Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hip scores and risk of hip disease in UK assistance dogs
By Lewis, Thomas et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2025·Guide Dogs National Centre, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Association between UK assistance dogs' British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club hip scores and their risk of clinical hip disease in later life.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs with high hip scores at around 10 to 14 months old are much more likely to develop hip arthritis later in life compared to those with low scores. Specifically, dogs with high scores were 2.1 to 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with hip disease as they aged. This was particularly noted in breeds like Labradors and Golden Retrievers. Regular hip screenings can help identify dogs at risk, allowing for better management and care to potentially prevent or delay the onset of arthritis.
People also search for: dog hip dysplasia risk · Labrador hip score · Golden Retriever arthritis prevention
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Screening schemes for hip dysplasia have long been used to guide breeding. However, the risks of clinical disease for dogs with high versus low scores are not well documented. METHODS: Longitudinal data were used to quantify the risk of clinical hip disease in dogs with 'low' and 'high' hip scores, as determined by radiographic examination at 10‒14 months of age, using survival and risk analysis. RESULTS: Survival probabilities indicate that diagnoses of hip disease occurred throughout the lifespan of dogs, but the 'high' hip score cohort was 2.1‒3.0 times more likely than the 'low' hip score cohort to have a diagnosis of hip arthritis. This pattern was repeated in breed-specific analyses of Labradors and Golden Retrievers, with a possible breed influence on hip score and risk of arthritis at comparable scores. LIMITATIONS: Diagnoses may include both false positives and negatives, and the threshold for the determination of 'clear' dogs at 12 years of age used in the risk analysis may have had an influence on the results. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides empirical evidence that dogs with a high hip score at about 1 year of age are at greater risk of being diagnosed with arthritis of the hip later in life than dogs with a low hip score at the same age.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40108837/