Hi,

I was just reading the other post about hipscoring and it is something we are considering doing in the near future.

I was wondering what your thoughts are on 2 things...................

1) Whether or not it is better (more accurate) to have the dog hipscored under a general anesthetic or sedation?
2) What are the average costs involved?

Thanks guys.

Dawn R

I would prefer sedation and that is what I am going to try this time but I think it is more important to find a vet or radiologist who is very good at getting the positions correct to enable a good score, positioning can make a lot of difference.

I agree, the most important factor regarding results is finding a vet that is good at positioning the dog

I have a vet now that will do them under sedation which i feel much more comfortable with (though i worry terribly anyway)
With sedation the dog is back round and able to go home within 20 mins, i think either method carries some risk but i personally prefer to sedate than give a full GA for something that takes minutes to do.

The cost are made up of the fee to the BVA which is currently £40 for hips and then the fee to your vet for the sedation/GA and the x-ray, this can vary widely depending on your vet. My vet charges £70 which i think is very reasonable indeed as when i first moved to my new home and was trying to find a good vet i was quoted from one over £400 for GA & xray! They wanted to take my dog in for the whole day like an operation procedure too, very stressful for the dog just to get a quick xray that takes minutes, hence my continued search, i have now been using my new vet for 2 years and he is fantastic :)

MandyC where do you live as I am having to travel from Wickford to Southampton to get the hips and elbows done.

My vet says GA is better, and as the dog is totally relaxed can be manipulated into the correct position easily. Also if a problem should occur it is easier to reverse a GA than sedation. He charged me £150 for hip and elbows (under GA) and then there was the BVA cost on top of that.

Prefer GA and heard that if there is a problem it is harder actually to bring them around if they have the sedation than the GA.  I've had 6 now done under GA and had no problems at all.  Anton was barking away at the vets within minutes of having his GA, so much so that they phoned me to come and get him straight away!

I was shocked that the cost had gone up £50 when I had Calida done last week, all my others have cost me £130 Calida's was £188.

I personally would only put my dogs under anaesthetic for anything if possible, only surgery.
If my dogs could not have hip score under sedation they would not have it.
Samoyeds have been lost under anaesthetic having hip scores.

Cost sedation from £75.00 to £130.00
Anaesthetic anythink from £150.00 +

Denese

My boy was done under sedation in Eastleigh and the total cost for hips and elbow was i think around £170.
My vets would of done it only under GA and they quoted £300 all up.

I don't like GA and if the dog is done at around 12months or just after its a lot to put a dog through just for scoring, the reputatation of the lady and her team in Eastleigh is very good and i found them all to be very helpful, you go in with your dog and assist them, so with them all the time..

I am going to Southampton to have my aussie done they are charging £70 BVA £50 hips and £60 elbows this is done under sedation and the lady is a radiologist.

Is her name Marilyn, eastleigh is right next to Southampton, more than likely the same people, very good there.

Yes I never used her before even though I know her from showing beardies.

> Also if a problem should occur it is easier to reverse a GA than sedation.

Hi Pedlee - I totally agree with your vet. 

I worry about the trend of going down the sedation route for this procedure and wouldn't do it.  Many vets mainly use ACP (because it's cheap) as the standard form of sedation and in any breed predisposed to epilepsy ACP is a risky drug. 

I've had the consequences of complications and heartache that can result.  With GA, at least modern day drugs for same are easily reversible whereas ACP isn't nor is the potential side affect of epilepsy.

I was quoted a little over £200 for hip score under GA - which included the BVA fee - just before they put that up (typical!)

regards, Teri

Hi I had my girl hipscored I was advised by a breeder to have it done under sedation, so I did she was absolutely fine and it worked out a bit cheaper than having a general anaesthetic.  Shop around for the procedure as well,  the vets I always use for my girls in general did not do hipscoring without a GA and was very expensive coming in at around nearly £300.00 whereas the sedation at another recommended vets cost around £120.00.