My dog's X-ray showed hip bridging. What is it and what does it mean?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! For arthritis yes it would be shown on radiographs. With hip dysphasia, radiographs can help diagnose it but it should be interpreted with the physical examination findings as well. Have a good night!

It is likely a good idea to have the hip examined and X-rayed by your veterinarian to check for dysplasia or other potential deformities in the joint. Depending on the severity of the issue, your vet may also recommend starting Twinkle on a joint supplement early to help keep the joint healthy and slow down or prevent damage to it or other measures to help keep the joint stabilized and healthy.

Legally, I am not allowed to give you a diagnosis, but based on the x-rays you posted, I suspect that your vet told you that Sly has significant hip dysplasia and arthritis in both hips. I'm sure that came as a surprise to you since Sly is only showing some limping after resting. Dogs are very stoic and do not show us pain as we would expect. Since you have just started Sly on a glucosamine and chondoitin sulfate supplement, you certainly could wait and see how he does on that, but I suspect you will need to add some additional supplements or medications to resolve his limping, so don't be afraid to talk to your vet about those. We frequently use fish oil, MSM, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and many other drug combinations for arthritis. I also highly recommend physical rehabilitation and acupuncture. Although we expect our dogs to cry in pain, most dogs with arthritis pain act exactly like Sly and only limp after getting up. Our goal with treatment is to get them to the point that their pain is so well controlled that we don't notice them limp at all. I hope that helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There is severe hip dysplasia present in both hips, I am afraid. The left hip id also subluxated and I suspect it is causing more discomfort than the right hip. Hip dysplasia is a disease that dogs are born with. Arya must have had it sine a puppy but most likely it was not as severe as now. Spondylosis in the lumbar spine is usually a result of infection of intervertebral disc. Typically, it is an accidental finding in dogs that do not cause mobility problems. However, CT scan of the spine would give more detailed information about the severity of spondylosis.

Looks like mild hip dysplasia of the left hip. There also seems to be narrowing if the medial joint space in the right knee but this could be due to positioning. It would be easier to give you advice if you could give us more information about Milo’s clinical signs and what diagnosis your vet gave.

Hello. Sunshine has significant hip dysplasia & also evidence of arthritis in her lower back & hips. This is very sad for such a young dog. She will need pain management, weight control management, careful exercise & possibly some additional therapies to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life. STEM cell or PRP therapy may be of use ( ask your vet about these ), but often surgery is necessary ( removal of the femoral heads ). Acupuncture, laser therapy & rehabilitative medical intervention are all possibilities, too. Please make sure you spay Sunshine. These are traits & conditions you do not want to pass on to future litters. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hip dysplasia means that the dog has poor hip conformation, with the ball of the femur not tight into the hip joint. Due to the joint looseness arthritis usually develops as the dogs age. A hip joint fracture sounds more like it was from a specific injury. With rest a hip fracture should heal over six weeks but if the hip joint is involved then Jenny may get hip arthritis and pain in her hip. Heat will relax her muscles and increase the blood supply to heal the fracture so it is a good thing to do. Please keep her in a small area and take her out only to the bathroom for a month. That will give her the best chance of healing the fracture. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jenny.