is elbow & hip dysplasia inherited?

Originally Posted by BRTLover

ED and HD is not always inherited; it can be environmental.

There are several things owners can do to minimize the chances of a dog having HD or ED.

Not feeding puppy food {but rather an all lifestages food} so the growth rate is not too fast

Exercise; impact jumping, running should be limited until puppy is at the bare minimum a year old.

The last time I research this topic
60% environmental
40% inherited

I will try to find the vet link where I found this information for you.

For xrays: the least amount of sedation as possible. The OFA website has this information on it and they like to see muscle elasticity still!

I challenge you to find me ANY EVIDENCE that shows that Canine Hip and Elbow Dysplasia can EVER OCCUR without a genetic predisposition.

Canine Hip and Elbow Dysplasia is ABSOLUTELY inherited genetically.

[bubbatd]

I may have to agree ....I've only had 2 offsprings with HD..... ( of many years of breeding ) ..... I never bred to anyone with " Fair " and always checked at least 2 generations of OFA........it may not show up for years , and when I started my line there was no OFA .

[shadowfacedanes]

Originally Posted by Debi

did you not read where I specifically said I did NOT feed incorrectly? as to exercise...again, I didn't do what is implied. xrays......helloooooo..........my vet is in charge of the sedation, and I am at his mercy on this. so....when you post information, post something new.

Debi, I think this was general information, not specifically aimed at YOU per se...just at the topic of the thread. The poster is new here. I don't think there was any malice intended.

[Saintgirl]

HD and Ed are a genetic issue, BUT environmental factors can exasperate the underlying problem, or so my own research on the disease has lead me to believe.

http://www.offa.org/hipgeninfo.html

Often a dog will be asymptomatic thus leading the owner to believe that no dysplasia occurs, when in fact it has been there all along. Extra weight and strain due to activity on the joint can cause an increase on the degeneration of the already abnormal joint leading to symptomatic dysplasia. Diet that does not promote a slow steady growth does not cause dysplasia, it does not cause abnormal joint growth, however it can increase strain on a join that is already compromised. The same with excessive exercise, it does not deform a joint, it only adds more strain that can cause symptomatic dysplasia in an asymptomatic dog.

My boy has ED. He was symptomatic at a year of age due to an injury he sustained. This is when we discovered his dysplasia, and immediatley we started thinking of the worse case scenerios. My immediate concern was for the quality of life that he was going to have. He is now 4 and a half and is asymptomatic. We feed him a good solid diet, keep his weight in check, and keep him physically in shape. His dysplasia is not severe, so it is easy for us to maintain a healthy and painfree lifestyle for him. Surgery was able to be avoided for us. When he is older I am sure that we will have new obstacles to deal with as the arthritis becomes more of an issue. If he hadn't have hurt himself when he was younger we still may have been unaware of the problem. We do use a supplement that we feel works well in his lifestyle, even though there is no hard evidence that they work, we feel good about using it. So Debi, even if your dog is diagnosed with dysplasia there are lots of options and many ways for your pup to live a life that does not have to compromise his quality of life.

[bubbatd]

I will say that in one case the owner in my mind went to adult food too early . The other case the dog was stressed early on with too aggressive Frisbee play . I have always tried to preach that let pups go at the limits natural to them until they have their bone growth . Let's face it ... they want to please us !!!

[fillyone]

It is my understanding that HD and ED point more to the structure of the joints and then the resulting Degenerative Joint Disease.

I'm not sure I've seen an x-ray of severe DJD that didn't also include some malformation of the joint.

That all said, Dante is Grade I DJD in one elbow but completly symptom free at almost 4 years old. I have not changed anything about what he does in the 2 years since I got his OFA results.

My next pup will have prelims done for both hips and elbows, probably around a year old.

[Saintgirl]

I do not beleive that feeding adult food too quickly can cause HD. In fact most Saint people I know do not ever feed puppy food to their dogs, always a high quality dog food. In fact, most puppy foods (unless specially formulated) can encourage faster growth in large and giant breed dogs only adding to the strain on an already unsound joint causing symptoms of the problem. I know many members of Chaz do not feed puppy food to their growing pups either. Grammy, I beleive in your case the HD or ED was already an existing condition, however excessive exercise and perhaps diet exasperated the problem.

Originally Posted by Debi

did you not read where I specifically said I did NOT feed incorrectly? as to exercise...again, I didn't do what is implied. xrays......helloooooo..........my vet is in charge of the sedation, and I am at his mercy on this. so....when you post information, post something new.

Sorry will never again take my time to respond to any of your posts since your response is so rude!
There were some posts stating that HD and ED is only genetic and that is not true and therefore I gave the knowledge I had.

Sorry again!

[Dekka]

Focusing as I am on genetics and school..and dogs being one of my favorite topics. All the research I have read and deleved into says that ABSOLUTELY these things are genetically linked. Now that there is more info on the genes involved in heriditary issues, more will be learned. But to date all the research points to there always being a genetic link with HD or ED

BRT lover..if you have some info on the contrary I would be really interested to see it, I love research and learning Also don't be offended if people say stuff that seems rude on the board. Sometimes people are in a hurry and don't realize how the posts sounds. That is the issue with these sorts of things, there is no tone of voice to help us understand how things were meant. I know I have done that myself.

SaintGirl, exactly. Environmental factors can cause HD or ED to be expressed. However, it cannot be clinically expressed if there was not an underlying genetic predisposition.

Part of the problem with the apparent inability to eradicate or strongly minimize CHD in dogs has to do with 2 things:

1) dogs who present as radiographically normal who are not genetically normal, and will produce dysplastic offspring, and

2) the failure to consistently have all puppies in litters screened and results released whether normal or abnormal.

I, along with others I greatly respect, feel that BREADTH in a pedigree (siblings of breeding parters, siblings of parents, and siblings of grand parents) are MOST important in managing to select dogs for breeding who are most likely to have/produce normal hips (and elbows). Generations straight back of normal dogs is also important, but it is the breadth of the normal dogs in the pedigree that carries the most weight.

This is one reason why the OFA's website is such a useful and wonderful tool for today's breeders. It is also a reason why breeders should try their very best to get ALL puppies in a litter screened, and have the courage and love for their breed to release ALL the results.

JMO as always.