Every year thousands of dogs are hobbled by a painful condition called hip dysplasia, a degenerative disease of the hip, in which the ball and socket joint no longer fit tightly.

Dr. Kyle Mathews of NC State's College of Veterinary Medicine, is among a team of veterinarians who've developed a new method of preventing hip dysplasia. This new procedure is less invasive than other treatments and is showing great promise as a permanent preventive measure.

For more information contact Greg Thomas at 919-515-3470 or greg_thomas@ncsu.edu

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Mathews says there is a procedure for correcting hip dysplasia, but it's considered major surgery. TRT - :28 OC - as they get older. download Mathews1.wav

Mathews explains how this new procedure prevents hip dysplasia. TRT - :32 OC - as they get older.download Mathews2.wav

Mathews says after this new procedure was successfully used on guinea pigs, researchers decided to see if similar results could be achieved with dogs. TRT - :34 OC - as they get older. download Mathews3.wav

Mathews says there's a method for screening dogs for hip dysplasia, but ideally it needs to be done when the dog is 16 weeks old, while there's still time for the surgery to work. TRT - :28 OC - 16 weeks of age. download Mathews4.wav