The incident rate in Siberians is fairly low – only around 2%, I believe. I’ve only ever had one case pop up in a dog we produced about 7 or 8 years ago, and I was more than surprised to see it, considering all of the relatives were either good or excellent. I wasn’t entirely convinced that the dysplasia wasn’t due to pulling too early, or very rough play with the dog’s companion (an older Siberian). I’d seen photos of the bigger dog dragging the affected dog around as a puppy by her hind legs. But, according to the owner, their vet claimed that it was hereditary. And it IS in the breed. I don’t have those lines, anymore. And I’ll admit – I still don’t worry about it a whole lot. I eventually get them all in for the OFA, but am not as diligent as I am with the eyes. Those get done annually, and sometimes twice a year.
The term hip dysplasia is common in many medium to large breed dogs. Basically, the ball of the hip does not fit properly into the socket. Early detection can occur between 4-9 months of age if noticeably irregular gait begins to occur. The OFA will rate X-rays obtained by a veterinarian on a scale ranging from Excellent to Dysplastic. Only dogs that have received a rating of Excellent or Good should be used for breeding. Environmental factors, such as injury and a lack of proper nutrition can affect this defect. The incidence rate in Siberians is relatively low comparatively, especially for those dogs descending from lines where hip screenings have been performed over generations. Surgeries are available for affected dogs, but with proper care, he may lead a complete and full life.
If you’ve got any background or experience with this defect, I’d love to know your thoughts on how it can be treated.
Thanks!
Again our rescue girl Anara, not only suffers from seizures, but also has HD in her right hip and has double luxating patellas. She is the results of careless breeding. Anara gets 1000mg of Glucosamine daily. She is 4 years old and can run with the younger girls. You can barely tell that she has issues. She is not severe enough for surgery for her hip. If we see that any of them begin to cause her too much discomfort, then we will consider the surgery. But with all of her “other” issues, we take what we can get with her.
Comment by Dyellen — April 14, 2010 @ 8:50 pm
Hi Dy,
The sad thing is that you can encounter this type of scenario even with careful breeding. In the past, I’ve bred cleared, good-quality, champion dogs and produced puppies who were later diagnosed with epilepsy… most certainly not intentional, nor was it done indescriminately.
I’ve not had much difficulty with the hips, knock on wood, but the one case that was produced many years ago had required surgery and the puppy in question got physical therapy at the vet (swimming).
I’ve seen all kinds of health issues in the breed over the years… ectopic ureter, diabetes insipidus, autoimmune disorders, low thyroid… just when I think I’ve seen it all, something new pops up.
Sounds like Anara is lucky to have you to help her through :).
Take care,
Jess
Comment by Jalerran — April 15, 2010 @ 4:54 pm