Hi all

I went to the vets last night (Shunuk had to have his first jab). We got onto the subject of hip and eye testing, he told me that you should not have a dogs hips tested till they are 12 months old. Whike I have been reading a few posts in past mainly visitors questions I have read males fathering litters under 12 months of age. Does this mean that there hips have not been tested or is that just my vets rules of doing things?

You won't get a reliable hip score until 12mths old due to growth plates etc. It's not recommended to use a stud under 12mths but it has happened. Also not all breeds are hip scored which may be why breeders don't always wait until 12mths.

HTH,

Fiona
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Agree in breeds where it is expected that the breeding stock will be hip scored dogs are not used at stud until they have been tested and the results are back. And no you can't score till the are 12 months in the UK and I think 2 years in the USA. Ja:)kie

Hi

Do GSD have to 12 months old to be hip scored?

Some test at 12 months, personally I prefer to wait until they are 18 months old

Yes not before 12 month but 18 to 24 is better. Ja:)kie

The radiographer I use in southamptom likes to score at about 13-14 months old.
She also offers a sort of pre hipscore assesment at about 8-10 months old which gives the owner a rough guide of what score they likely to have.
She is a fantastic lady and when she has xrayed them she can tell you with 1-3 what the score will be!!! and she has always been right when they have come back whereas when my vet did one of mine a few years ago she couldnt even tell me if they looked OK or not!!!!!! :( :(