Should I get Barney's hips Xrayed?
I know that about age 2 is when you can have their hips certified, so I was wondering if I should have him re-xrayed to see how bad his hips really are now that he's a grownup. Or is this too much stress for him for just a looksee? |
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| I wouldn't bother, they wouldn't have gotten any better, and if he is showing no symptoms as of yet, no reason really to have him xrayed just yet. IMO |
| Hi,
I've had Panda's hips x-rayed 2 or 3 times and only because he was fully sedated for his hair cuts. Thought I'd get everything done which I normally wouldn't be able to do while he was under, which included ear cleaning and nail cutting. Panda has moderate dsyplasia and so far - they haven't got worse. Although there is always a risk with sedation, I'd chat with your vet about your concerns and ask for their opinion. The new school of thought these days regarding hip problems is not necessarily hip surgery. Vets have found that some dogs manage better than others even if the x-rays show severe in some cases. I asked because I had thought of perhaps having surgery done before Panda gets too old in the future. Not so, I was told...he's doing okay. Good luck with Barney. Marianne and the boys |
| That's up to you with how you are feeling about Barney and how he is getting around as a 2 year old. Sometimes having them x-rayed at 7 months is a waste of time as they have not finished there rapid growth stage and having them x-rayed so young can show quite a dysplastic results in the hips as they are not fully set/formed in the sockets and joints at that age. Two is always the age to have them done as they have finished growing in the bone department so at 2 you get a better idea as to how dysplatic the hips really are.
If barney is showing any signs of soreness in the back end then maybe an idea to have them done again, if not then don't worry about it. If for curiosity sake then have it done, personally I think barney will show a better result there then when done as a 7 month old, JMO  |
| Lisa, that's kind of what I was thinking. Since he is a puppy mill dog I don't know how bad/good his parents hips are/were, so when he was clicking and showing some signs of limping at 7 months, that's why I had them xrayed then.
But then I was thinking that maybe they would have gotten better while he grew (I've heard of that happening), but now that he's mostly done with growing I wanted to see again. He has trouble standing up a lot of the time, and it happens on carpet too (so it isn't just slippery floor) and he tires easily on walks (well, he wants to stop walking and s.l.o.w.l.y. walks home after a certain point). He was a really crazy puppy (who wasn't!) and now that's he's slowing down I'm getting a little worried that he's slowing down too much for his age. |
| If you are worried then get it done for peace of mind. Then if the results are not good you know for the future how to maintain barney with just mild exercise and maitenance with supplements etc. and you are not causing any major degeneration of the hips as he is getting older.
Yes having them done too early can give a wrong assessment of the hips, I have a friend that had her OES done at 8 months the results were not good and for curiosity she again had them done when her OES was over 2 and the results were fine. Toooo young under 12 months and better if they are at least 18 months or older. There is a great possibility that Barney will have an improved result as he is fully developed in the bones. If not then you know exactly what is needed to maintain his movement as he gets older, either way you can't loose at having an assessment of his hips now, so personally I say go for it and satisfy your curiosity. Bearing in mind it is not a cheap procedure but maybe a worthwhile one for the long term benefits for barney. |
| That's what I was going to say-- for nothing other than your own piece of mind, I'd do it. I'd be wondering if there was something I should know if I didn't. |
| If you do go ahead and get Barney x-rayed just wanted to add that you really don't need to have the expense of sending off the x-rays to the OFA for grading.
That is more for when a dog is going to be used for breeding. What the vet will be able to tell you straight away is how the ball is sitting in the socket of the joint. Also you will be able to see how much of a gap is there between the ball and socket of the hips and wether the ball is nicely rounded and the socket is too. That is what you need to know at this time for Barney and a vet should be able to let you know that much, a grading is not necessary by the OFA as you are only seeing how the hips are and not breeding from him and also the vet should be able to tell you straight away if there is any deformity in the hip area (ball and sockets) and gaps that might be causing him pain. So if you do decide to get barney re-done, will be very interested to hear how all went Hugs for Barney. |
| I did it with Panda last month and it was the best thing that I ever did...she did not have hip dysplasia, but she did have an inflammed left hip....some meds and quiet time have healed all....and its nice to know that I wasnt crazy and did notice that her walk was off!!! |
| If it's something that will make you feel better, do it.
Jasper turns 2 in December. He hasn't had his hips x-rayed, so we'll have to do it this year. |
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