Penn Hip or OFA what is your preference and why? - Page 1

I use Penn Hip to do a prelim at a year then OFA at 2. Just the way I like to do it. What are others thoughts? Does anyone just use one or the other?

If you do a search of this database, this subject comes up frequently ;-)

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/bulletins_read/214830.html?pagen=1#214973

If I do a Penn hip at 18 months and the results are favorable, why would I do another test at 2 years? If they are sound at 18 months, then so be it. I personally think Penn hip gives a better clinical look at the hips anyway. But if I accept imported dogs with normal hips done at 14 months, why wouldn't I accept results of Penn hip or OFA or BVA at comparable ages. It is what it is and this isn't some magical analysis that only super secret people can read. Functional hip in a radiograph are not something that only OFA vets can determine. Now I realize there are a lot of people that need staus verification for their advertisement and marketing. Fine....but the important thing to me who is not a commercial breeder is that the hips are sound....and the type certification doesn't make them so, the condition of the hips makes it so.JMO

I am paranoid about the Penn-hip procedure, yanking & pulling my anesthetized dogs hips out of their sockets.
  I am doing OFA without anesthesia,
    call me a whimp, and yes, I agree!

I just think that with over two thousand dogs that have had Penn hip procedures, if hips were being pulled out of socket, so that it impacts the dog negatively, it would be focused on bigtime. I don't know of anyone complaining about this except in peoples minds. Not trying to be contrary, but if instances of this occurring is more in people's mind than actually occurring....than I don't judge something by perceptions; without facts to support the perception. Hope that makes sense.

Well ok Gustav,
 I have researched Penn-hip and they do tout that it is a safe procedure, you make perfect sense,  like I said, I'm the paranoid one.

I am also against knocking out a dog unless the dog needs a life saving operation, in some cases the dog may not wake up, maybe things are different today, but I have heard from a couple of people I have had calls from for a pup that their dog died while being spayed, or while checking out their hips, always a chance you take.

I do OFA because there's several people near me that are familiar with the positioning, what info needs to be on the films, already have forms to fill out, etc.  I do prelims 6-7 months but that is just for me and the vet, I don't need to send them in.  At 2 years we do OFAs and include extra info on the films so that I can send them on to the SV if I also need a-stamps (I have the films returned to me).  The OFA/a-stamp is really just a formality.  The radiolists know what they are looking at and it's THEIR opinion that matters to me.  A-stamp would just be done as a requirement for breed survey and OFA is done because it's relatively cheap and is a nice *nod* to the breeder to have as many dogs as possible in the database.

I think all the schemes are a positive for the breed, but most importantly to me is that all dogs are X-Rayed before they are bred and the xrays reflects the dog has sound working hips. If you prefer one scheme over another, that's cool and a personal preference.

mirasmom, i'm paranoid with you - for the same reasons.  ;)
pjp