Does anyone have the contact details of the lady that does hipscoring under sedation in Southampton?

Hi

I think you might mean Marilyn Baker - if you PM me I'll let you have the phone number; I'm not sure if I should put it on here or not.

Best wishes

Jan

Guess you will know Liz, that these days both anaesthetic and sedatives and very safe, but think people should bear in mind that of the two the anaesthetic is safer than the sedative. Anaesthetic can be reversed should a problem occur, sedatives can't.

Yes have heard that too.  Thats why I wanted the number.  I have discussed anesthetics with the vet now I wanted to get the other side so to speak.  I`m still not sure which to do which is why I`m asking around.  I have also heard that the sedative method doesn`t always produce as good a score as the other way.

Once I`ve got all the facts I`ll make a choice. I just never like to put my dogs "under" if I can help it. I have total confidence in our local vets, especially now that they have been voted top vets of the South West but just wanted to ensure i had all the facts right.

Yes I have heard that too, also that the BVA say that the plates should only be done under anaesthetic and if they know they will reject those done otherwise, think that is because it is not possible to strap the dog into the best position and the a nurse will have to help restrain it in the required pose. When you consider that the dog is laid on it's back with it's legs straightened and strapped in that position, I know I would prefer that my dog had a tube already in place and the necessary medication ready to reverse the situation should the need arise. Having in my life had 2 dogs that have taken over 24 hours to come out of sedation I would not consider it for any dog of mine, but that is how I feel, there are others who are happy to have heavy sedation and either do not know the risks or don't believe them.

Think there are about 4 or 5 vets in the UK who will do the job with sedation, would think they are probabley on to a good thing, would be interested if you do contact the lady how honest she is about the risks that most other vets will tell you about, and if it is admitted that staff are required to hold the dog in the stretched out position.

I have heard of this vet in Southampton and the technique she employs to x-ray the dog and it is the same as another practice I have heard of in Yorkshire, both of which regularly x-ray dogs with very good hip scores on return.

Re: anaesthetic producing lower scores than sedating a dog...I have 2 friends, who several years ago had their dogs x-rayed under sedation.   One came back with a 5/5 score, the other 1/1, so I would say it how good the vet is with positioning and plate quality.

Lily, how do they restrain the dog? Have been told that one of them straps the dog just above the feet and then have a long line, to keep the nurses out of the x-ray, and the nurses pull on the lines so the dog is stretched out and can't move. And of another surgery where the feet are held in position by assistants, the latter is def. not legal.

One thing is certain, you could not put a sedated dog into the normal strapping on the operating table unless they were so deeply under that they could not move at all.

Think the reason that it is said that the plates can be less than clear is because of the difficulty of holding the dog still and at the same time complying to the Health & Safety requirements and not putting the dogs through a very stressful restraint.

Just to say that a friend rang the BVA today about doing hips as she might use this person in Southampton
The BVA said that they dont have any policy on what is used to put the dog out!! it can be either! all they care about are the plates if the dog is in a wrong position and they cant assess them then the plates will be sent back but if they can see the hips then they get scored.
And she had a word with someone that has used this person and was told she is very good and gentle with all the dogs, and the person looking after the dog is protected with the safety wear, dogs are not tied or pulled but placed gently.

Think you will find that it is against the BVA health and safety regs, if it is not the BVA it is part of the general regulations for health & safety for anyone to habitually be in the r-ray room whilst x-rays are being taken, also the dogs legs have to be pulled out in order to get the hips into the correct position. All that apart I would not put my dog under sedation just to get an x-ray, when I could for a little more money have the safer option of an anaesthetic. But as in most things it is up to the dogs owner.

Am wondering if the rules have changed, do you know John, because I am positive that it is not allowed for persons to be in the x-ray room except in extreme circumstances, would like to know if the rules have changed or if I have been misinformed in the past.

No, the rules have not changed Jackie. It is illegal to manually restrain a dog whilst X-rays are being taken. It dates from the time when it was normal for a vet nurse to hold an animal. Quite a few suffered an overdose as a result. Think I'm right in quoting veterinary surgeons act 1954?

The KC have said that they will not accept plates where the dog has been held and the BVA say they will strike off any vet doing it. I was only talking to a vet about just this last Sunday!

Best wishes, John

Well I knew that was the case but was wondering if it had changed, I'm getting a bit out of date now :) and would you think that a dog could be x-rayed for a hip score without being placed in position and held there in some way.

Hi Jackie and John,
Friend has just called again she has just had a word with a friends Hubby who is a vet and he has just told her the same thing about the health and safety rules so you are both correct!!! my god there is so much to look into isn't there.
And he has said he doesnt like the way she does things and sedation isn't that good as you have said if any thing went wrong you cant bring the dog round .

Thanks for coming back Corso girl, it is a problem, you have to tell it how it is but people think you are just being anti for the sake of it, to me it is a dogs life that is involved but who is going to take any notice of me, if a vet, with reasons of their own, say I am wrong. ;)