Hip Dysplasia In Labrador Retriever

Hip Dysplasia In Labrador Retriever

Hip Dysplasia In Labrador Retriever

The many dog breeds we see today have been developed through selective breeding programs. In order to develop dogs suitable for specific purposes, breeders found it necessary to breed for certain characteristics and these sometimes included deformities, defects, and mutations.

Genetic Disease in Purebred Dogs

Examples of these include the Dachshund and the Basset Hound with their long spinal columns and short legs, the Bulldogs, Boxers, and Pugs with their pushed in faces, and the German Shepherd with its low-slung hips.

Spinal Problems of the Dachshund

The German word, “dachshund” means badger dog. These chondrodystrophic weenie dogs were originally bred for their ability to easily crawl into badger holes. But today, according to veterinarian Patricia Luttgen of Denver, Colorado, about one in four Dachshunds develops some form of painful and/or paralyzing disc disease in its lifetime, due to its inherited skeletal disorder.