NEW Evaluation for Degenerative Hip Diseases in Dogs

What Is AIS PennHIP?

At Pikes Peak Veterinary Clinic we are excited to offer this new screening procedure to evaluate the hips of our dog patients. Many breeds are susceptible to a degenerative condition called hip dysplasia, including, but not limited to Saint Bernards, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Malinois, German Short Haired Pointers, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers and other larger breeds, though has been reported even in toy breeds. Some key points about this evaluation:

• PennHIP is a screening procedure for canine hip dysplasia, CHD, a malformation of the hip joint that leads to arthritis. It is a complex genetic disease.
• PennHIP checks for conformation of the hip joints with the extended view, then measures the laxity between the ball and socket using the compression view where the hip is at its tightest and the distraction view where we apply force against the hip to pull it out of the socket.
• A series of radiographs (x-rays) of the dog’s hips in three positions are performed: the hips extended, then the compression and distraction views. The measurement obtained is the distraction index or DI.
• The DI has been studied since 1993 and PennHIP has statistics for most breeds as well as mutts.
• This information allows doctors and owners to make decisions about the dog’s hip health, the eventual development of arthritis, and whether this dog should be used in a breeding program.
• This is not painful and does not harm the joint.
• To obtain the required images, the dog does require mild sedation.
• This can be done on dogs as early as 16 weeks.
• This procedure is safe for a dog that is in heat, but not if they are pregnant.
• If pups screened at 16 weeks have a poor DI, they can be referred to the orthopedic surgeons at Colorado Canine Orthopedics for surgery to help correct the hip joint and diminish the development of arthritis.
• For those wanting to breed their dog the PennHIP DI number can be a definitive indicator as to whether this dog is desirable for breeding. PennHIP has a massive database on many breeds allowing us to compare your dog to those of the same breed.

For much more detail and a video on how an actual vet visit goes regarding AIS PennHIP, Antech Imaging is our source.

By Jeff Fowler, DVM