Hip X-Rays for dogs

[dutchie]

Well i got some very interesting pictures from a friend of mine that really shows the distinct differance between dogs that are hip dysplasia free and dogs with hip dysplasia. From these pictures you will see why it is so painful for the dogs with it. these are more extream examples of HD but not uncommon.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/thumbs/180px-Bilateral_hip_dysplasia.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=13376&limit=recent)This picture is a look at the hips of a dog with Bi-lateral hip dysplasia. Look at the femur on the right side of the picture. This is in a female Lab that is reg'd pure breed but the dog was not DNA screened for Hip Dysplasia.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/thumbs/hips.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=13375&limit=recent) This photo also shows a hip that is affected with HD. Look how the ball does not fit the socket in the hip. (a hip that was detected in a German Reg'd DL that was not allowed to go on in a breeding program by the JGHV in Germany)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/thumbs/800px-Normal_canine_hips.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=13377&limit=recent) This is a full x-ray of a Deustch Kurzhaar before the breeding aproval was made by the DKV in Germany. This X-ray shows the differance in the dog with Hip Dysplasia to the dog that has been declared Hip Dysplasia free. (look at the differance between first photo and this one.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/thumbs/good_hips.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=13374&limit=recent)This X-ray shows the hip is HD free. Compare the 2nd photo and this to seehow the Ball and socket fit so well.


This may be a little verbal diarhea but anyone looking to get a dog can see why some dogs have such great problems with thier hips from such an early age. This is also detectable by a DNA test

Some interesting info for anyone thinking of getting a dog!

Hope it helps!

Dutchie

[kinderdoggin]

Good thread Dutchie. There's been a lot of talk lately about what type of hunting dog to get - whatever the breed, it's important to get a pup from a breeder who screens their stock for hip dysplasia by having x-rays examined prior to breeding. Hip Dysplasia happens in basically every breed of dogs but by breeding only those with healthy hips, the chances are very good that the puppies will not be dysplastic. Nobody wants their hunting buddy to come up lame!

[horshur]

hip problems are almost non existent in hounds .

which begs the question of what a correct dog should look like....skinny by todays norms.

but that is a whole nother kettle.

[houndogger]

hip problems are almost non existent in hounds .

which begs the question of what a correct dog should look like....skinny by todays norms.

but that is a whole nother kettle.

I had a lady trying to catch up one of my pups the other week Andy. We were gettting a beep and were on route to locate her. Firewood cutters in there. This lady stops us and asked if we could help her catch this hound. I said sure as it was mine. She had run back into town cause it has been on the run for 5 days:roll: I said that was funny she just got out of the truck 4 hours ago8) She asked why it was so skinny. I said she was a hound and I thought she was to fat:biggrin:

[horshur]

I had a lady trying to catch up one of my pups the other week Andy. We were gettting a beep and were on route to locate her. Firewood cutters in there. This lady stops us and asked if we could help her catch this hound. I said sure as it was mine. She had run back into town cause it has been on the run for 5 days:roll: I said that was funny she just got out of the truck 4 hours ago8) She asked why it was so skinny. I said she was a hound and I thought she was to fat:biggrin:

does not surprise me at all....

[Jimsue]

I have never heard of testing for HD with a DNA test. HD can be genetic or man made, to much weight, jumping out of trucks etc etc.

Orthopidec Foundation for Animals is the N.American standard.

No OFFA Certificate..............No Buy.

[dutchie]

I have never heard of testing for HD with a DNA test. HD can be genetic or man made, to much weight, jumping out of trucks etc etc.

Orthopidec Foundation for Animals is the N.American standard.

No OFFA Certificate..............No Buy.

Great post Jimsue

Yeah I am not sure how they do it either, but at the same time i am not sure how they can test adult males to see if they have a gene for low sperm in thier child.

Science is a weird and wonderfull thing. All I know is what the professionals tell me and how things are possible and you are also correct that HD is man made but it shows up alot different in the hips.

Man Made HD is usually more uniform if the dog came from a geneticly healthy sire and dame. It is not the exact same as I understand it. HD symptoms caused by humans are usually the rapid deterioration or compression of the cartilige causing bulging from with in the joint and that makes the hip track different but Genetic HD is were the socket is located on the animal and were the hip ball attaches on.

Also it is very interesting that Hounds are almost HD free.

Like Jimsue said OFFA is the N. American standard but some dogs that are breed and not reg'd in Canada or the USA do not use the OFFA, but I agree no OFFA or the equiveliant (to the breeds standard), I will surely not be buying one of these dogs.

dutchie

[kinderdoggin]

There is no genetic test for HD, at least not yet, and that is because it's caused by multiple genes and environmental factors (obesity, injury, growing too fast, etc). Breeding stock can be examined for hip dysplasia through radiographs by several institutions, the OFA being the most common, but also in Canada both the Western College of Vet Med and the Ontario Veterinary College offer x-ray certification by the same standards.

There is also a way to measure the laxity (looseness) of the hip joint - the score is determined by comparing dogs of the same breed - the looser the joint compared to other breed members, the worse the score. This is done by Penn-hip certified veterinarians, and isn't as common around here, but is done frequently in the states where there are more vets who are certified. I'm not sure what the magic score is that indicates a dog is unfit to breed due to HD concerns - anyone here know?

Neither of these methods is perfect. X-rays are open to interpretation and the 'grade' given will vary even amongst experts. Results can also be influenced if the dog is not positioned properly for the x-ray. Even with the Penn-hip scoring, the result will vary depending on the dog's hormone levels, age, etc.

In any case, the tests that are available are certainly better than no tests at all, and it would be in every buyer's best interest to ensure that the dogs they buy (even pet dogs) come from stock that has been screened free of HD.

Intersesting that HD is not prevalent in hounds. It's also very rare in racing sled dogs. It would be unusual for a musher to test his dogs prior to breeding, though - so I suspect that the incidence is kept low by high performance standards (dog's who don't win races aren't bred, and if they have hip problems, they can't win races) combined with the fact that they are kept very lean and fit.

Erin