This dog may be just fine; just be extra careful what you feed it, how much exercise/what kind, etc. There are dogs w/bad hips from 2 OFA "excellent" parents, and dogs with good hips from parents with not-so-great hips. Keep in mind also, that the OFA ratings are subject to the opinions of those reading them on that particular day. There are far worse ratings than OFA "fair." Also, dogs vary greatly on how they perform with different hip ratings. A dog with mild HD may be very lame, while a dog who acts just fine may be radiographed and show severe HD. Just do your research, and good luck.

Many believe that the scales can be tipped when speaking of mild/moderate with good nutrition & proper (NOT over) exercize. The jury is still out; Therfore, it behooves us all, to keep our weight dowm, feed well, excercize light, & swim a lot.

THe whole thing is a nightmare. From just genetics, it is polygenetic, more than one cause, and I am sure over exersize can cause problems.

They have mapped out the canine DNA, but I haven't heard much as far as HD in anything I have read. Maybe they are not that far yet. Has anyone heard from that end???

Can anyone explain to me how the ratings for OFA work please?

Whats the difference between excellent/good/fair/fast etc. in terms of the actual hip reading?

I have no idea what these things mean (particularly fast normal etc.) other than excellent being a good thing <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Cheers

John

 Quote:

Can anyone explain to me how the ratings for OFA work please?...............

http://www.abtc.org/health_ed/cerf_&_ofa.htm
"How to Read CERF and OFA Numbers"

and
http://www.darkstarfamily.com/hips.htm
says QUOTE:
The film is looked at by three board certified veterinary radiologists, and they each grade the hips. The grades are averaged if not the same, and whatever the average turns out to be is the assigned grading. If a dog is not dysplastic - as shown on the radiograph - the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals - OFA - will state that the dog is free of CHD, and if it is over 24 months of age, it will be assigned a permanent OFA number: a "certification". The three possible passing grades are "FAIR", "GOOD", and "EXCELLENT"; all three mean that the dog does not have CHD. "Fair" would mean that there might be very minor irregularities; but not dysplastic. "Good" would be where the majority of the passing grades would be, and "Excellent" would indicate superior joint conformation. If the dog is dysplastic, the OFA will grade accordingly, and the dog will not receive any certification. Visit the OFA online to learn more exacting definitions, see examples, and read other wonderful information. END QUOTE

Connie, I've seen some females that were bred before 2yrs. that the breeders say "prelims ok" for HD. Should these statements even hold water? I kind of thought that nothing was concrete until 24month OFA x-rays?

Not Connie but a-stamp is done at one and the OFA has done some correlations with prelims and final rating. I would want to see the actual documentation from OFA:

http://www.offa.org/hipprelim.html

Debbie, you must take into account the higher percentage of GSD's & other working breeds that are x-rayed as opposed to other breeds!!! For example, there is a higher percentage of hd in English Bull Dogs, (and correct me if I'm wrong, Pugs, too) but those breeds are not xrayed as often as GSD's or other working dogs. In some breeds a bad hip is not as crucial a problem as it is in working/herding breeds, too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> I didn't mean to make it sound like an exclusive post <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> I have learned more from you guys than I have after reading a ton of books <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />I appreciate your knowledge <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />