Hi all! A little while back I had made a post asking about my dogs risk for hip dysplasia after finding out her sire was scored moderate in the OFA database. A month ago I had a pennhip evaluation done and her scoring was .60 on the right and .67 on the left. The vet explained to me that hip dysplasia is simply laxity and since her hips were considered quite lax based on that scoring, she indeed has hip dysplasia with a moderate risk (although the vet said with her scores it is nearly a guarantee) of osteoarthritis in the future. The dilemma I am now faced with is she was originally purchased with the intent of becoming my mobility service dog. I am still training her as I want to have a well trained dog regardless, but I am now questioning the initial assessment. Does anyone know how to interpret these scores? Does my dog indeed HAVE hip dysplasia based on these scores? I should also note that she was just about to turn 6 months on the date the testing was performed. Thank you in advance, any advice is welcomed and appreciated!
Hi there I don’t know enough about the results as the scoring system is different to that used in the Uk(I believe) I did have a quick look on the main site for articles and it mentions not having the scoring done before a year old so maybe it is too early to tell? A search on Pennhip states anything below .3 is excellent .3-.7 moderate. There won’t be much you can do about it at this age so enjoy her puppyhood an make sure you keep her weight down and don’t over exercise.
Hi! Thanks for your reply! The Pennhip scoring can be done on puppies as young as 16 weeks (hers was done at just under 26 weeks) I do question how accurate it is at such a young age, although the vet had said it is indeed accurate at 16 weeks and up. I am considering doing preliminary OFA scores and possibly repeating the Pennhip at around 1 year. I understand the numbers and where it puts her for risk, but I’m just not understanding exactly what this “moderate risk” means, if that makes sense. I know the test is essentially a predictor for future osteoarthritis risk, but I just question if she actually already has hip dysplasia at this point. The vet had said since her hips have significantly more laxity than the breed average (.45 if I remember correctly) it means she has hip dysplasia. This is where I’m getting very confused, I can’t really determine anywhere if what the vet was telling me was truly accurate and I see a ton of conflicting info on Pennhip. I also can’t locate any orthopedic specialists near me I just don’t want to wash this dog out of service work until I’m entirely sure that her hips are indeed a problem. Thanks again!
