Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) management is stratified by patient age and disease severity, with the primary decision points being: immature dog with laxity only, immature dog with early degenerative joint disease (DJD), and mature dog with established osteoarthritis (OA).Veterinary Medi…+1

In immature dogs (≤16 weeks), juvenile pubic symphysiodesis (JPS) is the earliest surgical option. JPS is indicated for dogs with mild to moderate hip laxity confirmed by a positive Ortolani sign at 12 weeks of age, and it improves joint congruity, decreases laxity, and can reverse or prevent progression of DJD when performed at the appropriate age.Veterinary Clin… JPS is best understood as a preemptive procedure rather than a therapeutic one — it is not appropriate for hips with advanced laxity or existing DJD.Veterinary Clin…

For dogs aged 4–6 months with hip dysplasia and insufficient acetabular coverage, double pelvic osteotomy (DPO) is a primary surgical intervention. DPO, along with triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO), redirects the acetabulum to improve femoral head coverage and reduce subluxation forces.Acta Scientiae…+1 Modern DPO and TPO plate designs have been refined to reduce complication rates, and constructional changes in current implants represent a meaningful advance over earlier systems.Medycyna Wetery… Patient-specific and off-the-shelf 3D-printed acetabular rim extension implants represent an emerging surgical alternative, designed to improve femoral head coverage and stability while enabling bilateral single-stage application to reduce overall recovery time; off-the-shelf versions aim to reduce production time and cost compared to individualized implants by using standard radiography rather than CT for planning.Research in Vet…

In mature dogs with established OA who fail conservative management or have severe disease affecting quality of life, total hip arthroplasty (THA) is the gold standard surgical option, with a reported success rate of greater than 95%.Journal of the… Femoral head and neck excision (FHO, also called femoral head and neck ostectomy) is an alternative when financial or logistical constraints preclude THA.Journal of the…+1 Owner satisfaction following FHO is historically good to excellent for consistent pain-free locomotion, though FHO produces expected long-term gait changes including limb shortening from craniodorsal femoral displacement during weight bearing.Journal of the… Dogs under 20 kg historically achieve better long-term outcomes after FHO than larger dogs, though some disagreement exists between reports on this point.Journal of the… Early and aggressive postoperative physiotherapy after FHO is essential to prevent excessive pseudoarthrosis fibrosis, improve muscle mass, and maximize range of motion.Journal of the…

Conservative management is appropriate for dogs with mild or intermittent clinical signs at any age, and as lifelong adjunctive therapy in all surgically managed dogs. The most evidence-supported conservative interventions are weight management and body condition optimization — obese dogs are more likely to become clinical at a younger age, and lifelong maintenance of lean body mass is one of the most effective strategies available.Veterinary Medi…+1 Additional conservative modalities with supporting evidence include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), omega-3 fatty acid-enriched diets, polysulfated glycosaminoglycans, and extracorporeal shock wave therapy.Veterinary Surg… Evidence for acupuncture and mesenchymal stem cell therapy exists but is at lower evidence levels.Veterinary Surg… Hydrotherapy is widely used to relieve pain and stiffness and build muscle strength, leveraging the beneficial physical properties of water.Veterinarni Med…

Physical rehabilitation is indicated both as a standalone conservative strategy and as a mandatory component of postoperative recovery. Conservative rehabilitation targets pain reduction, improved hip range of motion, and maintenance or building of muscle mass.Veterinary Clin… Postoperative rehabilitation shifts focus to reducing pain and inflammation, protecting the surgical site, and restoring limb use, before transitioning to range-of-motion and muscle-building work once healing is confirmed.Veterinary Clin…+1

Lifetime cost modeling favors surgical intervention over conservative management in dogs under 8 years of age, as the cumulative cost of lifelong multimodal conservative care exceeds the one-time cost of surgical correction in this age group.Journal of the…

Would you like to go deeper on patient selection criteria and timing for DPO versus JPS in the young dysplastic dog?