Hip & Elbow Dysplasia in Bernese Mountain Dogs

By the Riverside Berner Guide editorial team
Last updated November 7, 2026

Bernese Mountain Dog hip dysplasia is a loose, poorly fitting hip joint that wears down into arthritis over time. Elbow dysplasia is a group of related defects in the elbow that lead to the same kind of damage. Both are largely inherited, so breeders screen parents with X-rays, but how fast a puppy grows and how much it weighs can make either one worse.

The BMDCA’s Health Issues sheet calls hip dysplasia perhaps the most widely discussed health challenge in Berners. This guide explains both conditions, how screening works and what you can do as an owner. It doesn’t diagnose or treat; if you see a sign below, ask your vet.

What hip dysplasia is

Hip dysplasia starts while a dog is growing. The American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) explains that the hip joint fits loosely, and that looseness leads to pain, cartilage loss and bone spurs. It’s most common in large breeds.

Genes matter most. The ACVS calls heredity the biggest single risk factor, and Cornell’s veterinary college calls genetics the main cause, with the environment changing how severe it gets.

The BMDCA’s Health Issues sheet adds some points that surprise many owners:

• It usually can’t be detected at the age puppies go to new homes.
• It can affect dogs from 6 months old to old age.
• Some affected dogs never limp, and how bad a dog’s hips look doesn’t always match how much pain it shows.

OFA says the same about that last point: some dogs with severe arthritis stay active, while some with little arthritis on X-ray are quite lame.

What elbow dysplasia is

Elbow dysplasia is an umbrella term. OFA describes it as an inherited disease involving three problems that can happen alone or together: a fragmented coronoid process, osteochondritis (OCD) and an ununited anconeal process. Each is a defect in how the bones or cartilage of the elbow develop.

In Berners, the BMDCA’s Diseases & Conditions page says the fragmented coronoid process is the most common cause. The club’s Health Issues sheet notes that elbow dysplasia is usually more painful than hip dysplasia, because a dog carries more of its weight on its front legs.

It can show up early. The BMDCA says it can cause lameness in puppies as young as 5 months, and Cornell says most dogs are diagnosed between 4 and 12 months. In mild cases, though, lameness may not appear until 7 or 8 years, once arthritis sets in.

Hip dysplasia symptoms in dogs, and elbow signs too

Many dogs show few or no signs early on, according to both the ACVS and Cornell. When signs do appear, these are the ones owners most often notice.

Hip signs

The ACVS and Cornell list:

• Limping or stiffness in the back legs
• Trouble getting up, or not wanting to jump
• “Bunny-hopping” with both back legs together when running
• Shifting weight onto the front legs
• Less muscle in the back legs
• A swaying walk

Elbow signs

Cornell and OFA describe:

• Lameness after exercise that doesn’t fully go away with rest
• A front paw that turns inward, or an elbow held out from the body
• A head bob when one front leg is sore
• A shorter stride when both elbows are affected

Why you need your vet

Other problems can look similar. The BMDCA’s Health Issues sheet describes panosteitis, a bone condition in growing dogs that causes lameness that can move from leg to leg. The same sheet says only X-rays can confirm hip or elbow dysplasia, so ask your vet to examine any limp that doesn’t clear up.

How screening for Bernese Mountain Dog hip dysplasia works

Screening is how breeders choose parents with the best chance of producing sound joints. The BMDCA’s Berner Recommended Testing program lists hips and elbows among its required tests for breeding dogs, and its Health Tests & Screening page accepts two ways to check hips.

OFA hip ratings

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) reviews hip X-rays and gives one of seven grades:

• Normal: Excellent, Good or Fair. These dogs get an OFA number.
• Borderline: Not clearly normal, but without clear arthritis.
• Dysplastic: Mild, Moderate or Severe.

OFA keeps abnormal results private unless the owner chooses to share them. The BMDCA asks owners to sign the form’s permission to share abnormal results.

The 24-month rule

OFA only certifies hips and elbows in dogs that are at least 24 months old. It offers preliminary readings for dogs between 4 and 24 months. The BMDCA’s screening page says X-rays can be taken after 6 months, but recommends waiting until after 24 months.

A preliminary reading is still useful information. The ACVS notes that the standard OFA X-ray isn’t accurate or predictive in very young dogs, which is one reason the final rating waits.

PennHIP

PennHIP takes a different approach. It measures how loose the hip joint is and gives a number called the distraction index, which is ranked against the breed. The ACVS calls it the most accurate early method, and it requires vets with special training.

The BMDCA says PennHIP can be done as early as 4 months, though after 12 months gives the best results. It suggests breeders choose dogs from the tightest 40% of the breed, meaning the 60th percentile or better.

OFA elbow grades

OFA’s elbow scale is simpler. A normal elbow gets no grade, and abnormal elbows are rated Grade I, II or III as bone changes get worse. OFA won’t certify a normal elbow before 24 months, and it notes that preliminary elbow readings haven’t been tracked long term the way hip readings have.

What clear parents do and don’t promise

Good parent results lower the risk but don’t erase it. The BMDCA says dogs free of hip dysplasia produce fewer affected puppies, yet can still produce some. Cornell says normal parents can have puppies with elbow dysplasia too, though the risk is much lower than when a parent is affected.

That’s why the club stresses knowing the hip status of as many family members as possible. When you talk to breeders, ask for results on grandparents and siblings as well. Our guide to Bernese health clearances shows how to look them up on OFA and Berner-Garde.

Growth, weight and exercise in a large-breed puppy

Genes load the dice, but how a puppy is raised still matters. The ACVS says rapid weight gain and growth from too much food can make hip dysplasia worse.

Feeding for steady growth

Cornell advises against overfeeding fast-growing large-breed puppies. It recommends a diet made for large breeds during growth and warns against adding calcium or vitamin D. The BMDCA’s Diseases & Conditions page agrees, saying growing large-breed puppies need carefully balanced calcium and phosphorus and should avoid high-calorie food that speeds growth.

The amount you feed matters as much as the brand. Ask your vet how much your puppy should eat and how fast it should grow, and see our guide to Bernese puppies and the first year.

What a lifelong feeding study found

A long-term study of 48 Labrador Retrievers from seven litters, published in JAVMA, paired littermates from 8 weeks old. One dog in each pair ate freely, while the other got 25% less of the same food for life. Signs of hip arthritis on X-ray first appeared at a median age of 6 years in the freely fed dogs and 12 years in the leaner dogs.

That study wasn’t in Berners, but the lesson carries over: a lean dog puts less strain on its joints. OFA says a dog at a healthy weight has ribs you can feel easily and a visible waist.

Stairs, jumping and play

Early exercise seems to matter too. A 2025 paper summarizes a Norwegian study of 501 dogs from four large breeds. Puppies that used stairs daily before 3 months had a higher risk of hip dysplasia, while daily off-leash exercise in parks was linked to a lower risk.

For elbows, Cornell notes that repeated jumping down and long flights of stairs add stress. It says many breeders keep puppies off more than two or three stairs until at least 6 months. Ask your vet what kind and amount of exercise suits your puppy’s age.

Neuter timing and joint disorders

When you spay or neuter may also play a part. A 2020 study of 235 Berners counted hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and torn knee ligaments together. About 4% of intact males and 11% of intact females had at least one of these.

Males neutered before 2 years had a rate about six times higher than intact males, and the authors suggested waiting well beyond age 2 for males. Females spayed before 6 months had more than three times the rate of intact females, but that difference wasn’t statistically significant.

This is one study, and timing involves other health trade-offs. Talk it through with your vet, and read when to spay or neuter a Bernese.

If your Berner is diagnosed

A diagnosis isn’t the end of an active life. Cornell says many dogs with hip dysplasia live good-quality lives with proper care. The ACVS says the right plan depends on the dog’s age, weight and degree of looseness, plus the owner’s lifestyle and budget.

Your vet is the person to guide those choices, and they may refer you to a board-certified veterinary surgeon. Some options work best at certain ages, so don’t wait to ask about a limp. Planning ahead for costs helps too; our guide to the cost of owning a Bernese can help you budget.

Finally, share the result. Reporting your dog’s hip and elbow status to Berner-Garde helps breeders make better choices for future litters.

Joints and the bigger health picture

Sound joints help a Berner stay active through a life that’s already short; see why Bernese lifespan is short and what helps. If you’re still choosing a puppy, our guide to finding a reputable breeder shows how to check parents’ results before you commit. For every other condition, from cancer to bloat, start with our guide to Bernese Mountain Dog health problems.