Is it normal for a 11 pound dog to get hip dysplasia?

Question

My vet said that x-rays won't tell till later but his hips hurt him when he sits and gets up. He is only 3 and the vet said it is rare for a small dog but he could have it.

Answer 1

It would be more common to have a luxated patella.

Answer 2

I find it hard to believe a vet would tell you that x-rays won't tell until later if your dog has hip dysplasia..if he really did, find a new vet. X-rays can detect hip dysplasia acurately at the age of 2 if you use OFA and as early as 16 weeks if you use PennHip.
While small dogs don't get hip dysplasia as often as larger breeds they can and do get it. Another thing that comes ot mind that is very common in small breeds is luxating patella.Have your dog checked for this as well.

Answer 3

Yes. Hip dysplasia has nothing to do with the size of the dog but rather with the bone structure of the hips. In fact, when veterinary medicine first became aware of hip dysplasia it was more commonly seen in small breed dogs than in large breed dogs. According to the Hip Dysplasia Statistics page on the OFA website, pugs are the second most common of the 148 breeds tested with 62.6% of the dogs tested by them being dysplastic. French Bulldogs are ranked #14, shih tzus are 38, cardigan welsh corgies 44, pembroke welsh corgies 45, and beagles 46. By comparison three of the breeds thought most commonly to be highly prone to dysplasia, goldens are ranked 31, german shepherds 40, and labradors 74. Granted, these are just the dogs that the OFA has read and there are undoubtedly thousands of shepherds, labs, goldens, and other large breed dogs that are dysplastic who haven't sent x-rays to the OFA. But clearly hip dysplasia is NOT rare in smaller breeds and is actually a relatively common problem in some smaller breeds as well as some large breeds.

Currently it is more commonly thought of as a problem in large breed dogs, but this could just be because certain large breeds (labs, goldens, shepherds just to name a few) have suffered greatly by their popularity and irresponsible breeding practices.

If he is three years old, then hip x-rays WILL tell you for sure if he has hip dysplasia. The OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) requires that animals be at least two years old before they will give a hip rating regarding dysplasia because many large breeds do not finish growing and may still have open growth plates before then. However, small breed dogs often mature faster and by two years all breeds have closed growth plates and can be diagnosed with dysplasia. Given what your vet has told you, I would recommend you get the x-rays done and have them sent to the OFA to be read as I would not be confident in the ability of a vet who thinks that three years old is too young to properly diagnose hip dysplasia.

Answer 4

Different kinds of dogs are prone to hip dysplasia. I had a golden retriever and the vet said that my dog was showing signs of it already. My dog used to sit in weird because it was uncomfortable for him to sit normally. He had a hard time going up steps at time. It is so sad when a pet gets sick ya know. God Bless.

Answer 5

My Shih Tzu has it and he was diagnosed by x-ray at 11 months. Small dogs can have surgery and the Vet says after recovery they should be even better that before the surgery.
My pup is now 1 and a half and has not needed surgery as yet.

Answer 6

It would be pretty unusual for a dog this young to have hip dysplasia to the point he's in pain, but sure it happens. If his parents' hips were bad, chances are pretty high that their offspring will have bad hips. Hope he'll be ok.

Answer 7

dog can have it at any age, my 17 year old has had it since she was born