The role of selection in reducing the prevalence of canin hip dysplasia

Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) affects dogs of all breeds, and is the most frequent orthopedic disease in large breeds. The method has been used in many countries for over 50 years. Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) official guidelines were used for scoring the CHD In the present study, severity and prevalence of CHD in three common breeds in Eastern Europe were evaluated since 2012. Both, prevalence and severity of CHD dropped in each breed the period 2012-2018. The prevalence decreased in German Shepherds from 20,74% to 6,74%, in Golden Retrievers from 33% to 16.34% and in Labrador Retrievers from 24% to 13,02%, respectively. The present study confirms that the prevalence of CHD could be reduced efficiently in three common large breeds in Eastern Europe over the last decade using a systematic and strict phenotypic scoring scheme. However, the true prevalence of CHD is probably higher than reported. Phenotypic screening of joint conformation remains a currently available strategy for breeders to make selection decisions. The present study showed the efficiency of employing phenotypic selection on breed improvement of CHD in three dog breeds.