is elbow & hip dysplasia inherited?

I say it is. but since my Hammie most likely has elbow dysplasia, I emailed the 'former' breeder. ok..my own fault for being someone that didn't know what to all look for, I went on her 'reputation'. she has since stopped breeding...but I thought I'd just mention it to her, because I feel it is an inherited disease. (in case she decides to breed again with the same parents) an email back...she says, 'no..dysplasia can happen at any time. or it could be 5 or 6 generations back, which you could not know'. I'm not going to argue.....that wasn't my intention with the email to begin with. my dog is only 4 yrs. old...and at 'best' is arthritic in his front left leg. he is going to xrays on Wed., but I'd bet the ranch it's dysplasia. anyway...just wondered what was correct. not to pursue it, for my own curiosity. thanks.

You should have your dog exrayed and have the films sent to OFA and his results put into the data base.

You do not need permission or approval from your breeder to do this.

There is definitely a heritability quotient for both Canine HD and ED. In some breeds it is not possible at this point to exclude all dogs who might be Gr 1 DJD in the elbows. Most responsible people would not choose to use a dog who is hip dysplastic.

Have you looked up your dog's family in the OFA data base to see how everyone stacks up? If breeders are OFA clearing dogs, the OFA's data base and website is a very valuable resource when doing pedigree research on various health testing.

http://www.offa.org

thanks Red, I was hoping I'd hear from you. I was just a little stunned to get the curt reply, hey...I thought she'd want to know. all I care about..truly..is my dog at this moment in time. he goes in Wed. AM to be sedated for a series of xrays. then I'll have a consult with the surgeon. fingers crossed..and a little prayer for my baby. I do recognize that most people dwell on hip testing, so my question is....does anyone do further testing for the elbow? or is it something that can just happen in larger breeds at any time? and one thing I know for certain, I fed by the letter...this is not from any overfeeding or any supplements at an early age. which left me to think it was inherited. I'm more than willing to say I may be very ignorant..still (yet, thank goodness for the knowledge I've found here from people like you), so for anyone else that may need to know or wonder..........is there certification for further dysplasia, like elbow. or is it the norm to just test for hip impairments? would this be something a person should ask in detail to a breeder, or can it 'just happen'? the purpose of my post is to educate everyone. I can't help by be blown away to think my 4 yr. old may be lame with arthritis or worse. is this unusual? and I apologize...you replied, yet I'm still blurting out so many questions. I'm still dense this morning. lol

Make sure you talk to your vet about doing the films so they can be sent in to OFA. If he indeed does have ED issues, you want that information in the data base so other breeders can use it to make good breeding decisions later on.

If it were my dog I would have hips and elbows done at the same time and send them in. Make sure you check the box to release all results.

My ED girl who is symptomatic was acutely lame between about 7-10 mos off and on, but then it seemed to resolve. She is now 6, and has definite lameness issues (pretty severe, requires medication) if she exercises too much.

I was told that what happened to her could not be a result of anything I did or did not do by the specialty vets at NCSU when I took her there for a CT scan at 10 mos.

Best of luck with your boy and his films.

I agree with Red, definately get the Hips and Elbows done at the same time. I dont really have an intention on breeding Riot(if a good bitch came along that wanted to use him I wouldn't say no if they were a match) but I got his OFA Hips and Elbows done this passed Summer.

Make sure you specify that it is for OFA though. He'll more then likely have to be sedated for it to get the correct positioning, but if your dog is relaxed enough being on hits back with strangers they wont need sedation. but make sure you say its for OFA. There are forms that you'll need to fill in for them to send it to OFA. Bring any identification with you and your dogs reg'd name, reg'd # and parents reg'd names.

Riot will be going for his eye CERF soon. hes had his Thyroid tested. I just never sent it in to the OFA.

would you recommend that a person with a large breed puppy have them xrayed between 4 and say...10 mos. old to just see if there is a potential problem? if I undersand correctly, it may be more easily treated at an early age. ED problems may not present themselves overtly, but you can sometimes tell by the gait or how the paws are directed when they stand. (paws pointed out would mean elbows pointed in..not a good sign) in your dog, Red, was the ED bilateral? I do understand that if arthritis is severe at this point, he may need meds for life even after surgery. when you say your dog has issues with lameness...is that only after exercise, or general walking? I assume your dog didn't have surgery? ack...I'm just asking too many questions because I'm just upset right now. lol sorry. I'm just worried at this young age he won't be able to have a quality life. guess we'll just see what happens after Wed. thanks again.

You can use vitamin c some say at the early stages...but in general most contracts have an age stipulation with regards to hips..that being 24 mo. So doing a prelim earlier would be just for your own knowledge and the breeders of a potential issue...

There is correlary information on the OFA site...but generally the LATER you wait to do a prelim the better the chances the results will be accurate at 2 years old. Remember that a prelim is read only by ONE doc and the rating is by THREE...so concensus of one vs three is what you are looking at.

Personally given how much x rays can cost I woudln't bother with a prelime UNLESS the dog is showing issues outwardly...much before 18 months.

Good Question.

Sooo, what would the results tell you ? Do you care about the results? Or do you care about your Reputable Breeding ? Do you care about the "betterment for the breed" or do you care about personal gain ?

If a Bitch is Rated DJD1 would you breed to a dog with DJD1 ? Would you look for a Sire with DJD1 Rated diarthrodial on opposits to your Bitch ? Or would bite your lip and Spay your Bitch ?

If you do Breed a dame and sire DJD1 Rated dogs what is the rarefaction of the Progeny ?

opcorn:

I have no idea why that little popcorn icon is there, MCato...what you want..an argument today??? maybe you should just let this post be for the information I presented, and not your folly. AND..if it isn't for your folly...what is that silly icon presented for? geez...

Actually, I think it would be nice to know and relating the OP's question. I'm sure someone has knowledge of this ...... I would like to learn.

If Riots Xrays turned to that he had hip or elbow dysplasia - he would be neutered.

No use in breeding problem dogs into your breed. There are LOTs of other Lovely breed examples in his breed.

As it turns out - Riots OFA ratings were normal/Good.. hes now in the database if you do a search. His CERF will be there shortly (sometime early Summer) when they get done. I will be doing his Thyroid and sending it off to the OFA next time he gets bloodwork done as well.

Honestly, I wouldn't do prelims unless it was suspected at a very young age, even then prelims sent to OFA may not be very useful, if you have a good Vet they can diagnose Dysplasia just as well.

I'm so sorry that your pup is hurting D... Its hard to watch I know. We recently had a 6 month old GSD pup come in for hip Xrays as she was swaying when she walked and it turns out she has mild Dysplasia.

Wishing you the best!

Debi , I would go the OFA way too . You need to know for your peace of mind .

thanks..many times over..to those that truly helped. SummerRiot, Red, all...I appreciate the help and inspiration. if this thread goes into some kind of debate...cause some people love that ....then I'll PM those that have helped me if I have any further questions. you've been wonderful.

... so do we all have to stop learning now?

Something interesting I heard- that if you have your dog put under for the xrays, they are relaxed so much that the hips will come out of joint more than if they are awake, and the results can be skewed.

I think that HD is both hereditary and environmental. If you have a dog that is predisposed to HD, and work him hard while he's growing, don't feed him right, he'd be more likely to get HD than the same dog who was allowed to mature in a more protected environment.

My apologies to the OP.

No, Melissa Cato, you don't want to learn. You want to argue.

I knew it was only a matter of time before you came back to start more trouble.

This poster has a genuine concern for the welfare of her dog. So take your harrassment of me and my breeding choices and your trolling somewhere else, please.

DanL, I do agree on the anesthesia. I will never film another dog under anesthesia if there is any way to avoid it.

but Red...it is the best option for an xray of my interest...to have them sedated so that they do not move and it is as precise as can be, right? ok...little confession..I'm scared of anesthesia of any sort. so..it is the best way, right?

Debi, in your current situation where you feel there might be a problem, it is probably best. This way they will get good views. The sedation they use for films is light so you likely don't need to be really concerned.

I drive over 2 hours to the vet who does hips and elbows without anesthesia. Good luck finding out what is what with your guy.

I do have an ED+ girl. I use certain supplements in her, that really seem to have helped. If you would like more info about what I'm using on her, you can PM me.

Really depends on the dog .....some won't stay still enough for a good reading .