Examples of Hip Dysplasia in ACDs
What Is Hip Dysplasia?
Canine Hip Dysplasia typically develops because of an abnormally developed hip joint but can also be caused by cartilage damage from a traumatic fracture. With cartilage damage or a hip joint that isn’t formed properly, over time the existing cartilage will lose its thickness and elasticity. This breakdown of the cartilage will eventually result in pain with any joint movement.
No one can predict when or even if a dysplastic dog will start showing clinical signs of lameness due to pain. The severity of the disease can be affected by environmental factors, such as caloric intake or level of exercise. There are a number of dysplastic dogs with severe arthritis that run, jump, and play as if nothing is wrong and some dogs with barely any arthritic x-ray evidence that are severely lame.
Check canine hip dysplasia statistics by breed.
Screenings for Hip Dysplasia are performed by a veterinarian with x-rays sent to OFA for grading and certification. Click here for details on vet screening procedures, or to learn more about how the OFA handles those screenings
How Does OFA Rate Your Dogs Hips?
The phenotypic evaluation of hips done by the OFA falls into seven different categories. Those categories are Normal (Excellent, Good, Fair), Borderline, and Dysplastic (Mild, Moderate, Severe). Once each of the radiologists classifies the hip into one of the 7 phenotypes above, the final hip grade is decided by a consensus of the 3 independent outside evaluations. Examples would be:
- Two radiologists reported Excellent, one Good—the final grade would be Excellent
- One radiologist reported Excellent, one Good, one Fair—the final grade would be Good
- One radiologist reported Fair, two radiologists reported Mild—the final grade would be Mild
Australian Cattle Dog Scans
OFA Excellent Hips Female
Adult female scored Excellent by OFA
OFA Good Hips Female
Adult female scored Good by OFA
OFA Fair Hips Female
Adult female scored Fair by OFA
OFA Mild Hips Female
Adult female scored Mild by OFA
OFA Excellent Hips Male
Adult male scored Excellent by OFA
OFA Good Hips Male
Adult male scored Good by OFA
OFA Fair Hips Male
Adult male scored Fair by OFA
OFA Mild Hips Male
Adult male scored Mild by OFA
Prelim Australian Cattle Dog Scans
Excellent Hips Prelim
Juvenile female scored Excellent by OFA
Good Hips Prelim
Juvenile female scored Good by OFA
Fair Hips Prelim
Juvenile female scored Fair by OFA
Mild Hips Prelim
Pending juvenile female scored Mild by OFA
Moderate Hips Prelim
Moderate Hips Prelim
Juvenile female scored Moderate by OFA