golden retriever

Health concerns

• Hip dysplasia
• Skin cancer
• Eye infection
• Heart problems

Canine Hip Dysplasia

Of the above mentioned diseases, hip dysplasia is one of the most common diseases which affect golden retrievers. Normally, the hip joint is a ball and socket joint. the head of the femur fits exactly into the socket in the pelvis. this socket is called acetabulum. the acetabulum and the femoral head are held in position with the help od strong ligaments and connective tissue. moreover, between the joints, there is also a padding of a spongy cartilage which acts as a cushion and a fluid around the articular surfaces so as to minimize friction between the two bones. as the pelvic joint is a ball and socket joint it enables complete rotation. However, in some cases, the ball and the socket joint are malformed, i.e. they do not meet each other properly, hence resulting in the two bones rubbing each other therefore restricting complete motion. This can happen due to both environmental and genetic factors. Canine Hip dysplasia is widely seen to affect larger breeds, more than smaller breeds.

Normal pelvic joint Vs. joint affected with Canine Hip Dysplasia