I am considering adopting an 6 year old male do - Page 1

I am considering adopting an 6 year old male dog that the owners are getting divorced. They had xrays done last year on the hips before breeding, but did not submit them to ofa because they decided not to breed and the vet said there weren't any major problems.

Hopefully this will work:

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff266/sarahsbigdog/hipscopy.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

Or- the xray is here:
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff266/sarahsbigdog/hipscopy.jpg

I was told that the dog did alot of agility work and herding and hasn't ever had any problems and he appears to gait normally. This is my first gsd so I am not totally sure what a normal gait looks like- but it looks okay. 

I don't plan to do anything really taxing, maybe some akc tracking for fun or check out herding.  This dog is just intended to be a pet, but I want to know what I am getting in to. I have had a golden that had cancer, so I worry about genetic stuff.

Can a new owner submit to OFA, on an xray that is that old?

Sarah

The new owner can submit the radiograph to the O.F.A. as long as it was done at or past the age of twenty-four (24) months and the required identification of the dog is developed into the film-not just written on it. Just to double-check, you can go to their website at http://www.offa.org

I looked at the picture and I do not like the right-side socket so much. But, this dog is six (6) years old and I cannot see any serious changes going on. If you do not intend to breed and just want a dog to have some fun with, then he is probably okay. I agree that it would be nice to know, though. My guess? Left-hand side O.F.A. "Fair" to "Good" and right-hand side O.F.A. "Borderline" to "Fair". This dog can probably live a very normal life.

Regards,

Bob-O

1. You can not tell the status of a dog's hips by how they move. I've seen dogs knit and purl and fall all over themselves and they had good hips. I've seen hard working herding dogs that could go all day and half the night and thier xrays would give you the willies they were so bad.

2. Dogs don't read xrays and have no clue what they say. The dog will tell you the amount and kind of work he is capable of doing.

3. Xrays and hip certifications are a tool for breeding. There is no real use for them if you are not engaging in breeding. The major problem with a pet owner xraying their dog is they will change their behavior if the xray shows they least little things. Usually they end up "pampering" and not exercising the dog which is they worst thing they could do.

4. Do you have a local vet you trust who perhaps is himself a breeder so understands the issues involved? If so get his opinion. Or you can send the xrays off to a local board certified radiaolgist for a read but like I said xrays are something I would nto be particularly concerned with.

5. What I would look for on xray with an older dog is back problems since this would impact the dog's lifestyle far more than hip problems. You should also ask your vet to do the turn back the foot - DM test ( there is now a more sophisticated blood test but it still only speaks to possiblities.) The biggies that would worry me about a 6 yr  old sheherd would be DM, mast cell tumours, heart problems and I would screen as best I could for those things because they either shorten life or impact it greatly.

6. see if you can find out how old his parents are and how old the grandparents were when they died. Will give you an idea of life expectancy and health. Ask if there is any bloat, torsion or pancreatic insufficieny known in the lines.

7. Once you've done the basic screening - life is about risk and love. Listen to you heart as much as to you head. Hear's hoping he'll be a wonderful dog for you and you'll have many fun years together.  Ps try the herding - its the greatest thing.

I'm pretty sure he won't get an OFA number and am surprised a vet would say he looked normal. I'd save my money and would not use him for breeding. However, if I liked him as a dog and if he's sound and not lame, I wouldn't hesitate for one minute to make him my pet. Don't judge him based only on a hip xray, his temperament and the way you relate to one another is much more important. Many dogs with  hip issues never take a lame step in their lives and since he's already 6 years old, I suspect he will be one of those dogs.

Good luck.

Won't hazardous a guess on the x-ray read - I've learned over the years that's a crapshoot at any time but will say this - look at the amount of muscle mass the dog exhibits in the x-ray.   That's a generally great sign for functionability.

Hi Sarah,I lost 2 dogs in 1 year,a 9yr old and a 1yr old and I DO KNOW that feeling of  being worried.I now have my 2 boys and i've rescued and placed several GSD's with no problems.Sarah,if you like the dog and you feel you can bond with this dog then go for it and dont let that fear of what happened with your other dog rule your life.I have lost several GSD's over the years to cancer but my love of this WONDERFULL,BEAUTIFUL,INTELLIGENT breed gives me the strength to carry on.I could not imagine living life without having a GSD ,NO MATTER WHAT LINES they happen to be.I want to wish you the best of luck should you decide to adopt him and just have fun with him once you have bonded nicely.GOOD LUCK and remember ,just love him,care for him and let him show you what a GSD is all about.

What a nice post, Domenic. I agree with you 100%.

Thank you all for your responses. This makes me feel much better! I am planning on picking him up this weekend.

Sarah--good luck and enjoy.   My first GSD was 6 when I got her and we were like Velcro--I miss her every day.  We had 5 wonderful years, and she got me so hooked on the breed that I'm now into it with both feet.   You've gotten some really good perspective from the posts.   Don't let xrays drive your decision!

I'm glad you decided to give him a chance. Please let us know how it goes.