Possible Bulldog Hip Issue

Question
QUESTION: Hi, my bulldog Hudson is about 7 months old and at the ripe age of 5 months, you would feel the occasional pop if you put your hands on his hindquarters.  Now at 7 months, you can feel the pop more frequently when he moves around.  He doesn't appear to be experiencing any discomfort, but hes also quite young still.  His tail is very strange also, its similar to the "?" tail I've read described in the forum, and he can only really wag his tail up and down.  Our vet says that bulldogs have very inconsistant bone structures and would check it out when we got him neutered.  That there was no urgency unless we wanted to spend a bunch of money just to confirm what they told us over the phone.  Which brings me to my question...what is a good age to get him neutered?  I don't think the popping is normal but by any chance is it normal in bulldog puppies due to their rapid growth and their topheavy build?  I just want to get this treated in its early stages, whatever it is.
ANSWER: First things first. His hip is popping in and out of the socket. The good thing is, he has a socket! The bad thing is it will eventually wear down and become arthritic. This isn't necessarily a bad thing and may take years to show itself. I wouldn't get talked into a hip replacement because of it. Get him started on glucosomine right away and keep him on it forever. Keep his use of stairs to a minimum especially while he's growing and keep him in trim weight.

The tail....I love those tails. They're really no problem at all.  Again, don't let a vet talk you into any type of surgery in this regard. It's fine and will be fine forever.

Neuter him yesterday.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My biggest fear is hip dysplasia.  Are these symptoms that lead up to it?

Answer
Oh this is definitely hip displacia. You won't find a Bulldog on the planet that isn't displastic to a degree. It's just one of the down sides of the breed. Most will live long, healthy lives and only experience discomfort at a late age. Hip replacement is only worth doing if the dog cannot function in a reasonably normal, pain free manner, in my opinion.