HIPS- GOOD VS. BAD...FOR DEBISUE ET AL - Page 2

This should help those of you looking for good hips.
Click here

 Ek, 

Thanks for those!!!

Jenn your welcome I have more but they are old and did not show up as well, I have found out the hard way both buyer and breeder that HIPS ARE A CRAP SHOT.

The 2 year old female Mod. was in comformation ring the weekend before I had her hips done. The Judge said and I quote " Thank you for bring in a female with a nice rear end" . I loved this judge not because he liked my dog BUT because he actually measured and thoughly went though each and every dog. We ran around the ring more times that day then I have ever in the ten years of doing this.  We took our Major that show beating out American and German bred dogs. I thought NOTHING of having her hips done as the Judge loved her movement, she runs like a deer, Jumps 6 ft in the air with no problems, no problems on stairs or floors. Before the Vet could move all the way out of the view of the x ray I was tearing up as I saw the first hip.  My daughter's dog had HD !!!!  Wow did that blow me away. NEVER in a MILLION years did I ever think SHE of all dogs would have it.

We still have her and keep her outside during the nice days in a 20 by 10 kennel so she can pace. We keep her lean and on her joint meds. She is still going strong. Still runs like a deer and jumps on her own and we still work her to keep her fit but no house pet as I have seen too many go down hill very quickly that way. Don't get me wrong she has house time with my daughter at night but days are outside. She has taught us HD doesn't mean the end of a good dog :) 

Here is one for you if you're interested in seeing an anomaly.  This is a male, the top film is his 7 month prelim, the second two films are at 24 months, and the fourth film is the spine at 24 months.  He has transitional vertebra with transverse process that fuse asymetrically making him a challenge to postion (the entire pelvis appears asymmetrical when the hip sockets are positioned correctly), hence the poorer positioning of the second film, done by my regular vet.  Unlike most dogs with TVS and APA, my dog does have symptoms, when he is moving very slowly (slow walk) his stride is uneven and he drags his rear feet.  He has no pain and in all other types of movement he is fine (he is getting ready to trial SchH1 and has multiple VPs plus SG from 13 months, and 195 UKC conformation points) so this condition has no real implications other than it being noted on his OFA certificate (he is not a breeding dog).  I originally went to my regular vet because I was more concerned with ruling out things like DM, spondylosis, or a back injury than getting OFA certificate.  A radiology specialist re-did the films two weeks later with better positioning for OFA and just today in the mail I got my OFA certificates: GOOD hips, normal elbows.  Those new films are on their way back to me (for the SV a-stamps) but I didn't photograph them so I only have my vet's original to share right now. 

I did not photograph any of the elbows b/c all three sets look completely normal. 

These films are better than what is shown, neither are digital so these were my attempts to hang them in front of a light source using a textured curtain, please do not judge the quality based on my photographs!!

 Liesjers, does the vet feel this is an inheritable defect or just an anomaly? I know you said he's not a breeding animal, but I'm wondering if offspring would be affected if he were. 

Ek, good for you for keeping that girl active. You're so right- pampered housepets can go downhill so fast when their owners feel sorry for them. Dogs don't pity themselves; they move on and do the best they can. 

Jenni78,
Thanks!  this is an awesome thread!  It really helps seeing good next to bad.  Night and Day is correct!  Now, does anyone have good vs bad elbows to share?
Deb

 Ok, here's where I bow out. I'll try to do it gracefully, LOL! 

Jenni, the radiologist told me that the common consensus is not to breed two animals with the same condition.  I believe it is genetic but one of those polygenic things, no one really knows exactly how it happens or how to prevent it.  Parents don't have it, and I've seen some x-rays of the littermates and as far as I know, no one else has it (and everyone that has been x-rayed is A1 a-stamp).  I suppose if I intended to use the dog as a stud, for me, ANY condition would prompt me to do a lot more research into the health of the lines/possible pairings.

Jenn I don't mean to high jack your thread but Liersjers showed a spine xray. I am wondering if anyone could enlighten me on this. I hear this is becoming more seen in the MAls and Dutchies. Are we going to see it come to the Shepherds too? If so what are we looking for? and Why?  Wanting to learn more :) 

EK

EK, when I brought my dog in at 24 months it was mainly to get to the bottom of the limping and foot drag.  He's been doing that for as long as I can remember, and has seen different vets many times, but they always stretch and pull him all over, get no pain response, and tell me he has pano, or just pulled a muscle, or this or that.  As he is maturing and his training is more physically demanding, I just wanted a solid answer even if it was something I wouldn't like.  I told the vet that he could go ahead and x-ray the spine if he thought it would be helpful to rule something in or out.  At the time my fear was that my dog's symptoms were neurological and maybe there would be some old injury or abnormality along the spine that would explain it.  So I guess in our case, we did have a reason to do the spine.  I would not have asked for it if there were no symptoms and I was just getting OFA/a-stamp x-rays.  Now, the problem with my dog is the transitional lumbar vertebra which is visible on the hip x-rays, so the spine x-ray didn't really help other than show us that there's nothing wrong with that segment of the spine.