What is hip dysplasia? It is actually one of the worst canine diseases that can affect a lot of breeds including the German Shorthaired Pointer. Why does this disease occur? It is possible that it is related to more than one genetic problem. It is also possible that something in the dogs environment is responsible for the disease. Some of the environmental factors could be growth rate, type of exercise, nutritional factors. Although the German Shorthaired Pointer can have a predisposition for hip dysplasia, the disease may not be triggered without just the right combination of environmental factors.
Our original question was: what is hip dysplasia? We need to know something about the hip joint which is where the hind legs are attached to the canine hip. It is like a human hip joint which is called a ball and socket joint. The head of the femur (thigh bone) is the ball part of the joint while fits into an indented space in the pelvic bone (socket part). There are muscles and ligaments attached in a way that the ball and socket joint has appropriate movement capability. If there are problems such as loose ligaments or poor muscles and the smooth joint movement is compromised, the German Shorthaired Pointer can develop very painful arthritis. Hip dysplasia can occur unilaterally or bilaterally in the canine. There can be any number of issues that are involved, such as problems with either the ball section or the socket section of the joint or with the entire joint.
When the German Shorthaired Pointer is born, the hip joint is more than likely normal and appropriately functional for movement. If you recall, possible triggering factors were discussed above and it is probable that if the dog is exposed to one or more of these triggers, the abnormalities in the joint(s) can begin to affect the surrounding structures which then stretch so that the contact between ball and socket becomes abnormal. It can occur that walking will eventually become impossible. Although some puppies are diagnosed with hip dysplasia, it typically is diagnosed in canine adulthood. The dog owner will observe that the dog's gait is changing; leg extension is decreasing; difficulty managing stairs will be noted and the GSP may seem to be in pain. The pain and accompanying movement disorder may result in an inability to walk. Hip dysplasia is really a miserable disease both for the GSP and the owner alike.
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