Pennhip or OFA - Page 1

I do both on my dogs, Paul15 is right it doesn't cost that much more.  I prefer Penn Hip for a couple of reasons.  One is that all x-rays must be sent in, people can't choose not to send them in, like you can with OFA x-rays.   And two because  like Sunsilver said it gives you a very accurate measurement of your dogs hip joint laxity.  Your dog may have good hips but if you do the Penn Hip you might find out that your dog has a lot of laxity in  it's hips which means it will be more likely to develop HD in the future.

Mysti 

I prefer to Pennhip between 4-6 months, and then if that score is acceptable to me, then  I OFA at 2yrs.  If the pennhip is not acceptable to me, I will have the dog spayed/neutered and placed in a pet home, since I am limited on space, I do not want to raise a dog until 2 for breeding to only find out he/she is not worthy, I would prefer to find out early instead of putting all the time and money in training, raising and such and then be disappointed. And be out the time I could have put into a dog with a better reading.  Pennhip is quite affordable, more now than in the past. My vet does pennhip and OFA for $95 which includes the OFA fees.  I feel doing both, I get a more accurate reading and a better understanding.  Pennhip you need several views, with OFA only one, so your vet may  charge more or less, I get an extra copy for my own files as well. 

Kari

A friend of mine had a very large GSD male which received a goiod Penn-hip grade, however, he could not pass OFA with even a fair... how can that happen?

On the contrary, I know of a male that received a noch zugelassen rating - A3 (barely breedable) in Germany; however since they xray at one year of age, and many dogs' growth plates are not even closed yet, it can indeed change.  This particular dog was re-xrayed in the USA after reaching the 2-yr mark, and he's an OFA excellent.  SO, it stands to reason that they need the additional time to develop, and I firmly believe the ball and socket can develop at diferent rates.  Other factors that can lead to laxity include too much crating which leads to inadequate exercise, improper nutrition, and this would include the dog not getting enough time outdoors to absorb essential nutrients from the sun.

I am also a strong proponent of supplementing pregnant/nursing bitches and puppies with vitamin C and goat's milk.  A veterinarian friend told me of supplementing with Cosequin and goat's milk, which turned around a litter of pups prelimmed as dysplastics into OFA good and better through this simple supplementation.  As she was not trying to sell me a dog or a product, I see no reason for her to embellish.