hips and elbows.

[gnwhite]

well as first time rottie buyers, we have made some mistakes. we have never puchased an dog from a "Breeder" before and did'nt research before we got sampson. anyway. I have found out that the dog and his parents do not have the certification that there is not possible joint problems. that being said our vet who owns three rotties checked him out after i told him all this. the vet says that he seems sound and he should be ok and that we were very lucky. I guess my question is, can you really tell much at 4 months.

[rottcrazed]

It is kind of a crap shoot for you then, but really, you may luck out. Have him x-rayed again after a year, if he is registered, then do it after he is 2 and send the slides to OFA for evaluation.

My old girl came from parents who were not tested either. I didn't know better back then. She has been SOOO healthy up until this year (she is turning 9 in August), she was diagnosed with arthritis in her elbows, which may well have been previously undiagnosed ED, but she was never bred, worked, nothing. She has been a beautiful pet for me which was all I wanted when I got her.

Good luck!

Kristi

[Jhum2001]

It is even possible for two parents of sound hip & elbow to produce a litter that some develop problems. Its the genetic roll of the dice so to speak.
X-rays are always the best way to go, and I believe that OFA now does a preliminary screen for dogs less than 2 yrs., not sure the age req for this, it might be 1yr as mentioned by Kristi. Also, too much excersise on pavement can add stress to bone structure. I live in a flat coastal area with llittle traffic and it kills me to see people driving along with thier dogs running behind day in & day out.

[rottcrazed]

It always a crap shoot so to speak, when you are breeding. All you can do is health clear your dog, breed to health cleared dogs, research as much into the lines as possible (siblings of dogs being bred, etc...) and go from there. There is no guarantee that things won't ever crop up.

Prelims can be done on a dog I believe it is 4 months and up, but the results won't be posted if they are done before 12 months of age.

Kristi

[brunie's mom]

Have your pup's hips and elbows x-rayed at the time of his neuter. They must be knocked out to have it done properly anyway...this saves them being put out twice and makes it cheaper. It's good to know, even for your peace of mind. We neutered our pup at 13 months and had him x-rayed then. The vet said his x-rays looked great , and I felt good working him harder and letting him jump, tear around ,etc. I will have his x-rays re-taken when he is over the age of 2, if/when he must be out for something else and then have them submitted to OFA.

Gina

[fbkeays]

Originally Posted by brunie's mom

Have your pup's hips and elbows x-rayed at the time of his neuter. They must be knocked out to have it done properly anyway...

What is important as to hip and elbow x-rays isn't if the dog is "out" or not. It is solely dependant on how good the vet is at positioning and how good their x-ray equipment is. It doesn't matter if the dog is completely unconscience or not if the vet doesn't know how or have plenty of experience in positioning or if the film is old or if it is under or over exposed or the x-ray source isn't strong enough, it will produce an x-ray that might show that the dog is dysplastic.
I know, I had my dog put under to do x-rays and his positioning was so bad that he was diagnosed by the vet that took the x-rays to be moderate dysplastic. 6 months later I took him to a vet that is known for doing OFA x-rays (his sole practice at that time) and he did it without putting the dog out. He was evaluated by GDC as excellent. When I did his OFA's his positioning (other vet retired so had to go with a less experienced, but very experienced vet) wasn't quite as good and OFA gave him a "good".
Positioning is generally "easier" FOR the vet and staff if the dog is out, verses an awake dog that might resist being positioned. If you are going to spend the money on doing hip and elbow x-rays, do your reseach. Find the vet that does a lot of OFA films AND has a good track record for good and excellent ratings.
I will never waste my money again on a vet that insists on having a dog out or sedated for x-rays of any kind. I will not waste my money on a vet that doesn't have a good reputation for doing OFA x-rays when I get OFA x-rays done.

[Jhum2001]

It seems to come up in contracts with breeders that if you have X-rays done and the results are not good or better when the beeder garantees this, they usually request you have Xrays done with a vet of thier choice for the above mentioned reason. Glad you pointed out the importance to take the time to find a reputable person to do this.

[rottcrazed]

I don't like to knock my dogs out at the best of times, and there are many vets now who can do excellent x-rays without using anesthetic. If you need to, request the reversible one so that they are not knocked out entirely, just more calm.

My vet will take as many slides as is needed to get a good shot as well, not just one and go. She also allows me in the room with the dogs to help if needed. If you are planning to get the x-rays done, ask what their methods are, if they require anesthetic, if so what kind and if they will use the reversible kind. There are many options nowadays, just a little leg work required.

Kristi