OVC vs OFA? - Page 1

Is there a reason to prefer OFC or OVC for hip certifiation? 

The OVC (Ontario Veterinary Hospital) process can be completed at 18 months, OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) requires you wait until 24 months.  What effect, if any, does the extra 6 month have? 

How about sedative?  The both the OFA and OVC suggest its use but does not require.  I'm not sure is it even possible to for a dog to hold the required position.  Is there a reason to even attempt it?

Are there any other things that should be considered for certification?

Some back ground for those that may inquire:  I'm not a breeder (which should be clear by the questions!).  I leave such things to those who know.  The certification is a requirement in the sale and I'm just doing some research.  

Many, many dogs have hip/elbow xrays done without anesthesia.  Some feel anesthesia increases joint laxity, some prefer not to put their dogs under anesthesia.  In any case, if you go the no anesthesia route you want to use a vet who is well versed in the practice. 

I use OFA and SV.  Am I correct in my understanding that OVC does not publish their results?  I went to the website but couldn't find out about  where they publish any results, but maybe I didn't look in the right area.

Edited to add I found the page where they list their hip grades:

http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/hip-elbow/process/

But I don't see anything about their elbow grades.

You know, I found the OVC site wasn't very easy natigate until you reach the actual hospital page!  I pulled this from their site.  New this year, I think, you can now search the data base.  I had to actually call them to verify the certifaction numbers while researching for a friend.  Link below in case it is useful to anyone..

OVC search  http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/cfmx/hip-elbow/search/

Sorry Sueincc, only part of your post showed when I read it ( wonder what I did there?).  I see you pointed me to the same place at the OVC.  Thanks for the information....I don't see elbow either.
 

Yep, you are exactly right!  I also see on the bottom of the page you linked where it talks about elbow grading.  I then found their search function and see where they publish their results:

http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/cfmx/hip-elbow/search/

Good point about the vet knowing how to place the dog if not sedated.  My vet has done films for both OVC and OFA and expressed no opinion.  "I'm a vet not a breeder", he commented but we did discuss that OFA provides some detail rather  than pass vs fail.  I'm just not sure how useful that information is.  Is good vs excelent that useful? 

My vet usually sedates and I don't have an issue with that but if it skews the results then.....

It would seem that most dogs are sedated and the standard to which the films are compared assumes sedation.  I just wonder does it make the hips look looser (and does that imply worse?)  In theory, could one gain anything my going to a vet who will do the films without sedating?

OVC no longer reads hip exrays, or so I understand?

Also, if you look at OFA's website, a couple of things:

1)  Sedation is "recommended" but not required(I have OFA'd dogs with no sedation)

2)  Down here(south Florida) I have literally had vets tell me that a dog has to be AKC registered to be OFA'd....so, don't always believe your vet;)

3)  Did you know that if your dog goes "pre-lim'd good" at 18months, that there is over a 90% likelyhood that it will get the same rating at 2 yrs?

Just a few thoughts!

Thanks for the thoughts Dogtrainer.

OVC did announce that they were going to shut down their hips/elbow cert. program however reinstated their program as of Jan 2008 due to feedback from users.

To your points:

1. Yup, I pointed that out in my first post, just wondering how it affects the results.  Was there a reason you choose not to sedate?  Did you note any differences in results vs a sedated dog?

2. True, it is best to think for yourself in any situation.  No harm in asking for an opinion ...especially from an individual who has education/experience in the area. As stated above he didn't really advise as he felt he didn't have the experience to do so (dealing with results and breeding based on them).  You are so right, some vets aren't worth the air they breathe!

3. So I take that to mean that the 6 months makes little difference to the overall result.   Is that based on expereince or something you found in research?

I don't like the comparaison between OFA-OVC-SV and stuff.

I've seen many dogs from Germany with fast-normal hips that got OVC certification or OFA Good rating in America.