– continued
Well, we have described the disease and the symptoms. Before we proceed to discuss the treatment, I would like to mention that some experienced veterinary practitioners (my old, now departed, mentor and professor included) swear that they can predict the development of HJD in the latter life of the dog, by just palpating the thigh bone/hip bone joints of the young (1 to 4-month-old) puppy. Since I have never been able to reliably acquire this particular dexterity, I have my doubts as to its certainty as a diagnostic tool. My own professor, notwithstanding his boast, definitely used the radiography (x-rays) accessory.
In any case, otherwise healthy puppies never sit still and are usually squirming about, so it might be difficult to really palpate the joints effectively – unless, of course,