The X-ray below was taken of a large breed dog who looked like a cross between a Rottweiler and a Labrador Retriever. The dog was a stray that had been hit by a car and then rescued by a good Samaritan. When I first met ‘Lucky’, he held his R rear leg high off the ground. His right hip was dramatically swollen. When I tried to move the leg, he cried in pain. Review the x-ray and then name this orthopedic condition.
Diagnosis: Right Coxofemoral Luxation (Hip Luxation)
The coxofemeral joint or hip as it is more commonly called, is a ball and socket joint in dogs and cats. The ‘ball’ is the head of the femur that fits into the ‘socket’ or acetabulum of the pelvis. A thick, tough ligament keeps the head deeply seated inside the acetabulum. The force of the car, tore the ligament and popped the hip out of joint. ‘Lucky’ had surgery to repair his damage joint and is doing well.