This might sound like a really daft question to all those in the know but.... could someone please explain to me what hip scoring is and what the different numbers of the scoring mean?

Hi "Metro"

As no-one else has posted an answer to your question yet - thought I'd have a go at answering. I am not an expert in this by any means - there are many other members of theboard who do know much more, but a very basic explanation, as I understand it is:-

Certain breeds are prone to a problem called Hip and/or Elbow Dysplasia, where the sockets and balls are not properly formed to make a nice fit and so causes walking problems, arthritis and the such like in later life - in some cases it is very severe and the dog can be crippled. Hip Scoring uses an x-ray which is then scored, ie marked by an expert looking at the formed ball and socket to see how well they have developed and fit etc. the lower the pionts scored, the better the joint. Each breed has it's own acceptable score. Any dog or bitch that scores highly should not be used for breeding as they are likely to pass on the fault.

The scoring cannot be done until the dog/bitch is of a certain age and that depends on the breed for maturity etc. Also I gather that a bitches seasons can affect the accuracy of the x-ray, so timing is critical as once you have a score you are stuck with it.

All helps improve the quality and therefore health of the pups that are bred. Unscrupulous/non-reputable breeders often don't do it, as long as they have buyers, they are not bothered. Having said that, many reputable breeders don't do it as they know the quality of their stock.

hth and that it is correct. I'm sure others will correct where necessary. :-)

Good explanation. To elaborate though, usually the dog has to be over a year old before the hip x-ray's can be done.
The measurements taken are given a number of points. 0 - 0 is PERFECT! However that is rare. Each hip joint is scored out of 53 points these points are then added together to make a total score. So if the left hip scores 2 points and the right hip scores 3 the total is 5, (that is 5 out of a possible total of 106).
Every breed has an average or mean score. In flatcoats it is currently 9. The score average can be obtained from your vet or the BVA (the BVA publish a list every couple of years which gives the average score for every breed). It is worth knowing that the police and military take dogs with a hip score of up to 20 points. You can write to the BVA for a booklet which explains with diagrams hip scoring. British Veterinary Association, 7, Mansfield street, London.
I have found with my dogs I get a better score if I wait until they are at least two years old before hip scoring x-rays are done. If you have a bitch, try to get her scored midway between seasons as the season will affect her score.
Equally a bad x-ray plate can affect the score. So the vet must try to send a plate which is neither too dark nor too light, (thin). The dog must be positioned just right otherwise this can increase the number of points gained as well.

Thanks to both Pammy and Polly for answering my query, it all starts to make sense now!! We are hoping to get a Golden Retriever fairly soon and need to understand about any possible problems to watch out for. We understand that eyes and hips are the main things to watch for, are there any other questions we should be asking a breeder about the health of their dogs? We would appreciate any advice!

The breed average for Goldens hips is around 19 to 20 total so a score of much over 20 is not good.

John

If you contact the British Veterinary Canine Health Schemes section they can send you one or all of the following. An article explaining HD and outlining the scheme, and also there is a detailed one that explains exactly what each number in a score means. This one is called The BVA/KC Scoring Scheme for control of hip dysplasia: Interpretation of Criteria! It is fascinating and contains xray plates showing each feature at each score in the scale. It is not easy reading, but with the pictures, and taken a bit at a time, is really good.

I would recommend reading The Billinghurst book also, which stands a few ideas about HD on their head ! Do bear in mind that environment, growth rate, feeding/diet and exercise all have a huge bearing on the dogs construction with relevance to HD....

Although bad hips can be a hereditary thing it can also be an inflicted thing. In fact I would go as far as to say that there are possibly as many bad hip caused by environment as are hereditary. Being a little contentious which as you all know by now is not my style the rush amongst show people to "get body" on a puppy can have an adverse effect. Growing good bone is one thing but carrying excess weight is something else again! Slippery floors, where a puppy's feet slip out from under it are another source of trouble. Jumping, running up stairs, long walks, rough and tumble play with an older/heavier dog can all contribute to the hip score. Personally I never started jumping with Anna until she was 2 years old. As a working gundog, normally working tests don’t put a jump into the puppy class and as a puppy is up to 2 years old there is no reason to start at a young age.
Ex-rays are difficult for the average person to assess. Without years of experience and the benefit of viewing numerous plates it's easy to miss the detail. With all the plates I've seen, I could possibly say good or bad but to give a accurate guess of a score is well beyond me!
For anyone intending to work their dog I would definitely recommend getting the hips scored and depending on what kind of work is involved you are then in a position to decide whether you feel it safe to continue. For example, whereas in obedience your dog is in the ring for possibly 10 minutes maximum (not counting stays) in the field a working gundog is required to perform for long periods during a day lasting up to 6 or 7 hours during which time it's require to run, jump fences, swim all or which could happen whilst carrying heavy loads. When not doing this it would have to walk at heel at to sit at heel for anything up to an hour! For a job like this dogs with bad hips need not apply!

John