Hip dysplasia is a common growth disorder of the hip in dogs. It is also known as HD. The cause is an inherited predisposition and can occur in young and older dogs.
Hip dysplasia is actually a misalignment of the hip joint, where the head of the hip bone is not adequately enclosed by the socket.
An HD examination is mandatory for all German Longhairs used for breeding. HD results are listed with all dogs on the stud list.
There are several FCI final results possible for HD:
- HD-A (=negative): the dog is free of HD based on the X-ray. However, the dog may still be a "carrier" of the defect.
- HD-B (=transitional form): pictures show small changes resulting from hip dysplasia.
- HD-C (=slightly positive) or HD D (=positive): the dog shows clear changes that fit the clinical picture of HD.
- HD-E (=positive in optima forma): the hip joints are severely deformed.
