# Hip sway?



## louislinus (Jan 23, 2013)

Our 10 month old spoo has always walked with a hip sway. Also sometimes when he sits his legs frog out on the sides. I didn't think much of it but I googled hip sway and it sounds like maybe it's hip dysplaysia. :/ He is very active, seems healthy and doesn't appear to be in pain. What do you think?


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

The only way to know for certain is to have xrays taken of the hips. If you aren't planning on breeding or competing with your puppy & the puppy is not in pain then does it really make a difference to you. My take on it is this, I see severely dysplastic dogs that compete in agility & performance events. These dogs have no lameness or adverse effects but were xrayed either because they were in consideration for breeding or the owner wanted to establish a baseline for the health of the dog. I personally grew up with a German Shepherd that my mother purchased to add to her breeding program. When she was xrayed she was severely dysplastic in one hip. She was spayed but was our special house dog. She would jump & play with the best of them. Never any physical symptoms and lived to the ripe old age of 13. So unless dysplasia is causing an issue that impairs the dog and needs to be addressed, you were planning on breeding or asking the dog to be a serious athlete I personally would see how it goes. Like I said many dysplastic dogs never show any lameness or pain symptoms. I personally would take a wait & see approach.

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## Carrie-e (Oct 23, 2012)

I have had three standards and all of them used to sit like you describe! I think it's a standard poodle thing! They also walk sometimes swaying,standards do walk in a particular way. Hopefully if he is not limping or in pain he will be fine. I had a toy poodle who started limping and walking with his foot up as a puppy,the vet said it was one off the worst cases he had seen of a puppy limping. He had X-rays and was diagnosed with hip displasia and we were told he would get worse as he got older,but weirdly the older he got,the better he got.
He lived till he was nearly 16 and never limped after he got to about 2. We always kept him at a good weight and he honestly never had problems,although I know a toy poodle is much smaller than a standard so maybe they can get away with it easier I don't know.


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## louislinus (Jan 23, 2013)

Thanks for the replies. I don't know much about hip dysplaysia. Glad to hear that even if he did have it it's not as serious as I thought. He is not in any pain and runs and plays like the puppy he is.


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