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{ Health Fact Sheet }
Hip dysplasia is the abnormal development of the hip joint. The hip is a ball and socket joint that connects the femur, the bone at the top of a dog’s leg, to the pelvis. The head of the femur is the ball which fits snugly into the socket of the hip, connected by ligaments. In an affected joint the ball will not be tightly in place, or may be out of the socket altogether, causing the joint to be unstable. If your dog has an abnormal hip it won’t work as it was designed to, which can lead to excessive wear and tear. He may develop arthritis and the joint can degenerate much quicker. In some dogs the body will grow extra bone to try to stabilise the joint, known as remodelling.
There are a number of causes of skin disease and often several combine to give a dog unhealthy skin that requires treatment. While allergies often cause humans to sneeze and have runny noses dogs tend to suffer with itchy skin. It is not really understood why allergies seem so common these days, although some people believe higher levels of pollutants in the environment affect some animals’ immune systems adversely, making allergies more frequent.Puppies are particularly susceptible to allergens. As their immune system is developing environmental allergens such as pollen can cause a reaction in genetically predisposed individuals.
Obesity is the term given to being overweight, or having an increased proportion of body fat. In dogs, obesity tends to occur when the calories in the diet exceed the energy expenditure; this excess energy is then converted into fat. Canine obesity is on the rise, with 35 per cent of dogs in the UK estimated to be overweight. Being a bit on the podgy side is the least of an overweight dog’s worries; as in humans, obesity can cause dogs many serious health issues. We have all the information you need on canine obesity, how to tackle it, and how to keep your dog’s weight in check.