# hip tests



## 2 spoos (Mar 22, 2017)

i am planning on breeding my spoo. my question is I have heard hip tests are bad for their hips because they put pressure on the hips. I have heard stories about people's dog going lame over hip tests. also i hear that hip tests have to be performed under anesthesia. are hips tests absolutely necessary if your breeding spoos?


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## Verve (Oct 31, 2016)

Wow, you are hearing some sketchy information!

You can do OFA or Pennhip. OFA does not require sedation, but some vets will want to sedate. Others will try to do unsedated if the dog cooperates and they can get correct positioning unsedated. My hip vet advises me to withhold food the morning of x-rays in case he needs to sedate, but he never has. It is not uncomfortable for a dog. OFA will not certify hips until a dog is at least two years old. 

Pennhip is more expensive and requires sedation/anesthesia. It involves deliberately pulling on the hips to evaluate laxity, but should not damage the dog's hips. 

Hip clearances are absolutely necessary in standard poodles. Hips and an annual eye clearance are the core required tests for a CHIC number, as well as one or more of the following: heart, thyroid, sebaceous adenitis. You should also do DNA tests depending on what your dogs are clear by parentage of: NE, VWB, and DM. 

If you are interested in breeding I suggest you seek out an experienced mentor who shares your vision and goals for breeding.


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

Verve great information, thank you for sharing it! From the point of view of a buyer, I would never in a million years consider purchasing a spoo without hip testing done, along with the other tests that Verve mentioned. To me, anyone ignoring health testing available for their breed is a byb and I would avoid them. Health and temperament are top priorities for me. Thanks again for sharing Verve, before reading this, I didn't know the difference between testing OFA or pennhip.


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