Does anyone have any experience on getting a 4 year old Labradors elbows and hips scored? What was your experience is it worth getting it done if considering breeding? Or is it just too late now?
It is absolutely worth doing if you are considering breeding. Indeed you should not consider breeding without testing (including hips and elbows). I start with the BVA eye examination as this is the cheapest test, so if they were to fail, you haven't wasted too much money. Then, unless they are hereditary clear, I do DNA testing next as it's the next cheapest. I sometimes wait to do hips and elbows until they are 3 years old and have proved themselves in the field. I have never had any bad scores from 3 year olds, even after working 2 full seasons. The general reasoning is that good structure doesn't lend itself to aging issues as much as a poor structure. So yes, if you are thinking of breeding then definitely test.
