hips

[stevetimleck]

I would like to do a survey on how many breeders test for CHD
and if so what test do you use, OFA or PENNHIP?
If none then why not?
thanks

[JulieM]

You can look up OFA information at http://www.offa.org - they have a database of all dogs tested, so you'll know which breeders are OFA testing and which aren't.

Many breeders do not test hips. There have been 2,619 Boxers OFAd for hips since 1974 - compared to 125,214 Labrador Retrievers. Boxers are #73 out of 126 breeds (plus Maine Coone Cats) affected, with 11% dysplastic (but only 3% Excellent). Due to these statistics, many breeders feel hip dysplasia is not a problem in the breed.

PennHip does not have an open registry that I know of, so I can't comment there. I do know many people feel PennHip is more accurate - but many feel the numbers are skewed because so few Boxers have been evaluated.

Myself, I will be OFAing for hips. Primarily because PennHip requires the animal be anesthetized - which is always risky and unnecessary for OFA.

[Alisha Mobley]

Julie, when I took Tyson in to be tested (OFA) they told me if he didn't hold still they would have to put him to sleep and of course he didn't hold still (I knew he wouldn't)...Is this correct? If so then how do you get yours to hold still for the x-rays?

BTW, yes mine are/will be OFA approved for breeding purposes. OFA because I hadn't heard of PennHip until after going the OFA route (not that I prefer one over the other, just that I had already educated myself on OFA's requirements).

[JulieM]

It helps to have a vet with a really quick trigger finger

Also, they can give a relaxant (don't know what, maybe valium? I'd imagine they use Ace in other breeds) instead of putting them completely under.

A lot of people also have a problem with the way PennHip places the hips, and there are claims that PennHip evaluation has damaged some dogs' hips.

[Marimat]

Hello,

Something I'd really like to know is just what is the incidence of Hip Dysplasia in places about the world.

The reason I'd like to know is that in my years as a boxer enthusiast - breeding, showing, obedience, agility, companionship - I have never seen a boxer with HD in Australia.

That's NOT to say they don't exist because they probably do but it seems the incidence is very low. I asked a vet at the uni about it last time I was there for heart testing of a dog and he told me he'd only seen one boxer with HD.

I've spent the last couple hours searching the net for information about HD and although there is not much new in regards to figuring out the exact genetics of the disease there is more and more recognition of the influence of environmental factors to dogs with a genetic predisposition to exhibit HD.

In particular it is becoming apparent that over nutrition and rapid growth are significant modifiers to the condition.

It's all very interesting..

Matthew

[dog gone boxers]

[ QUOTE]Originally posted by Alisha Mobley
Julie, when I took Tyson in to be tested (OFA) they told me if he didn't hold still they would have to put him to sleep and of course he didn't hold still (I knew he wouldn't)...Is this correct? If so then how do you get yours to hold still for the x-rays?

BTW, yes mine are/will be OFA approved for breeding purposes. OFA because I hadn't heard of PennHip until after going the OFA route (not that I prefer one over the other, just that I had

already educated myself on OFA's requirements). [/QUOTE]


Bad hips are not as bad in boxers as some breds. The research I have done on this subject proves that the boxers popularity was early enough that the dogs wern't over bred to any thing that looked like a boxer. Simply put ,back in the fifties true breeders were at the reins. Not back yard breeders. So that's the reason for less occurence. This holds true for most breds from the late 60's & up. Over bred with a lack of knowledge due to popularity. I do reccomend having the dog knocked out. Any movment will affect the reading of the ex-ray. My vet uses this new fast acting stuff. U take them home like they have never been knocked out. It's what they are using on C-section now. Costly but very safe for a boxer. I do any bitch that I breed, & demand it of the stud. Why let it creep up in our pedigrees when we can controll it I say. Sub luxation of the knee is becomming our next issue.

[JulieM]

Matthew,

As I posted earlier per the OFA records, 11% of Boxers are dysplastic.

There has been quite a bit of discussion on one of my holistic lists about HD, and testing for it. The prevailing opinion of many people there is that if HD were purely genetic, breeding non-dysplastic to non-dysplastic (or, to be extreme, Excellent to Excellent) dogs would result in no dysplastic puppies - yet this happens time and time again. There is also the feeling that, if a dog is found to be dysplastic and lives until 10-12-14 with absolutely no symptoms, does it really matter that that dog was dysplastic? There are dogs that are OFAed as dysplastic that at 6-8 years of age are still competing in agility with no problems. If HD has no effect on the quality of the dog's life, then is it really a problem?

And, yes, environment plays a *huge* role in HD. While certain breeds and dogs are genetically *predisposed* to it, the right environment will prevent the condition from ever developing. If you haven't run across this article, it's worth a read:

http://www.filadog.com/The%20Error%2...20Medicine.htm

[Marimat]

Julie

That's exactly the article I was looking for and was going to post but my favourite to it was a dead link.

So thanks for that and stand by people, I might have some red herrings for this discussion :-))

Matthew

[Alisha Mobley]

I was very worried after having Tyson's x-rays done. I was afraid of what the results would tell me but was somewhat relieved when I found that it isn't as common in Boxers as it is in other breeds. After I received his evaluation from OFA stating his hips and elbows were fine I couldn't get the smile off my face for at least a week. I even had the vet to take 2 x-rays so I could have a copy for comparing them to x-rays on the net of dysplastic and non-dysplastic dogs (ok, so I hate waiting and try to figure it out on my own...). Anyway, hips imo are like heart testing...they could be found bad but the dog never show any signs of anything being wrong thru out it's life but the catch is you don't know they aren't going to suffer until they're life is over and it's too late to breed. Another thought I have is say one of the parents did test positive for hip dysplasia and was still bred...just because the parent can go thru it's life w/o showing any signs that doesn't mean it will affect the offspring the same way. Like Weels said, I'd rather test for it instead of having it creep up on us like it has other breeds.