Before you purchase a German Shepherd, know the top 5 causes of hip dysplasia.
Hip Dysplasia is very devastating to both you and your dog. Not only are you watching your dog go through pain, but you are watching them deteriorate right in front of your eyes. One of the biggest questions we answer here at Von Weiss Kennels are, “Why do German Shepherds get hip dysplasia?” or “Our German Shepherd had to be put down because of hip dysplasia and we are ready for another German Shepherd puppy.” Below are the top 5 causes of hip dysplasia, our dogs come with a guarantee NOT to have hip dysplasia! Looking for a new German Shepherd puppy?
Top 5 Causes of Hip Dysplasia
#1 Genetics
This is one of the more important causes of hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia can be genetically passed to puppies by a sire or dame that has hip dysplasia in their bloodlines. It is a genetic flaw. When breeders do not get their breeding pair x-rayed for hip dysplasia, and one of the parents have the disease, the chances of the puppies inheriting hip dysplasia is great. Unfortunately, dogs can also carry the Gene of Hip Dysplasia. The German Shepherd Dog can have great x-rays of the hips yet still have a litter with hip dysplasia. You would have no way of knowing if that line is effected unless they have been bred and the puppies will show signs in the litter. At this point both dogs need to be spade or neutered to prevent it from ever happening again. Good breeders will have at least 3 generations of the hip certifications of the bloodline they are breeding.
#2 Diet
This is one of the causes of hip dysplasia you have control over! Feeding a poor diet can also cause hip dysplasia. Feeding your dog a low calcium and protein diet infected with preservatives such as BHA and BHT will set your German Shepherd up for health issues. It will weaken their bones due to lack of ingredients needed for strong bones. As well, over feeding your German Shepherd will cause extra weight and pressure on their hips and cause hip dysplasia as well.
#3 Injury
If your dog shows signs of hip dysplasia at a young age, it may not be genetics, but an injury for allowing a puppy to jump over things or on things. Puppies are very active and need to have their activities monitored. If your puppy is having issues, an x-ray will show an injury. Older dogs can also get hip dysplasia from an injury as they get older and will present osteoarthritis first and then hip dysplasia. Always be on the lookout, this is another one of the causes of hip dysplasia that you have control over.
#4 Poor Exercising
If you allow your dog to be a couch potato and not take them to exercise, your dog is at risk. This is yet another one of the causes of hip dysplasia that you have control over. Lack of exercise will weaken your dog’s muscle mass, putting more pressure on your dog’s bones, therefore weakening your dog’s bone structure allowing hip dysplasia to form.
#5 Birth problems
Occasionally, a mother has a puppy that will be born breach, (feet first), and the mother cannot push the puppy out due to it being breach or too large for her to whelp. A breeder will have to carefully pull the puppy out to save the puppies still waiting to be whelped (born). There is a small possibility that the puppy in question may have a hip problem due to pulling on the puppies legs to allow the other puppies to be whelped. This is a rare occurrence but can happen. An experienced breeder will know how to pull the puppy out with as little pressure to the puppy’s legs as possible.