Have my appointment for tomorrow, booked in for hip and elbow scoring.  First dog I've had to have this done on, I know what the vet is doing but can anyone advise how long the process takes, under sedation so do I just drop her off and wait in car park. or will there be an hour or so before I can collect her again?   Daughter coming with us so need to know if I take a pack lunch while we wait or time for a pub lunch

Usually they ask to drop off at 8 and then they’ll be an order of which all the ‘ops’ being done, so she may only go in to ‘theatre’ at 11 etc. It won’t take long but due to her having been under sed or GA she’ll have to have obs done and make sure she’s ok to go home. With all the dogs I’ve had done, dropping off at 8 in the morning, I’m usually picking them up between 1-3 in the afternoon. So no you wouldn’t want to be waiting in the car   Weirdly although I prefer a dog having sed rather than GA they can sometimes be more disoriented, and drowsy - this’ll have worn off by the morning though if she is a bit like that.
Be prepared for later too - I’ve had it where they’ve only had her in in the afternoon and had to pick her up in the evening as there were two emergencies that came in. But you can ask the vet/nurse who will talk you through everything before they take her, she may have some idea. I tend to phone after their lunch break just to see how they’re getting on and if she’s out yet

It varies between vets. Last time I had hips and elbows done with sedation the whole thing took an hour and we only had a few mins to wait without the dog. She was weighed, sedated, scanned for her chip, stayed with us whilst getting tired. Once she was done we were called in to collect her and view the x-rays and then we were off, an hour after arrival.

thanks both, our appointment is for 12:30 and the vet is only doing hip/elbows throughout the day and under sedation.  Big breakfast then for all of us and see what the afternoon brings.  She has never had any treatment requiring GA or sedation (touch wood) so no idea how she will be after.  Just been out for fuel, cage in boot and paperwork all completed and cheque written out - wish us luck, taken me 6 years to get to this point!

Oh wow! Ok! Always had mine done like I said and only known others the same, although haven’t spoken at lengths about it with others. Very impressed it can all be over and done within an hour! Was this at a vets you routinely go to? Not sure if it makes a difference that mine go to an animal hospital, I’ve found an ortho vet that I trust so wouldn’t want to change unless recommended by someone else though.

That’s really good, hopefully it’ll take not much longer than an hour then, she won’t be under sedation for long
It’s always nerve-wracking when they haven’t been under or had any type of op before, she may feel a bit sorry for herself (depending on character and breed lol...mine are labs and milk it as much as they can!) and a little drowsy but I’ve sure she’ll be fine.
Covid will hopefully help speed things up too, as I’ve noticed vets are a lot more on time than they were pre covid

A lot depends on where you're taking her - mine usually get weighed/sedated then you wait in the car with them for approx 20 minutes, hand them over for xrays and then you're called to discuss plates

Really depends where you are going for the xrays. Where I go the sedation only makes them a little sleepy or in my dogs case there is not a lot of difference lol. They are in having xrays for around 20mins and then walked back out.
An actual vets usually keep them in for the best part of the day

I always go to Marilyn at Southern Canine Imaging and this is part of the reason. You turn up and take the dog in for the sedative injection, and you are with the dog throughout. You take the dog back out to your car and wait and monitor whilst it takes effect. You are still with the dog. You then take the dog back inside and wait just outside the x-ray room - where they take the dog from you.

Total time the dog is out of your sight = 5minutes.

Go to a conventional vet and the dog is taken off you as if having and op and pre-medded up as if having an op because it is very stressful to sit in a cage for hours with distressed dogs around. The actual thing your dog is there for takes minutes and they spend hours sedated in a cage and can be at the vets from 8-3. I just won't put one of my dogs through all that...

There are other vets who run things like Marilyn but we've just always gone to her. We travel for hours to see her.

Very impressed it can all be over and done within an hour! Was this at a vets you routinely go to?

No this was at Southern Canine Imaging. Even though it was a 4 hr+ journey for us to get there it was worth it as it limited the stress to the bitch and we saved money even with petrol costs included. I stopped using my normal vets for hips/elbows as the dogs hated staying there for so long. I'm just trying to get another booked in for hips and elbows and have been recommended Breeder Imaging Services that should be similar. Was also recommended a vet in Cheshire but they were booked up until next year! These specialists that use sedation, are well used to position the dogs and charge less as they do more dogs are very popular.

Yes we are booked in with Marilyn at Southern Canine Imaging - my breeder highly recommended her too but lovely and reassuring to see more recommendations here!  

Just got time to make us a a pack-up then ... it's half term, have had cancellations previous to this due to covid (as we all have) so when offered this date decided we would all go as a road trip - our 12yr old daughter is very interested in the whole process too, hoping to get out for junior handling soon as well. 

Right, better get buttering those rolls

*edited to clarify 12 yr old daughter, not dog lol

I use Marilyn too. If the dog cooperates then you won't be waiting long whilst they get the xrays. Mine I suspect struggled with them so took a little longer for hips and elbows. You will be there roughly an hour from start to finish and no don't leave, so you can do lunch etc after.

I’d actually heard of Marilyn, someone recommended her to me in passing a while ago...I wrongly assumed she was just a very good vet! Will be having a look at her and others like her for future X-rays. Like I said my vet I trust wholeheartedly, which is why I’ve continued to see him. They also like the vets, thanks goodness, and mine get put in a big kennels out the back where they aren’t around the distressed dogs (perks of knowing the vet and using him for years lol). But of course I’d prefer to be with them and for them to have to spend hours there when it can be over and done with in an hour.

We travel far for our stud dogs anyway so travelling doesn’t bother me

>You turn up and take the dog in for the sedative injection, and you are with the dog throughout. You take the dog back out to your car and wait and monitor whilst it takes effect. You are still with the dog. You then take the dog back inside

I assume someone comes to help you carry the sedated dog back in? Because if it's not fully unconscious it's not sedated enough to comply with the rules for scoring.

I use my own vet. You get told the time bring the dog in and you wait while it's done, and take the dog home when it's come round and can safely be discharged. No more than an hour.

The dog can walk, albeit very drunkenly and in a slow-mo way.

I don't give a poop about the rules, that is for the BVA to take up with Marilyn. For as long as she offers the service and the BVA accept her x-rays, then I'll be using her. She also knows how to position for a great x-ray because this is all she does, and will re-take immediately so that your dog gets the best possible score that particular dog can get.

>I don't give a poop about the rules, that is for the BVA to take up with Marilyn.

How disappointing. The rules are there for the welfare of the dogs (they're more likely to be injured if they're not fully unconscious) and the accuracy of the results.

Good luck! We had ours done at SCI on the 22nd May, it was all done so quickly. Was amazed at how they did it given the sedative seemed to have no effect. Perfect scores expected hooray. Will definitely be going back there again!

Apart from the M25 being at a standstill on the way there, all went well -  we ate the packup while she was in being x-rayed!    Was told the results would be very good and all home now.  She's a bit sleepier than normal tonight so am enjoying a glass of red wine sat on the sofa with her. 

Anyone know how long BVA are currently taking to issue the scores formally?

I’m hoping it will be less than 6 weeks, fingers crossed. I think they are generally getting back to normal and through the backlog.

>The rules are there for the welfare of the dogs (they're more likely to be injured if they're not fully unconscious) and the accuracy of the results.

It's not my job to police the rules or the vets. I'm a client, purchasing services. If someone is hip scoring and elbow scoring as many dogs as Marylin is, you can be sure the BVA know about it and could take action if they wanted to. The way she scores is hardly a secret, and there are many other vets who score in the same way under light sedation as well. If you disagree with it and/you think rules exist which are not being followed, write to the BVA and report the vets concerned, don't criticise people on online forums who are purchasing their services.

I'll always choose the least stressful option for my dog if it's available. I'm not going to try to pursue a more stressful option.

I have always waited in the waiting room for sedative to take effect, they go in and 10 minutes later emerge a bit wobbly.

Certainly have never left them when having hips and elbows done under sedation.