interesting HD article - Page 1

http://www.siriusdog.com/dysplasia-hip-dog-chd-ofa-pennhip-1.htm pt 1
http://www.siriusdog.com/dysplasia-hip-dog-chd-ofa-pennhip-2.htm pt 2
http://www.siriusdog.com/dysplasia-hip-dog-chd-ofa-pennhip-3.htm pt 3
http://www.siriusdog.com/dysplasia-hip-dog-chd-ofa-pennhip-4.htm pt 4
http://www.siriusdog.com/dysplasia-hip-dog-chd-ofa-pennhip-5.htm pt 5
http://www.siriusdog.com/dysplasia-hip-dog-chd-ofa-pennhip-6.htm pt 6
http://www.siriusdog.com/dysplasia-hip-dog-chd-ofa-pennhip-7.htm pt 7
http://www.siriusdog.com/dysplasia-hip-dog-chd-ofa-pennhip-8.htm pt 8

  

Good series of articles that everyone on this board should read.  I've only read the first two installments so far but know where it's going and it's what I've tried to explain to people for years with little success.  Hip dysplasia is genetic; a dog is either born with it or it isn't.  While nutritional and environmental factors may contribute to dysplasia in a dog who is already genetically predisposed, they will not cause it in a dog who is not.

Very cool SitasMom. Good point Keith !

Whisper

Not that simple or black and white. Like I have said a zillion times, if it were totally black and white, we'd have eliminated it by now.

Actually, it is that simple.  Hip dysplasia is a genetic condition.  Some Injuries may mimic the symptoms or even some of the bone malformations common with the condition but that is not HD in the truest sense of the word.  Someone born with genetically bad knees is not the same as someone who has bad knees because of an injury.

The reason we haven't eliminated it yet is that we haven't isolated the specific genetic markers, a task made even more formidable by the polygenic nature of the condition.

@Sitas Mom

Excellent series of articles. Thanks for the links!

Well written and intended to be comprehensible to lay-people. Valuable reference material for anyone interested and involved in the world of dogs!

SteveO

 Keith, you're right- what I meant was it's not that simple for the reasons you mentioned (injuries, etc.). The issue isn't that black or white because of all the variables: terminology, injured vs. inherited, misdiagnosis, etc. Add to it that we don't even have a consistent "governing" body to turn to for help and you end up w/what we have today- a bunch of really great dogs wrongly eliminated from the gene pool by nothing more than ignorance and a plethora of false information, and a bunch of really mediocre dogs bred solely on hip status. If it were better understood, I don't think hips would be looked upon in the same way and maybe we could get back to breeding DOGS and not HIPS. 

thanks guys!

"If it were better understood, I don't think hips would be looked upon in the same way and maybe we could get back to breeding DOGS and not HIPS."

I agree, Jen, and see a lot of effort being expended to identify the specific genetic markers responsible for HD.  Hopefully, we'll see it come to fruition in our lifetime and it will forever put to rest all of the subjectiveness, guesswork and excuses surrounding the issue today.