PennHIP

PennHIP is the most accurate hip screening method.

What is Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD)?

• It is the most commonly inherited orthopaedic disease
• CHD leads to hip arthritis causing pain, stiffness, and reduced quality of life.
• CHD has no medical or surgical cure – but can be managed with a variety of treatment options.
• It affects more than 50% of the dogs in some breeds.
• Has been shown to affect large breed dogs more severely than smaller breed dogs.

PennHIP – University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program

The research based hip-screening procedure known as PennHIP has proven to be the most accurate and precise method to measure hip laxity. It can identify - as early as 16 weeks of age – dogs that are susceptible to developing hip dysplasia. This offers breeders the opportunity to make early decisions on breeding stock, and allows veterinarians to advise pet owners on lifestyle adjustments and preventative strategies to minimize the pain and progression of the disease.
As a certified PennHIP veterinarian, Jenni Trewren will submit your dog’s PennHIP radiographs to the University of Pennsylvania for specialized evaluation. You will receive a report with the following three components:

• Distraction Index (DI) – the DI is a measure of hip laxity – the inherent distance the ball can be displaced (distracted) from the hip socket – and is expressed as a number between zero and one. A DI near zero indicates little joint laxity (very tight hips). A DI closer to 1.0 indicates a high degree of laxity (very loose hips). Dogs with tighter hips are less likely to develop hip dysplasia than dogs with looser hips. A threshold level of 0.30 has been identified, below which hip dysplasia is very unlikely to occur.
• Arthritis – the PennHIP report also includes an evaluation of the hip-extended radiograph for evidence of arthritis, confirming a diagnosis of hip dysplasia.
• Breed Laxity Profile Ranking – based on the DI, your dog is ranked within its breed. For the dog breeder this ranking helps in the selection of breeding candidates – dogs in the tighter half of the population are recommended for breeding. By selecting breeding dogs with tight hips (lower DI), meaningful progress toward better hips can be made within a few generations.

For more information visit the PennHIP website: www.pennhip.org