Skip to main content

Move to new side of building

We are excited to announce that Phase 1 of construction will be completed in early March. We will start seeing patients on that side of the clinic the week of March 4th. Monday, March 4th will be a moving day. If you have a scheduled appointment on March 4th you will enter the clinic through our normal front doors. We will have reduced appointments on that day. We will be exclusively in Phase 1 from March through June while the remainder of the clinic undergoes a full renovation.

Here are some changes that will occur from March to June:

• We will be implementing curbside for all appointments and medication or food pick-up. Please call from the parking lot to check in and we will call when a room is ready for you to enter.

• You will enter through a new front entrance into a small makeshift reception area and a staff member will meet you to usher you into an exam room

• Our surgical appointments will be limited for those 3 months. We will still be able to do surgery but have a limited number of cages and recovery areas. Surgical drop-off and pick-up will also be curbside.

• If you purchase food from the clinic, please plan as we will be carrying a reduced volume of food due to lack of storage. You can also visit our online pharmacy and order your food from our online store https://springhillvet.vetsfirstchoice.com/.

Hip dysplasia (HD)

Home » Interactive Animal » Canine » Musculoskeletal » Hips » Hip dysplasia (HD)

Hip dysplasia (HD) is a heritable growth abnormality of both hip joints that causes instability, abnormal joint function, and arthritis. HD occurs most frequently in large and giant breed dogs. Dogs with hip dysplasia may not show any signs of a problem, while others can be markedly lame: difficulty rising, limping, bunny hopping, and reluctance to jump or do stairs. Suspicion of hip dysplasia is based on breed, age, and symptoms. To confirm the diagnosis, radiographs must be taken to evaluate the hip joints for laxity. The appearance of the hips on radiographs does not always correlate with the clinical signs. That is, dogs with severe pain may have mild changes on radiographs and dogs with no pain may have marked changes on radiographs. Over time, dogs with hip dysplasia develop varying degrees of arthritis due to the instability in the joint. Treatment for hip dysplasia will depend on the age of your dog, the degree of arthritis that is present, body weight, and joint architecture. The goal of therapy is to restore the joint to normal function and eliminate pain. Some cases involve surgery, such as a triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO) and total hip replacement. Other cases may be best managed with medical interventions such as: weight loss, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s), nutritional supplements (e.g.: glucosamine and omega-3 fatty acids), and physical therapy (strengthening exercises). Dogs diagnosed with hip dysplasia should not be bred as this is a well-documented heritable condition.