Hip Dysplasia 
Hip Dysplasia The word “dysplasia” means improper growth. In dogs, dysplasia refers to the abnormal formation of the hip complex, a pivotal structure that include muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and the joint capsule that holds together the ball of the thigh bone and the socket of the hip. The problem originates in puppyhood, when the skeleton grows more rapidly than the supporting soft tissue. This results in unstable hip joints. The ball and socket are not held together normally.
One minute a dog can be a picture of health, jumping, running, and chasing a ball under a full head of steam. With one vigorous leap on unstable joints, the ball of the thigh bone can be wrenched out of the hip socket, and you now have a dysplastic dog.
The condition usually affects both hips and ranges from very mild, with no apparent symptoms, to severe, painful, and crippling. Signs of hip dysplasia include hind leg lameness, a wobbly or swaying gait, difficulty upon rising (particularly in the morning), and reluctance to walk up stairs or to run or jump as normal.
As dogs age, abnormal movements within the dysplastic joints cause cartilage erosion and degenerative arthritis.
Although most common among bigger dogs, hip dysplasia may strike an animal of any size. In the past, many veterinary researchers contended that the primary reason for hip dysplasia was genetic, and therefore it was important to evaluate the hips of prospective breeding animals to determine the potential for problems in offspring. But recent evidence has indicated the condition is more complex and that major nutritional factors are involved.
A variety of surgical options exists for dysplastic dogs, including total hip replacement. Holistic veterinarians utilize methods such as acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, homeopathy, and nutrition to help relieve affected dogs (refer to the section on arthritis). They also emphasize nutritional strategies to help prevent the condition.
I consider hip dysplasia to be a biochemical condition easily prevented with good nutrition, and particularly with supplementation of vitamin C. In 1976 I first reported in a medical journal how I used a nutritional supplement to prevent hip dysplasia in eight litters of German Shepherd puppies born to parents with dysplastic hips. In these cases, the bitches were maintained on the supplement through pregnancy and the pups fed the supplement until adulthood.
The formula I developed many years ago and still use with great success is called Mega-C Plus and contains, as the name implies, large amounts of vitamin C, plus other essential nutrients. The form of vitamin C used in the formula is nonacidic sodium ascorbate. The product is available through Orthomolecular Specialties (408-227-9334).
The supplement has worked for hundreds of clients over the years, including many breeders. For twenty-five years people with German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Great Danes, and other large-breed animals have been telling me they no longer have hip problems and that their litters are strong.
The supplement, in powder form, is given to the bitch during pregnancy. For the pups you use a liquid version of the product—called Mega-C Drops—starting within a few hours of birth and continuing until weaning. After weaning, the pups can be switched to the crystals.
Why is vitamin C so important and so effective? It is well-known that most animals produce their own vitamin C in the liver (notable exceptions are humans and guinea pigs, who must obtain vitamin C in their diets). However, dogs—and cats as well—are not particularly good producers. They benefit greatly from supplementation. Adequate vitamin C is required for the development of strong collagen, the main structural protein in tendons, bone, cartilage, muscle, and connective tissue. Think of collagen as the cement that binds the body together. Vitamin C performs a critical biochemical role by transforming iron in the body into a form that permits the production of collagen. Without enough vitamin C, iron would inhibit the process.
Stress depletes vitamin C. Puppies are under constant stress: environmental, when young animals are placed in new surroundings; emotional, when separated from mother and litter mates; toxicological, when subjected to vaccines and dewormers; physical, when teething and undergoing dewclaw removal and tail docking. Large-breed dogs, in particular, have an additional load of stress due to their rapidly growing bodies.
By supplementing these animals during pregnancy, and throughout puppyhood, we are able to dramatically fortify their nutritional input and build the strong connective tissue necessary for good hip joints and supportive ligament tissue to sustain their big bodies. This has been my consistent experience for years.
The genetic theory has never been conclusively proven as the sole cause of canine hip dysplasia. In recent years many scientific papers have demonstrated the role of vitamin C in collagen synthesis. Until this issue is resolved, I continue to recommend a very simple solution that prevents crippling arthritis and suffering, avoids drug therapies with side effects, and offers an alternative to expensive surgical procedures.
For pregnant large-breed bitches, use enough Mega-C Plus crystals mixed into moist food to provide 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C. See label for the amount per teaspoon. For pups, use Mega-C Drops. For the first five days, give 66 milligrams of the mixture by mouth with a dropper. From five to ten days, give 100 milligrams. From then until weaning, give 132 milligrams daily. After weaning, give Mega-C Plus in food, gradually increasing amount. For animals up to twenty pounds, give 750 to 1,500 milligrams; larger breeds, increase slowly to bowel tolerance level. Note that excess doses may cause diarrhea. If the initial dose triggers soft stool, withhold the vitamins for two to three days or until stools become firm, and then begin at a lower level. Each animal is individual, and some may require more time to adjust to these levels of vitamin C. If the stool remains firm, increase the vitamin C level 750 milligrams every third day, until the stool begins to soften and loses its cylindrical shape. When this occurs, reduce the level by 750 milligrams and the stool should return to its previous firm shape. This is known as the “individual bowel tolerance level” for the particular animal. Always proceed slowly to reach the individual tolerance level—which is the optimum level—for your particular animal. Maximum dosage of vitamin C should not exceed 10,000 milligrams daily.
I find hip dysplasia showing up much earlier than before. These problems used to appear at 1 1/2, 2, or 3 years or older. I now have animals at 6 months having trouble walking up steps from dysplasia, weak ligaments, and bone structure that isn’t holding them up anymore. I attribute 80 percent of this to malnutrition and the rest to inbreeding. Practically speaking, it means too much high-protein and low-quality puppy food. I consider hip dysplasia 80 percent nutritional and therefore 80 percent preventable. The greatest success you can have against this problem is to put the parents on a good diet. Then you seldom have problems with the progeny.
If a puppy comes in at about eight weeks, I always check the hips. Even though nothing unusual may be found through X-rays, an examination can determine if there is any laxity in the joints and the beginnings of problems. I manipulate the legs in and out, and if there is any pain and if the animal is a larger-breed dog, I interpret this as a strong indicator of dysplasia and arthritis ahead. I then suggest the following preventive program.
Feed less protein.
Give Mega-C Plus, a nutritional supplement high in vitamin C developed by veterinarian Wendell Belfield (see previous Belfield comments).
Try also Missing Link, made by Designing Health (800-774–7387), a whole-food nutritional supplement with many important nutrients and enzymes.
When I reexamine animals a month or two later, the pain is usually gone. If the owners continue the program on a long-term basis, especially for the puppy’s growth phase, they can greatly reduce the chance of hip problems.
Often, the hip dysplasia I see involves animals who have had the condition for months or even years. The situation has gotten to the point where the owner sees an animal limping badly or in obvious pain. Perhaps the dog has bitten somebody who got too close to its rear end. Until these things happen, owners frequently don’t bother seeing a veterinarian for an evaluation. Even though they know their animal has hip dysplasia, people believe there is little that can be done outside of an expensive hip replacement.
I can’t create a new hip, but I can substantially help the functionality of the joint—getting up, walking around, and reducing pain. My approach involves acupuncture and Dismutase, a powerful antioxidant supplement made by Bio Vet International (800-788-1084). In most cases the animal improves significantly (see Van Cise’s entry under arthritis). Treatment involves one to fifteen sessions of acupuncture (one session a week), depending on the severity of the condition. For dogs with hip dysplasia I recommend seeing a veterinarian skilled in acupuncture. If acupuncture isn’t feasible, Dismutase by itself is very helpful. It also benefits muscles and tendons, thus giving additional support to the affected joint.
Small to medium dogs, 6 tablets; larger dogs, 8 tablets. The supplement must be given regularly and is best taken on an empty stomach.