There are many factors that play in hip/bone conditions. Some are inherited and some are caused by traumatic events. OFA certification can not take place until your canine is two years of age. Why? Because your canine continues to grow until the age of two. When a breeder has a canine OFA certified, this does not guarantee any offspring from getting hip dysplasia. Testing is only valid for the canine tested and only at the time of testing. If a canine has been given OFA clearance, this does not mean this canine will never get hip dysplasia or never pass on a defective gene to its offspring. The OFA board themselves have stated that 20-40% of all OFA good canine can still come down with this hip condition at some time during its life. OFA certification must be performed on a yearly basis because the fact remains that a certificate & x-ray deemed clear one day, does not necessarily mean it will remain clear later down the road. We have noticed some sites listing breeders as being "RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS" just because they have had their breeding dogs tested for genetic ailments. While testing a breeding dog is a noble thing, until genetic markers become available to breeders for their breeding dogs, there is no way to know whether their breeding dogs are "carriers" of defective genes that can cause issues with their offspring. Hip dysplasia can affect 1 single pup in a litter or it can skip generations before affecting any one puppy. A canine can carry the gene and never be affected or it can pass the gene to a puppy several generations down the road. A canine can also be x-rayed showing its hip or hips to not be perfect, yet not be symptomatic. Anyone believing that a purchased puppy from a breeder who tests their breeding dogs are free from genetic or health issues is living with a "false sense of security". We are more in favor of having an individual canine xrayed rather than relying on tested parent dogs whose testing has no bearing on the individual offspring. Not all hip problems are caused by hip dysplasia and bone problems are not always genetic. Some lameness or limping can be caused by simple sprains as well as fractures. Identifying to problem is important if you have noticed your canine limping or hobbling and if this condition persists over time. Sometimes pad lacerations can be the culprit or even penetrating puncture wounds caused by thorns and splinters. It is also important to know that not all health issues have a genetic component. We HIGHLY recommend our customers pre-pay for any desired testing if they have genetic disorder/ health concerns at the time of their puppy's vet check up. We are very open at making any of our breeding dogs available for DNA testing through VETGEN if someone has a concern about genetic health issues and agrees to pay for such testing. The fact that we have had little genetic health issues with our puppies in an 11 year span, shows that our percentage is very low for genetic health issues. Our percentage is approx. the same, if not better, than breeders who test their breeding dogs and who have had the same number of litters for the same length of time. Because even tested dogs can be silent carriers of defective, recessive, polygenic genes that can contribute to HD, we do ask all of buyers of our Goldendoodle puppies to submit their puppy's DNA along with the application we provide to them so that the DNA can be anaylized should their vet say their doodle has hip issues that are "genetic". A DNA test will prove one way or another whether a canine issue is genetic. There are current studies out (2007) about the progress of canine hip dysplasia.
We are also in favor of having our veterinarian of xraying the hips of any doodle that is available for sale, who is at least six months of age and for those who are willing to pay for such services. The xray, while not definite, will help the buyer know what the hip health is once an xray has been conducted. There is never any way to know what the health of an individual dogs' hips will be until an xray has been performed. It's impossible for a breeder to look at their puppies and say 100% whether the puppy has good or poor hip conformation. Not unless the dog is alreasy showing obvious symptoms of having a problematic hip such as limping...noticable pain, etc; Puppies are very rough with each other when playing inside or outside. So even if an xray shows a problem with one hip or both hips in a canine, the xray does NOT tell them whether or not poor or good conformation in the hips is injury related....or genetically related.
Let's discuss bone disorders, hip problems and spinal cord injuries.
Some bone conditions are caused by injuries and some are caused by other disorders. Weimaraners can get what is called "SPINAL DYSRAPHISM"....this is a disorder that is known to the Weimaraner and is caused when the spinal cord does not close all the way during the fetal stage. You can tell a pup has this disorder when they continue to have a lying flat position and do not try and move their legs. They also bunny hop and do not walk in a normal manner. You DO NOT necessarily have to have your puppy put down just because he or she has this disorder. You can teach your puppy how to walk by training it to bunny hop and your puppy can have a quality of life if kept indoors and allowed to live in a comfortable environment. He or she may not walk the way other dogs do, but they can still have a quality of life that will give you many years of enjoyment and it is NOT a death sentence for your canine. They can learn to adjust and can still be a happy go lucky dog! Yes there are certain adjustments....but your puppy will adjust and do just fine.
SPINAL CORD DISORDERS
Injuries and diseases of the spinal cord generally produce weakness and paralysis in one of more limbs and/or the tail. Spinal cord diseases do not cause seizures, nor do they produce changes in personality or behavior. Depending upon your ability to adjust and make compensations to assist your canine in living a somewhat normal life, some spinal cord diseases or injuries IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE for your canine. They now make really cool "wheelchairs" for canine and allow the dog to continue to live a functioning life. It is a difficult decision for a canine owner to make on whether to euthanize or not to euthanize....but if you have the ability to continue your canine's life and to help your canine adjust to a new way of living and the funds to do it, your canine can still go on with life and be just as happy.
When you see your canine limping or hobbling or walking in a strange way, do not always assume that your dog has suddenly developed hip dysplasia. There are many reasons for limping or hobbling and a full examination and determination with x-rays and testing must be made to ensure what actually is going on with your dog. Please remember that not all veterinarians are expert radiologists and very few are canine orthopedic specialists. Just because your vet shows you an x-ray and gives you his or her opinion does not always make it so. It is important to have more than 1 opinion when a serious condition develops with your canine. It is always advisable to have a specialist examine your canine as well upon learning of a serious condition to ensure the exact nature of the problem.
Spinal cord injuries are associated with ruptured discs and vertebral fractures and dislocations caused by accidents. These accidents can be so minor as to just your canine jumping off of your couch the wrong way.
Immediately after a spinal cord injury, thee may be neck or back pain, weakness or paralysis of the legs, a stumbling gait or a loss of feeling in the limbs or urinary and even fecal incontinence. Signs that progress after an injury are often caused by tissue swelling which can interfere with the blood supply to the spinal cord and may cause permanent damage.
A pelvic fracture can be mistaken for a spinal fracture. In either case, the dog is unable to bear weight on his hindquarters and shows pain when handled in the injured area. The same goes with hip disorders or hip injuries.....when pressure is placed on either hip, there will be associated pain to your canine.
It may appear that the outlook is poor, but a dog with a broken pelvic often times can make a complete recovery. If your canine is determined that he or she has hip dysplasia, the outlook is not always grave.
There are new methods of treatment out there and that are available to the canine to give your canine the ability to lead a normal life with quality. In any type of injury or as soon as there is something noticed different about the way your canine acts or walks, we do recommend that you take your canine to your local vet for an examination. NEVER GO BY ONE OPINION ONLY! It has been our personal experience that just like regular doctors, each vet will have his or her own opinions on method of treatment or whether to euthanize or not.....make sure before you decide to euthanize your canine that you get two or even three veterinarian opinions.....it could save the life of your dog.
RUPTURED DISCS
A disc is a cushion of cartilage that sits between the vertebrae and acts as a shock absorber. The disc is composed of a rim of tough, fibrous connective tissue that surrounds a gel-like center called the nucleus.
When a disc ruptures, one of two things may happen. The first is that the fibrous capsule breaks, allowing the inner nucleus to push out through the opening and impinge on the spinal cord or a nerve root. This type of rupture is called HANSEN TYPE 1. The second is that the entire disc, surrounded by an unbroken capsule, can bulge outward. This is called HANSEN TYPE 2. The HANSEN TYPE 1 rupture occurs in small breeds such as the dachshund, beagle, cocker spaniel, Pekingese and small mixed breeds. In fact,
ruptured discs are more frequent in Dachshunds than in all other breeds combined.
The capsule begins to degenerate at about two to nine months of age and signs of impingement on the spinal cord appear at three to six years of age. About 80% of TYPE 1 ruptured discs occur in the lower back between the last thoracic and the first two lumbar vertebrae. Most of the remainder occur in the neck.
There is often a history of mild trauma such as jumping off of a sofa but normal movements are sufficient to cause TYPE 1 extrusion. Occasionally, more than one disc becomes ruptured.
The symptoms of a TYPE 1 rupture usually come on gradually but can appear with sudden explosiveness.
The main sign is pain. Your dog will hold its back in stiff position and may cry or whine when patted or handled in the injured area. He or she will usually refuse to walk up stairs or jump into your car. They may refuse to do the usual things like standing up on their hind legs for a treat or jump into your lap when you are sitting down. Neurological signs include weakness, lameness and a wobbly gait. (DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH WOBBLER SYNDROME). A dog experiencing the severe back pain of an acute rupture will have a hunched-up position and a tight abdomen. The dog may pant and tremble. Sudden disc ruptures can produce complete hindquarter paralysis. HANSEN TYPE 2 discs ruptures occur in large breed dogs occasionally...this includes German Shepherds and Labradors. The entire disc, surrounded by its capsule, gradually impinges on the spinal canal. Symptoms appear in dogs between the ages of 5 to 12 years. Because the process is gradual, symptoms progress slowly. (DON'T CONFUSE THESE SYMPTOMS WITH AGE RELATED PROBLEMS OF JOINTS AND BONES).
Dogs with ruptured HANSEN TYPE 1 neck discs carry their head low and rigidly, making the neck look and appear to be shorter. These discs are extremely painful. Dogs often cry out when patted on the head and refuse to lower their heads to eat or drink. Weakness and lameness involve the front legs. Complete paralysis of all four legs does occur but is extremely rare. HANSEN TYPE 2 neck discs occur with the WOBBLER SYNDROME. The only way to determine a diagnosis is by a canine neurological specialist
and this also includes x-rays and possibly a CT scan or MRI.
Most disc problems improve with rest and medication. Your dog should be confined for two to four weeks to allow the disc to return to its former position. Corticosteroids (medications with steroids) reduce swelling and inflammation. Analgesics (such as pain medications) may relieve pain associated with such ruptures.
Peripheral Nerve Injuries
An injury to a nerve results in loss of sensation and/or muscle movement in the structures affected by that nerve. With complete paralysis the leg hangs limply. With partial paralysis, the dog stumbles when attempting to put weight on the leg. Common injuries are stretches, tears and lacerations.
Stretches involving the brachial and radial nerves are usually by auto accidents or falls in which the front leg is jerked away from the trunk. A similar stretching of the femoral or sciatic nerves can cause a paralyzed back leg. Nerves can be crushed when a vehicle rolls over the leg. Bone fractures and muscle injuries often are caused at the same time. Another cause of nerve paralysis that is often temporary, is the injection of an irritating medication into the tissue surrounding a nerve. This problem does not occur frequently, but can be of concern when it does happen. Injections of any kind must be carefully given and given in the correct way. Lacerated nerves to not regenerate. The paralysis is permanent. Stretched nerves may return to normal but do not always. Those that do recover begin to improve in three weeks and may continue to improve for about 12 months. If recovery does not occur, the dog may benefit from amputation of the paralyzed leg or there are now available wheelchairs especially made for your canine that would be of great benefit. They are costly, but can prevent your dog from being euthanized.
Bone Spurs
Spondylosis is characterized by the presence of osteophtes...bone spurs that form around intevertebral discs as a dog ages. They usually do not produce symptoms as in humans. On rare occasions, spurs project into the spinal canal and cause symptoms like those of a ruptured disc. A fusion of the osteophytes, called Spondylosis deformans, restricts movement of the vertebral column and causes pain and stiffness. Large breed dogs are most often affected..
Inherited Orthopedic diseases
Inherited bone and joint diseases have a genetic basis despite the fact that only a certain number of offspring will be affected. Inherited bone and joint diseases can skip puppies and only affect 1 puppy in a single litter or it can even skip generations. If, after a careful veterinary examination, one of these conditions is diagnosed in your dog, it is important that the affected canine be spayed or neutered and not placed in a breeding program.
HIP DYSPLASIA
Hip Dysplasia is the most common cause of rear leg lameness in dogs. The highest incidence occurs in large breed dogs, including but not limited to, Saint Bernard's, Newfoundlands, Rottweilers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and many many other breeds. Smaller breeds can be affected too but are less likely to show symptoms. According to statistics compiled by the Orthopedic foundation for animals, the risk of hip dysplasia in many of the large breed dogs presented to them for certification over the last 25 years ranged from 20-40 percent. This means that even though those dogs were certified to be free and clear...... 20-40% of those dogs can still come down with this disease or pass it on to their offspring. This information was compiled by the OFA board themselves, so DO NOT be fooled if a breeder tells you that because their dogs are OFA certified, your puppy WILL NEVER get hip dysplasia and would never become affected!!! The fact of the matter is, whether your puppy came from breeding stock that was OFA certified clear and free at the time of certification or whether your puppy came from breeding stock that was NOT OFA certified, the chances of getting hip dysplasia is still 50/50. Hip Dysplasia is a polygenic trait. That is, more than one gene controls the inheritance. In order for a puppy to get hip dysplasia, both of its parents must have a particular gene to contribute. While most veterinarians do not know why hip dysplasia comes about, this disease is also difficult to control and difficult to track. There is no particular genetic test to rule out a carrier and there is no way to know for certain who will have a dysplastic puppy and who won't. While Cornell is presently working on genetic markers, there just isn't any way to know how this disease comes about and why it is passed on to just 1 single pup in any given litter, if at all. It can skip generations or it can affect just 1 single puppy. While having a dog certified OFA good or fair is comforting to the owner, it is only for that particular dog at that particular time. It DOES NOT mean that the dog who is certified good or fair will NOT pass on a gene to its future litters or a future puppy. This is the biggest misconception people have when they call a breeder and ask them if their dogs have been tested or are OFA certified. Even if a breeder says "Yes, my dogs have been tested and they are OFA good or Fair", they are only giving the customer a false security blanket to hang onto. Breeders can not guarantee 100% that their puppies will never get hip dysplasia from their OFA tested breeding stock. If if genetic markers were available, the genetic testing can not as of yet tell what has caused the HD or whether indeed it is 100% genetic. As of September 2007, we have incorporated requiring all of our doodles spayed or neutered before they leave our premises, once purchased. Because the doodles will be already under anesthesia, we have also incorporated a preliminary HIP x-ray on the individual doodle who is being spayed or neutered so that our customers can have a general idea of the hip health at this young age. While preliminary hip xrays are never definite, it does help show the hip health at age six months. Because testing the parents has no bearing on the offspring created by the tested parents, having an individual dogs' hips xrayed is the best method of knowing the hip health of the individual dog rather than relying on tests that were conducted on dogs OTHER THAN the individual purchased dog. The hip is a ball and socket joint. The ball is the head of the femur and the socket is the acetabulum of the pelvis. In a dysplastic hip, the head of the femur fits loosely into a poorly developed, shallow acetabulum. Joint instability occurs as muscle development lags behind in the rate of the skeletal growth. As the stress of weight-bearing exceeds the strength limits of the supporting connective tissue and muscle, the joint becomes loose and unstable. This allows for free play of the femoral head in the acetabulum, which promotes abnormal wear and tear.
Feeding a high calorie diet to growing dogs can exacerbate a predisposition to hip dysplasia because the rapid weight gain places increased stress on the hips. Another factor that can bring on the symptoms of hip dysplasia is inappropriate exercise during the period of rapid bone growth. Young dogs should be discouraged from jumping up and down from heights and from standing on their hind legs (which dogs do when they stand up against a fence or window to get a better view). Dogs with hip dysplasia are born with hips that appear normal but progressively undergo structural changes. The age onset is between 4-12 months. Affected puppies may show pain in the hip, they may walk with a limp or with a swaying gait.
They may also bunny hop when running and experience difficulty in the hindquarters when getting up.
Pressing on the rump can cause the pelvic to drop. With the puppy on its back, the rear legs may not extend into the frog-leg position without causing pain.
An x-ray of the hips and pelvis is the only reliable way of determining whether a dog has hip dysplasia and it may even require a CT scan or MRI to fully diagnose. Good x-rays require heavy sedation or anesthesia. If your veterinarian did not sedate your canine, chances are that the x-rays are not good enough to make an accurate diagnosis. There are not that many qualified veterinarians available to make an accurate hip diagnosis and a complete diagnosis can not be based on an x-ray alone. For a more accurate reading and diagnosis, it is best that a canine orthopedic specialist inspect your canine and provide a more detailed check up, along with having the x-rays reviewed by an OFA certified radiologist.
Without having the above performed by the correct specialists, you will never know for sure if your veterinarian has made a correct diagnosis and you are actually going by what a "layman" has told you. Would you have your family member surgically corrected or treated by a "layman"? I think not! It is also very important that your dog is the proper age of being X-rayed because growing puppies can NOT be given an accurate hip X-ray just as a female dog in heat should NOT be given a hip x-ray. This can cause a false reading.
The standard view is taken with the dog lying on his or her back with the rear legs parallel and extended.
The knees (Stifles) are rotated internally. Care is taken to be sure that the pelvis in NOT tilted. Hip dysplasia is graded according to severity of x-ray findings. With normal hips (graded excellent), the femoral head fits tightly into a well-formed hip socket with a minimum of space between the head of the femur and the acetabulum. The hip ball is almost completely covered by the socket. With mild hip dysplasia, the x-ray will show mild subluxation (increased space in the joint) with the hip ball part-way out of the socket. There are no changes associated with degenerative arthritis. In moderate dysplasia the hip ball is barely seated into a shallow acetabulum. Arthritic changes begin to appear. These include wear and flattening of the femoral head, a rough appearance to the joint surfaces and the beginning of bone spurs. In severe dysplasia, the head of the femur is completely out of the joint and arthritic changes are marked. Once arthritis is noted, the condition is irreversible. But even with arthritis, some dogs are not lame. The onset of lameness is unpredictable and some dogs may go most of their lives with dysplastic hips but no lameness or pain. Others develop lameness as puppies. It is extremely important to get more than one veterinarian opinion regarding your canine's health....especially where serious matters are of concern. Like many disorders,
hip dysplasia is not a death sentence for your canine. It is quite possible for your canine to live a very long and active life and never show signs of pain . Once you know that your canine has a hip or joint problem, it is important that you take care that your canine does not exercise in activities such as jumping from high places or doing too much running that may exacerbate the problem. You and your canine can still enjoy an active life together....but as a person who has physical limitations, care must be noted for continued quality of life.
The OFA provides a hip dysplasia registry for purebred dogs for a fee. Most fees range from $150 on up per dog per certification. This may or may not include the cost of X-rays and your vet's office fee. An OFA certified radiologist will review hip x-rays taken by your vet and if the conformation of the hips is normal for the breed, they will certify your dog by giving it a certificate with an assigned number. As an option, you can now have the OFA number added to your dogs' AKC registration papers. This is also an additional cost to you as the canine's owner. Dogs must be no younger than 2 years of age to be eligible for certification. Some female dogs will show subluxation when x-rayed around an estrus cycle...so OFA recommends NOT x-raying a female dog near her heat cycle or within 3-4 weeks of weaning a litter. The OFA registry is closed. This means that if your dog is found to have hip dysplasia, the information remains confidential. With regards to hip/bone canine specialists.....in the state of North Carolina, the closest specialist is located in Raleigh, NC. Our Boxers are CERF & OFA registered....but does this mean our boxers will never have a dysplastic puppy? No, it doesn't and we will never tell you such a lie. The truth is, no matter whether a breeder has breeding stock OFA or not, you will NEVER BE GUARANTEED that one of their puppies will not become dysplastic sometime during their life. Here is a story I read over the Internet about a breeder's English Springer Spaniel. This breeding dog was OFA, CERF....had every test done in the book....was competing in the ring and was going to make a GREAT BREEDING DOG, according to its owner (based on all the testing clearances and ribbons.) The dog was about 2 years old. Now, you say to yourself....WOW! Now that is a dog I'd like to have a puppy from because for sure, my puppy will be the picture of health because obviously the mother with all that testing and all those ribbons is in picture perfect health and would surely pass on great qualities to its offspring! Guess what? Her dog died of cancer before it turned 3 years old. After all the testing and all those ribbons, her canine still died of a disease. The unfortunate reality is that no matter what tests are performed, there just aren't any guarantees in life. It's too bad that some sites out there try to make breeders who do not test, out to be BAD breeders. That's not true at all. There are no miracles out there to prevent cancerous genes.......there is no advanced medicine right now to prevent a dog from getting hip dysplasia whether if was OFA cleared or not and there are fewer tests than you may believe that are available for our animals to keep them as disease free as we want. There is another organization called "The institute for Genetic Disease control" in animals that maintains a registry. The GDC's registry is open. This means that everyone that inquires has access to your personal information. The GDC certifies dogs starting at 12 months of age. The GDC requests that vets palpate the stifle joints for patella luxation at the time of the hip X-rays. They also request that copies of pedigrees be submitted with your canine's X-rays. The goal of GDC is to build a large integrated database on the orthopedic conditions it registers. A genetic test for hip dysplasia applicable for a number of breeds is under development through VetGen. but is not yet finalized or ready to become finalized.
