Hip and Eye Scoring

[missshell]

How do they do it? Am I right in thinking that they need a General Anaesthetic?

 

[MurphysMinder]

Can't tell you about eyes, but no they don't need a GA for hip scoring. My vet hip scores with only sedation, they are back awake after the x rays and walking out to the car. However, he is in the minority I think as breeders come from all parts of the country to him.

 

[missshell]

Thank you. My google searches show that most vets do put the dog under a GA for the xrays. No wonder your vet is so popular! I wonder why he only sedates and others GA?

 

[GinaB]

Most tend to GA, I know mine does. Although I might see if he'd do them under sedation...

 

[CorvusCorax]

All ours have been put under for hip x-rays.

 

[MurphysMinder]

I should actually say my vets practice, as it is not just the one vet, 2 or 3 of them are now involved with the hip scoring. And the good thing is they are very accurate when it comes to predicting scores usually, saves a bit on the awful waiting for scores time. No idea why so few sedate, I think it may be easier to get a good clear plate with the dog totally out, but they have done so many they have pretty well got it down to a fine art. Whereabouts are you, would it be feasible for you to travel, because I know they do eye testing as well.

 

[missshell]

Im in cumbria. We would love another puppy and often think of breeding off our dog as he has such a fantastic blood line and temprement. Im just not prepared to put him under a GA if its not essential.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Vets are in S Cheshire, so probably a couple of hours for you. I can see your point about not wanting to put him under a GA, particularly if he is only going to be used at stud maybe once. Why don't you do what I did with my latest pup, couldn't breed from the last of my line as her hips weren't good enough, so I went to a friend who had a bitch from me years ago and got a pup of very similar lines. If you do a bit of research you should hopefully be able to find a pup with very similar breeding to your boy. What breed is he?

 

[missshell]

Hes a Golden Retriever. I have the owners of his dads email address and might contact them to see if he has another litter imminent. My dog is the absolute double of his dad.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Good idea. If you have his pedigree you should be able to find something very similar with any luck.

 

[k9h]

My girl had her hips done under sedation. The vet that did her also does all the forces dogs in his area & further!

For eyes they put drops in to dilate the pupils but don't give them GA


This is her sedated waiting to be scored! I carried her in onto the table & then back out again!

Cost me £83 in total for hips score & sedation other dog that was in at same time was £97 for same but was a little larger so more sedation! Plus I got the xray plates as well to keep!

 

[GinaB]

Hahah bless wee Quail! Were you happy with her scores?

 

[MurphysMinder]

Isn't it amazing how quickly they wake up from the sedation. One minute spark out and then you just have to prod them and they are up on their feet

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Over here, more and more does the hips under sedation. Actually, the vet who tours the Nordic countries and teaches other vet's how to X-ray hips, have recently opened a clinic in my city, so you can all guess who I'll use to the girls when autumn comes... He's so good that some Italians vet's have bought him some expensive machine (costing 500 000,00 SEK or 40 131,31 GBP) that allows them to send him their patients hip X-rays, so he can tell them his views directly and hopefully teach them how to do it at the same time. And I've heard he's very much against using GA, says it affects the result, I think it was because the muscles relaxes in a different way than under just sedation.



About the eye scoring, over here only certain especially certified vet's is allowed to do the eye scoring that SKK (Swedish Kennelklubb) recognises. They give the dog a drop of something in each eye, after 5 to 15 minutes (it was probably only 5, but in my memory the waiting always feels longer) the eyes are "ready" and the vet looks at them in a dark room. No other sedation than the eye-drops, the dog sits and you just hold your dog as you might do during any other vet visit.

Good luck and hope your dog gets good results.

 

[missshell]

Ah bless her

I think my dog would need lots of sedation lol!

 

[k9h]

[ QUOTE ]
Hahah bless wee Quail! Were you happy with her scores?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes I was

Not that I'm 'planning' anything!!

 

[missshell]

Thank you I did'nt know how they did the eyes.