My thoughts-
why not utilize EVERY tool we have to improve our dogs' hips in our
breeding programs?
I, too, do not believe in testing young dogs. They grow and change... I
also do not wait until "just" 24 months old to certify my dogs for the past
few years as well... I am upset that I realized I scheduled my youngest to
get her PennHIP & OFAs at only 29 months! But, going to the big show this
year, I thought I would like to have her testing finished before we went,
so scheduled to within about the minimum time left to where I could receive
her results from OFA (PennHIP gets them to you within 10 days always)
before I left - hopefully!
I am a firm believer in testing the dog as an adult- because they're only a
growing puppy for those first 2 years... and spend much more time "wearing"
their adult hips. ;)
I have been utilizing the PennHIP method since 2000 on every dog I have
bred as a part of their health screenings.
I see many dogs who OFA good or excellent at 24 months, who when
re-evaluated at over 60-72 months, are actually deemed dysplastic. Why is
that? Because though the joint can appear to have good conformation when
young, and not have lived a lifetime of wear and tear, the end result of
degenerative joint disease has not developed as yet.
By definition, dysplasia = how much displacement is present. The PennHIP
method actually MEASURES the amount of displacement happens with every step
the individual being tested takes. Their philosophy of early testing is in
that if the pup has good scores while still "loose/lax", they will continue
to be good, and often improve a small amount once the joint is fully
developed. I know from research that this is true; and the dogs do not
change all that much for the better when repeat studied as seniors....
unlike OFAs. There is repeat research out there for both OFA & PH, and the
dogs who have the better PennHIP scores (higher percentage as compared to
breed/lower distraction indices) are the ones who do not get "worse" OFA
ratings on their repeats.
Why not do both? Then the OFA hips cost a whole whopping $10 in addition
to the PennHIP when sending in OFA elbows...
And, yes, it is true it does take skills to do a PennHIP evaluation... =
many many many hours of CE for a licensed veterinarian to get certified to
even DO a PennHIP evaluation! I think that also provides for more
consistency in evaluation, and I use the same PH doctor to certify all of
my animals (except when I have moved to another state and need a more local
doctor).
That said, if there's anyone in WI who is looking for an excellent *and
reasonably priced* PennHIP /OFA certifying doctor, he is in Oshkosh! I
happily drive quite far and spend the morning there while my dog/s are
getting done-- OFA Hips, Elbows, Patellae, Cardiac, Dentition AND PennHIP
(send-in fee for PH included) for UNDER $500! Well worth my time and
effort!
JP&P
On Fri, Jul 31, 2015 at 6:25 PM, cnnpmm2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <
cnnpmm2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Our Vet advised us against PennHIP. He said that he had heard of injuries
to youngsters. (It does take a fair amount of skill on the Vet's part.)
Seeing how the degree of joint laxity is just a predictor of a dog
developing osteoarthritis, why not just wait until the dog is 2 and OFA?
Predictions don't always come true...
Paulette
On 7/31/2015 6:14 PM, Carolyn Martello wrote:
Speaking of 'fallibility'........we personally do not utilize Penn Hip for
that reason.
We had a puppy owner have her hips done by Penn Hip at four months and she
was given
the numbers or diagnosis for hip dysplasia as her hips were considered
"loose". I asked
them to not worry about it and wait it out for OFA, as at four months
most puppies are loose
at that age. When she was two yrs. old they had her re-done by Penn
Hip and X-rayed for OFA.
OFA gave her a 'GOOD' rating...and the numbers on Penn Hip gave her a
Higher or better rating!!
After giving her a rating considered possibly dysplastic.
IMO...for us....Why bother trying to manipulate a puppies joints at that
age. If they gave me that
kind of rating.....I would still wait for OFA age....<G>
At this point...OFA seems to give the 'harshest' ratings...and that is
fine with me.
Also....OFA is harsher on our Breed than other Breeds because we HAVE
improved on hips and
elbows enough to move down to about 47 on the scale of breeds with
problems with hips and elbows.
What might be borderline or mild H.D. with OFA for a German Shepherd
dog...might be a GOOD
with an Elkhound or a St. Bernard or some other Breeds.
Carolyn marhaven@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.marhaven.com
*On Behalf Of *Jen Proud*T o:* anja_heibloem-stroud@xxxxxxx
Two words: different eyes!
(On rotation)
The fallibility of OFA is it is 100% subjective. I so wish there was
PennHIP
(objective method) for elbows. Maybe someday...
Jen P & her Pack
On Thursday, Anja Heibloem-Stroud <anja_heibloem-stroud@xxxxxxx> wrote:
But OFA normal at two. Tell me how that works? Anja
--
Paulette McGuirt
Wellborn-Allemande Shepherdscnnpmm2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Timendi causa est nescire*
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