, activity modification, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and — when indicated — surgical options (juvenile procedures, FHO, total hip replacement). Rehabilitation aims to improve comfort and function, not to reshape a dysplastic joint into a normal one.
Common signs to watch for
Signs vary by severity and by whether your pet is a dog or cat. Owners of dogs often notice:
- Difficulty rising, climbing stairs, or jumping into the car
- Bunny-hopping gait or swaying hips at a run
- Hind-limb stiffness after rest; exercise intolerance
- Reluctance to play; sitting with hips awkwardly positioned
- Muscle loss over the hindquarters (gluteals/thighs)
- Clicking or pain on hip extension during vet exam
Causes & contributing factors
- Genetic predisposition to poor hip conformation and laxity
- Rapid growth and excess body weight increasing joint stress
- Nutritional imbalances during skeletal development (follow vet guidance)
- Secondary osteoarthritis progressing from chronic abnormal loading
How veterinary rehabilitation helps
A rehab assessment evaluates gait, hip range, muscle mass, pain behaviours, and functional tasks. Findings guide land-based physiotherapy to strengthen gluteals, core, and hind-limb support without flare-ups.
Hydrotherapy and underwater treadmill work (when appropriate) allow strengthening with buoyancy-reduced load — often helpful for dysplastic and arthritic hips.
Manual therapy, acupuncture, and other modalities may be layered for comfort. Home programmes and environmental changes (ramps, traction, paced walks) extend benefits between visits.
Rehabilitation plans at RehabVet are individualised after a veterinary assessment. We coordinate with your primary vet when imaging, medication, or surgery is part of the overall plan.
Modalities & services commonly used at RehabVet
Depending on your pet’s examination findings, comfort, and goals, a plan may include one or more of the following:
Expected rehabilitation goals
Goals are set for the individual patient. Typical aims may include (not guarantees — outcomes vary):
- Reduce pain behaviours and improve daily comfort
- Build and maintain hind-limb and core muscle mass
- Improve rising, stair, and walking confidence
- Support healthy body condition to unload the hips
- Equip owners with a sustainable home exercise plan
We do not publish invented success percentages. Progress is tracked clinically (gait, strength, range of motion, pain behaviours, and home function) and plans are adjusted over time.
When to seek veterinary care
- Persistent hind-limb stiffness, bunny-hopping, or reluctance to exercise
- Young large-breed dogs with early mobility concerns — screening discussion with your vet
- Sudden non-weight-bearing lameness (rule out luxation or other acute injury)
- Pain poorly controlled despite current medication
No. Dysplasia is a structural developmental condition. Physiotherapy and hydrotherapy help manage pain, strength, and function alongside veterinary medical or surgical care.
When screened and supervised, aquatic therapy is often useful because buoyancy reduces load while muscles work. Suitability depends on overall health and temperament.
No. Many dogs are managed medically and with rehab. Surgery is considered based on age, severity, lifestyle, and response to conservative care — your vet or surgeon advises.
Yes, though it is discussed less often than in dogs. Cats may show reduced jumping or grooming changes rather than an obvious limp. Veterinary assessment is still needed.
Related reading & patient stories
Book a rehabilitation assessment
If your pet has been diagnosed with Hip dysplasia, or you are noticing mobility changes, our team can assess and design a multimodal rehab plan.
Educational content only — not a diagnosis. For emergencies, contact your nearest veterinary hospital.
Related Conditions
- ConditionAngular Limb DeformityAngular limb deformity describes abnormal angulation or rotation of a limb from asymmetric growth-plate function or trauma, altering joint alignment and gait in dogs.Learn more
- ConditionLuxating PatellaPatellar luxation occurs when the kneecap slips out of the femoral groove — commonly medially in small dogs — causing skipping steps, pain, and secondary cruciate and arthritis risk.Learn more
- ConditionElbow DysplasiaElbow dysplasia is a group of developmental elbow disorders — including FMCP, UAP, OCD, and incongruity — that cause forelimb pain and progressive osteoarthritis, mainly in dogs.Learn more