Canine Conditions
Many dog owners turn to Clinical Canine Massage in search of relief and support for their dogs. This therapy can help address a variety of conditions and our Guild Therapists are here to offer specialist care tailored to your dog’s specific needs. Click on the link to explore more about various conditions.
Hip Dysplasia
D E F I N I T I O N
Hip dysplasia in dogs is the abnormal development of the hip joint. Where the top of each hind limb meets the pelvis, there is a ball and socket joint.
In hip dysplasia, there is looseness or laxity of the muscles which surround and stabilise the joint. The looseness of these muscles allows excessive movement which causes the ball, or the socket, or both to become malformed or damaged so they do not fit together as they should. This movement damages and wears away the protective cartilage in the joint, leading to early development of osteoarthritis within the affected joints.
Hip dysplasia can affect just one hip but most commonly affects both sides (Willows 2023).
C A U S E S
Hip dysplasia is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The genetic element suggests that if one or both parents (or grandparents) of the dog have hip dysplasia then the dog is more likely to present with hip dysplasia as well.
However, it is not that simple as there are thought to be many different genes involved, and breeding from parents with excellent hips can still result in pups with hip dysplasia (ACVS, 2023).
Environmental factors include rapid weight gain and growth as a young puppy, which can be as a result of excessive nutritional intake but will also have a genetic factor.
Inappropriately balanced nutrition may be involved in the development of hip dysplasia, and injury can also be a factor in the development of malformed hip joints.
Where a puppy is likely to develop hip dysplasia due the mentioned causes, excessive exercise may have a bearing on the severity of the dysplasia that develops (MSD Vet Manual, 2023).
S Y M P T O M S
Hip dysplasia symptoms can vary and will depend on the severity of the joint and muscle abnormalities and on the degree of progression of the osteoarthritis of the joint.
The amount of pain and discomfort experienced by the dog may not be proportional to the degree of hip dysplasia that can be seen on x-rays.
Some dogs with mild deformations of the joint may be extremely uncomfortable, whereas some dogs can have severe hip dysplasia which causes them limited issues and sometimes is only discovered during other investigations. Symptoms include:
- Compensating muscles becoming tight and hypertonic
- Underused muscles losing mass and becoming atrophied
- Excessive joint laxity
- Restricted range of motion of the hip joint in some directions
- Crepitus or grating within the joint
- Mild, moderate or severe lameness as well as a bunny hopping or a rolling gait
Click on the link to find out more information about these common conditions and see how Clinical Canine Massage could benefit your dog.
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Cruciate Ligament Repair
- Degenerative Myelopathy
- Dementia
- Elbow Dysplasia
- Femoral Head Ostectomy
- Fibrocartilaginous Embolism
- GOLP: Geriatric Onset Laryngeal Paralysis
- Hip Dysplasia
- Hypertonicity
- Hypertrophy
- Idiopathic Vestibular Disease
- IVDD: Intervertebral Disc Disease
- Lumbosacral Disease
- Luxating Patella
- Medial Shoulder Instability
- Myofascial Pain
- OCD: Osteochondritis Dissecans
- Postpartum
- Post Surgery Rehabilitation
- Pre Surgery
- Spondylosis
- Sprain
- Strain
- Syringomyelia
- Trigger Points
- Tripawds
- Wobblers Syndrome
Did you know the 5 PRINCIPLES OF PAIN
can help you identify potential signs of Hip Dysplasia?
Download your free copy pdf now.
- Swaying
- Bunny hopping
- Hind limb lameness often worse after resting
- Sitting in a ‘frog’ position with one or both hips splayed out
- Shifting weight forward
DAILY LIVING
- Reluctant to run, jump, or climb stairs
- Difficulty rising from lying or sitting
- Grumpy or withdrawn
- Nibbling or licking the hip area
- Painful when petted or groomed near rear end
- Exercise intolerance
How may Clinical Canine Massage help my dog with Hip Dysplasia?
Clinical Canine Massage helps to improve quality of life for the dog as they will feel better and move better, becoming more able to enjoy normal activities of daily living and exercise.
Benefits include:
- Relieving soreness, stiffness and joint discomfort
- Reducing inflammation around the affected joint
- Improving mobility and flexibility
- Correcting muscle balance and posture
- Assisting in providing pain relief
- Relieving any build-up of muscle tension and hypertonicity
- Addressing compensatory issues where the dog may be overloading other areas of their body to avoid putting weight through the affected limb(s)
Did you know?
In the ground-breaking clinical trials with Winchester University, 95% of dogs responded positively to Clinical Canine massage therapy (Lenton Method®) in just 3 sessions.
Our therapists specialise in soft tissue rehabilitation and chronic pain management for orthopaedic conditions, using this unique method of clinical massage.
…and the results are in!
Click the button to the research results published in Vet Report
Providing results you can see and your dog can feel!
Clinical Canine Massage - discover the difference it can make to your dog!
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