Effects of increased dietary chloride and reduced sodium and potassium ion concentrations on coxofemoral joint conformation, as assessed by radiography, were examined in growing dogs. Dietary electrolyte balance was quantified by dietary anion gap (DAG), defined as Na+ + K+ - Cl- in milli-equivalents per 100 g of food. Diets had anion gap ranging from 8 to 41 mEq/100 g of food. One hundred sixty-seven pups from 27 litters representing 5 breeds were studied during the period of rapid growth. The extent of subluxation of the femoral head was measured on radiographs, using the method of Norberg. On average, less subluxation of the femoral head (P < 0.05) was observed when diets with lower DAG were fed. Differences in DAG balance did not result in different rates of weight gain; therefore, the reduction in coxofemoral joint subluxation attributable to low DAG was unrelated to weight gain. Norberg angles measured at 30 weeks of age were highly correlated with coxofemoral joint status at 2 years of age, as measured by the Swedish diagnostic system and the scoring system of the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (lrl > or = 0.70, P < 0.0002, n = 24). This diet-related improvement in coxofemoral joint subluxation would be expected, on average, to delay or mitigate the characteristic clinical and radiographic signs of hip dysplasia in growing dogs.