# hip dysplasia testing?



## mamatolaceynchief (Jan 21, 2014)

My little boy turned 4 months old today, weighing roughly 33 lbs. And I have been reading up a lot about hip dysplasia. I was wondering when you get your dog tested for it? I know there are a lot of people who wait until they start seeing signs of it.. as in.. hard to get up and walk.. not using back legs, etc.. I was just wondering if they would be able to see any signs of it at all.. very early? I just want to make sure IF it ever happens.. that I want to be able to catch it early on so I can try to do everything I possibly can before having to pay out $8-9k for hip replacements.. any suggestions would be nice. Thank you for your time.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Are you planning on neutering him at all? Just have it done then if he's not showing any signs of pain or anything.

If you really want to get it done, you can get ofa prelims as early as 4 months.

I really wouldn't worry too much about it if he's acting like a normal healthy puppy.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

At this point it would probably be a waste of money unless he's showing signs. All you do is go to the vet and get x-rays done. You might be able to find a good vet with experience that can tell you right away and not have to spend the extra money to have the OFA look at the x-rays.

If you're not planning on breeding...sending to the OFA is kind of useless unless you just don't trust your vet to have a good/experienced opinion about the hips.


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## mamatolaceynchief (Jan 21, 2014)

I do plan to neuter him, as to when, I am not sure. I wanted to get it done at 6 months, then people told me to wait 1 year.. then other people told me 18-24 months. He's been a great puppy so far but I know when 6 months come he will start getting more hormonal and things could change. No plans at all for breeding him. I got his CKC pedigree in the mail, I know CKC doesn't mean anything but it looks like all the dogs down his lineage were half brother and sister and were bred to have puppies. Even Chief's mom & dad were half brother & sister. He seems like a normal happy puppy, but I do worry about his long term health and well-being. I'd rather catch something in the early stages rather than later.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Where are you located? Maybe someone can recommend a vet that knows what they're looking at and is pretty good at estimating a "hip rating." I'd probably wait a few more months though, probably better to be closer to a year, but it wouldn't hurt to get an x-ray done and take a look knowing where he comes from...


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## K9POPPY (Mar 6, 2014)

You will probably get 100 different answers to your questions here- IF you have a good vet, he will be able to evaluate what the dogs hips feel like at the present state, then advise you on ex-rays, but regardless, like I said, you will get 100 different answers here on when to ex-ray. Trust your vet- IMHO, Bob


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

The "testing" is an x-ray, that is the only way to rule in/out hip dysplasia. It can be done as early as 4 months. The better or worse the dog is, the easier it is to see and the more accurate the early x-ray will be, if that makes sense? A dog that appears borderline at a young age should be checked later on, but a dog that looks really good at, say, 6 months is like 80% likely to get an official "good" rating at 2 years of age. I usually check my puppies at 6-7 months. It cost about $100 where I go.


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## mamatolaceynchief (Jan 21, 2014)

Thanks guys. I am located in N. Augusta, SC. I have been taking him to the vet here in town.. but they haven't really said anything, she was more focused on getting him neutered for aggression.. I think I might look into another vet because he's done with all his shots now.. just to see what direction they go in.


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## mamatolaceynchief (Jan 21, 2014)

Liesje - thank you for the tip. That does make sense. I know I had to get an x-ray done, but wasn't sure on when to do it. People tell me all kinds of different ages, but like I said.. I would rather catch it quickly and do something about it (IF he has it) rather than just let it go and wait for something to show up and it be too far gone.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

What I would do is wait until he should be done teething. I had a dog that retained a puppy canine, so I waited a bit and then took him in for a hip x-ray and they removed the tooth for free since he was sedated for the x-ray. That should put the dog at a good age for a prelim and give you the chance to have any dental work done if necessary.


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## sourdough44 (Oct 26, 2013)

Our dog is about the same age and weight, female. Do you know if the parents where checked & certified? I'd think that would be a more meaningful check. The next thing you can do is strive for an ideal weight, not over. Some will say to avoid excessive protein in the dog food.

Some things you can influence & others less so.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

mamatolaceynchief said:


> Thanks guys. I am located in N. Augusta, SC. I have been taking him to the vet here in town.. but they haven't really said anything, she was more focused on* getting him neutered for aggression*.. I think I might look into another vet because he's done with all his shots now.. just to see what direction they go in.


What? Is he aggressive? Most of the more informed vets, if they feel our dogs are owned by someone responsible enough to NOT be part of an unplanned litter, recommend waiting to spay/neuter for the health of the dog until they are mature.






I know I get my dog's hips x-rayed when I do spay/neuter (closer to 2 yrs old) both for MY peace of mind and to get the information to my breeder. A responsible breeder needs to know how their breeding program is going. And if all their pups have hip dysplasia but no one is x-raying then that's a huge missing piece of knowledge they need to have.


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