Hip Scoring

[Trish Haill]

I would like to keep my options open about breeding from Bess sometime in the future (she's just 2 weeks shy of her first birthday and hasn't even had her first season yet, so very premature), but I'd like to know when the best time is to have hips scored?  My reasoning is that if there is any reason that I shouldn't be thinking of breeding from her, I'd rather know sooner rather than later. 

I think there's a recommended 'window' to do it?  I've also read that doing it mid season is best for bitches - is this true?

Thanks for any advice.

[Catherine Carter]

I usually hip score my dogs after they have turned 1 year old.
Very often my bitches have not had their first season yet, I don't think it matters.

[Trish Haill]

Thanks!

[Angela Roberts]

I have only ever had two done and they were both bitches and two and a half years old. I don't mate mine until at least 3 years old so that gave me plenty of time. I am not sure what time in their cycle these two bitches were but I have since heard that hormones can affect the way that hips look at different stages of a bitches cycle.

[Pippa Wheater]

I had my bitches hip scored between her season. Vet at time never mentioned about doing it at a certain time and I didn't know this information and my breed mentor never said either. 

Anyway I must have done it at a good time as my bitch's score was 4/5.

[Astrid Landsaat]

I think it is the best to do it as late as possible. I've had Kells hip scored when she was 2 1/2 years old. By the way, A hips! :-)

[Ann Millington]

It is recommended, - don't ask me by whom - vets, scientists, the KC? - that the optimum time to hip score is between 12 and 18 months.

The logic being that the joint is formed by that time, but has not endured 'wear and tear' that several years later might indicate.

The hips at 12 - 18 months are the hips inherited by the dog, the condition later can have been influenced by outside factors.

 

This does not mean, however, that hips can't be x-rayed at any other time - it depends why you want to know the status for any particular reason.  In the UK, the hips are only 'scored' once, though you could appeal for a re-scoring, within a certain time, if you have good reason to disagree with the first result.

[david lyus]

we had ours done at 12 months in hampshire under a local aneasthetic. Some one we were chatting to questioned why we were scoring a bitch just out of season, They were in a breed where scores tended to be higher than the Irws average. I assumed that if it was relevant one of the several highly experienced people who were mentoring us would have mentioned it. One girl was 0.0 the other was 4.

[Trish Haill]

The reason I was given for doing it mid season was that towards the end of the season the hips prepare for giving birth, even if there has been no mating.  It sort of makes sense to me, but doesn't explain why anytime before or a while after the season wouldn't be just as good. 

[Ann Millington]

I have not heard of a bitches seasons having any connection with, or effect on,  hip scoring...