Testing hips...
I have spoken to my vet and he will do the test and read the results, but has said, unless I request it, he will not send it off for certification. He stated that it would be a waste of money since she is spayed. I just need opinions on how many of you have tested for their own peace of mind,your views on it, and do you get them retested at some point later in life. ((Am I being overly cautious??? and a worry wart????)  |
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| Val,
1) consult with Ali. 2) some breeders prefer PennHip 2) (this is just me): in terms of submitting the radiographs to OFA, the way I look at it is that $35 ($40 if you submit hips and elbows together - which I would personally do on a prospective agility dog, the extra cost is in the two extra radiographs) is a very inexpensive way to get your dog's hips (& maybe elbows) evaluated by three board certified vet. radiologists. 3) her being spayed is irrelevant. CHD is thought to have a polygenic (multiple genes) mode of inheritance which means you ideally want to look at the breadth and not just the depth of the pedigree. What does that mean? You don't just want to (ideally) know what her parents' hips were like and what their parents' hips were like, but ideally what all of their siblings hips were like and what their siblings went on to produce, if they did. Bottomline: the status of Heart's hips is valuable information even though she will never be bred. Now, depending on your faith in your vet's ability to position the dog (which s/he has to be able to do for OFA, and has to be specially trained to do for PennHip) and read x-rays, that may be perfectly sufficient. Also talk to the vet ahead a time about whether or not sedation would be required for OFA x-rays (it is for PennHip), because that is an additional risk which you may or may not want to subject her to, so you factor that into the equation and then you 4) talk to Ali to get her take on it. Chances are darn good you have absolutely nothing to worry about, but if you're like me you're going to worry about it anyway until you check 
Kristine |
| I tested both Mareley and Morgan at 2. Marley is intact and we sent the xrays off to OFA to be read. Morgan was neutered and we didn't. Morgan's xrays also showed some signs of early hip dysplasia, the vet said Marley had perfect hips and OFA rated hers excellent.
Morgan has had a second set of xrays this year (about a year and 3 months after the first ones. I have a new vet, Morgan has lots of health issues and I wanted to see how things were progressing. I wrote about it in an earlier thread actually, his hips look better, still signs of dysplasia; but tighter in the joints etc, and I credit our rally work for that (we MUST sit straight  ). Based on these results, I may wait and not xray him again for two to three years, unless he starts to show issues.
Now Marley also had her elbows xrayed - not ususally done in OES, but I figured why not - the vet's family likes nice things  They came back normal. Recently due to an injury I had them xrayed again and she has a little arthritis in one elbow. My point is - I would xray now - and actually contrary to what I did with Morgan I would have them read by OFA and depending on what they find, how active your dog is and other signs of problems etc I would plan on some future xrays as well. |
| Thanks Kristin and Kerry.....
I am so clueless about such things but I want to make sure, as Kristine stated that I am not doing her harm with Rally and Agility IF she has some issues. |
sheepieshake wrote: Thanks Kristin and Kerry.....
I am so clueless about such things but I want to make sure, as Kristine stated that I am not doing her harm with Rally and Agility IF she has some issues. for morgan I fopund th erally (especially the practice) really helped. I still let him play at agility too and I don't think there is much of an issue. Now if Marley would stop plowing into fences and steps she would be okay as well  |
| Val,
The Golden Retriever Club runs a health clinic twice a year. The next one is in August. You can get her hips and elbows x-rayed at a lower cost than your vet (the vets that do it volunteer for the cause) and without having to sedate her in any way. Even though the x-rays will be sent off to OFA as part of your cost the vet there will take time to look over the x-rays with you. I knew the vet from where Harry first took agility. He really explained what you are ideally looking for and correctly projected that Harry's hips would be graded GOOD and why. I think this would be the perfect place to go have the testing done. Here is the link to hip grades and what you are looking for: http://www.offa.org/hipgrade.html |
| Thanks Judi...
I totally forgot about that!!! That sounds like something that would be perfect for me. |
How awesome! We have nothing like this locally. Mind you, I am NOT complaining, but if I didn't have the vet I have (  ) I'd think it would be reassuring to have access to this kind of clinic where you know the vets are experienced with hip x-rays. I hope you guys publish this in your newsletter.
And, Val, don't worry about it being months out. 2 years old is merely a min. age. I did Mad at about 30 mos and three in her litter at age three. Kristine |
| HD should always be evaluated under anesthesia. Under the FCI sheme this is mandatory. Here is a very interesting article, with xrays with and without anesthesia - and see the difference ...
http://beaucechientravail.free.fr/docum ... e-coxo.pdf (sorry, it is in french, but the pictures speak for themselves ...) |
| Same here too, always under Anesthesia to go off to the AVA for reading, we always do elbows at the same time as well.
Vet doing the x-raying has to sign confirmation on the form that the x-rays have been done under anesthesia or otherwise they are not accepted for reading and scoring. |
| I was well aware of the possibility of hip issues with an OES, but elbow issues as well? What is the elbow issue exactly? |
wendycz23 wrote: I was well aware of the possibility of hip issues with an OES, but elbow issues as well? What is the elbow issue exactly?
Elbow dysplasia. I've yet to hear of an OES who has this (mind you, if few people are checking, who's to say?) I don't think it's widespread in the breed, certainly not like CHD is, but it's always a possibility in a large breed dog especially. I know it's much more common to screen for this abroad. My feeling is we should routinely be doing this in the US as well. As for agility, especially, the front bears the brunt of the activity, so it certainly makes sense to x-ray just to be sure. Kristine |
Wow! I spent several hundred to get Sidney's hips and elbows x-rayed and graded (OFA). Of course, I know most of it went in the vet's pockets.  Oh, well! Since her hips came back excellent and her elbows came back normal, it was money well spent! Now if only they had a test that predicted counter-theft...then I'd be set!!! |
Mad Dog wrote: Elbow dysplasia. I've yet to hear of an OES who has this (mind you, if few people are checking, who's to say?) I don't think it's widespread in the breed, certainly not like CHD is, but it's always a possibility in a large breed dog especially.
I know it's much more common to screen for this abroad. My feeling is we should routinely be doing this in the US as well. As for agility, especially, the front bears the brunt of the activity, so it certainly makes sense to x-ray just to be sure. Kristine Elbows are either pass or fail. I have heard of dogs that have failed but mostly only in 1 elbow, not both. Cathy & I have done elbows for quite a number of years, although Dr. Mostaski did tell us that not that may OES people do elbows routinely so it is hard to really get a database set up on it & see any "direction" with the info being mostly from the same few breeders. When you consider that our dogs are expected to reach at the same time as they are expected to drive in normal movement, the elbows would be important. And when you take it a step further into any kind of performance work (agility, jumping in obedience, cutting in herding) the strength of the elbows (actually the strength of the entire front assembly) becomes even more important. |
| Our dogs have always been x-rayed under anesthesia as well, but unless there is an immediate need, we wait for a teeth cleaning and do everything together.
Our first OES, Quincy, developed elbow dyplasia when he was 18 months old. Since I walked him three times a day and did all obedience work with him, I was the one that noticed an intermittent hitch in his gait. My vet didn't see it, but did the x-rays anyway as she completely trusted my judgement, and sure enough, he needed surgery. Arthritis had already begun in the joint, so after surgery, Quincy went on Cosequin, as well as Rimadyl. Not sure elbow dyplasia is an overall breed issue, but we did encounter it with Quincy Bear. Laurie and Oscar, whose joints are GORGEOUS.... (It's the one thing on him that ISN'T a problem. ) |
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