A good hip score?

[emma bell]

I just want to call on the knowledge of you who breed as to what is classed as a 'good' hip score?

 

Currently, Darcey has an endorsement on her, restricting me from breeding - well, I could but I wouldn't be able to KC register them.

 

When I bought her, her breeder said that she would lift it but only if she received a good hip score.

 

I'm only wanting to breed one, maybe two litters from her but I will be really knarked if she turns round and says no!

 

She's booked in for April so I just wanted to know in advance!

 

Thanks everyone :)

 

 

[James Logan]

I don't think it's necessary to have a dog put under an anaesthetic for hip evaluation. I just had my 4 yr. red & white done (Ottawa, Canada) and all we did was stretch him out, upside down, and after a minute or two he calmed down and presto, X-ray taken. Did a second a few minutes later as he wasn't placed quite right. Find a vet who can do this.

 

What bothered me was I was wearing a lead 'vest' so was the vet, but the pup got it square between the legs. Vet said the dose was so low not to worry - better him than me!

 

Jim L

 

[Sheree Parrish]

Thanks for that James, it is certainly worth looking into as I think there would be lots of owners that would opt for that, I know it is something a lot of us dread, not worried about the score so much as the meds they need to have the x-rays taken.

[Margaret Sierakowski]

Almost all vets in the UK use an anaesthetic, although I believe there are a few who only partically sedate? It must be  difficult to postion a dog who hasnt been sedated. , Unless you have got an unusually placid dog. If a dog isnt positioned right it can affect theaccuracy of  hip score , or the BVA will send the plate back to be done again

Quite recently I took a young male IRWS in for hips scoring, and even under a full anaesthetc the vet said he wasnt fully relaxed and it took two tries to get a satisfactory plate .

Were you doing Penn Hip? Isnt the dog positioned differently?

[Sheree Parrish]

No, it was just a normal hip score, I knew they were giving a GA for it, when they gave him a pre-med I thought nothing of it, I was with him whilst he relaxed and then left for home, they were planning on scoring about 11 ish, I left him just after 9.  I then got a call at 11 to say he had reacted, they had reversed the pre-med and what did I want to do.

When I lived in Lincolnshire mine were always sedated and scored whilst I waited with them, but no-one seems to do that around here, I must have phoned 20 vets to see what their system was.  Hen's usual vet would have had him in for the day and given him a GA. but they couldn't fit him in for a month and I wanted him done sooner...that will teach me for being impatient, but then he could have had the same reaction wherever we went.

[eva ciechonska]

I understand a dog has to be fully anaesthetised for a PennHip because the measurement of joint laxity can only be taken with full muscle relaxation. Is anyone in the UK qualified to do this specialised procedure?  I don't know if it is even recognised by the KC.   

Most vets have a problem taking hip x-rays for Setters because they have narrow backs and can roll over even under GA.  Not all vets have cradles and just rely on the hip extended position with the dog being held in position.  My vet tried sedation with my dogs in the first instance without success so had to GA them.  Luckily they all came out of it ok.

[emma bell]

I spoke to my vet yesterday and they said it's the only way they can do as the dog becomes to distressed.  they said they do just sedate them but as you say eva, that is not always enough.

 

I think I'm going to try with sedation first and instruct them that if that doesn't work, then to leave it.

[eva ciechonska]

|Emma.  If they have a cradle then it should work better.  There are vets who specialise in x-ray under sedation and more are turning to this method.  You might want to research that. 

[emma bell]

yes, eva, that's what they said they'll be doing. apparently the sedation is 'instantly' reversible using an antitode and they put them in a cradle like you said.

[Sheree Parrish]

It was a sedative that killed my first boy and it was a sedative that affected Henry, he had a GA following being attacked in September and had no after affects.  Fortunately he responded to the reversal but was totally out of it for more than 24 hours.

I am more scared about sedatives than I am the GA's to be honest.

[eva ciechonska]

Sheree, you are scaring the life out of Emma.  What happened to your boys was an absolute tragedy, it is not common but I am sure we can all appreciate how frightening this has been for you.

Emma, if you are at all worried then discuss it with you vet.  There are various different sedatives on the market, I am sure they will ensure that they use the right one for your bitch.

[Sheree Parrish]

How do you know I'm scaring the life out of her?  I'm certain Emma is more than capable of speaking for herself, I'm just telling her what happened to my boys as she had asked me to keep her posted about Hen when this thread started.

I'm not going to pussyfoot around, I'm telling Emma what happened to me so that she can discuss things with her vet and be more fully aware of the implications.

Emma - if I have scared you then I apologise, that wasn't my intention, I was just trying to give you as much information as possible.

[eva ciechonska]

Sheree, my apologies, I will re-phrase that.  If I were about to go through this for the first time and have my bitch x-rayed you would certainly scare the life out of me and I would most certainly have to discuss this with my vet to put my mind at rest.

In my personal experience of having had my dogs hip scored I have had some sedated and others put under a GA and have never had any bad reactions or after effects.  We all have experiences we can share with others.