#NORMAL HIP XRAY DOG HOW TO#

The owner had noticed Gabi would occasionally stop while running and look back at her left hip. At the time, Gabi’s physical exam was normal without any reduction in her range of motion and no specific hip pain. It wasn’t until November 2020 that we were able to schedule Gabi’s radiographs. We discussed taking PennHIP radiographs, and for a variety of reasons they were postponed.

#NORMAL HIP XRAY DOG HOW TO#

This was an ‘incidental finding’ as Gabi wasn’t having any symptoms of discomfort, changes in mobility or activity but we discussed with her owner what symptoms to watch for, steps to take to reduce stress on the hips and how to keep Gabi comfortable. The hip joints were visible on the edge of the film and the radiologist made mention that Gabi had hip dysplasia. In 2019 the doctors at Hawthorne Hills Veterinary Hospital took radiographs of Gabi’s abdomen as part of an evaluation for intestinal issues. Gabi, who is a medium sized dog, was quite active with her owner, regularly going to the dog park and on hikes around the area, yet she never complained. And for active dogs, it is common to think limping or soreness is just a consequence of rough and tumble play or over activity. Depending on their size and lifestyle owners may easily miss a subtle limp, a shift in gait, or a reluctance to play fetch as long as usual. The dogs don’t know that their joints should feel a particular way, and many hide their symptoms in the early stages. Surprisingly, this is often the case with many dogs. She is a lovely 7-year-old Border Collie/Poodle mix who didn’t show any signs of joint issues until there was quite a bit of change present.

We are recognizing Gabi as our Pet of the Month for October. This ability to reproduce the results consistently is key and most importantly, PennHIP imaging has been documented to be the best predictor of future development of osteoarthritis. Studies have shown that the degree of joint laxity (how loose the joint is) does not change significantly over time, and additional studies confirm that the same dog evaluated by different PennHIP veterinarians will have very similar scores. Early evaluation can allow early intervention at a time when joints are still developing and before the onset of arthritis. Images can be taken at any age, including puppies as young as 4 months of age. One excellent tool for assessing for the risk of hip dysplasia is PennHIP imaging. However, joint issues can affect any size dog and any breed. Arthritis in the hip joints is a common issue for many of our dogs as they age and particularly common in some specific breeds such as the Labrador Retriever, Great Dane, Rottweiler, German Shepherd Dog, St.

Normal hip xray dog