Canine Hip and Elbow Scoring

at Benalla Veterinary Clinic

Canine Hip and Elbow Scoring

Background Information:

Hip and elbow dysplasia unfortunately are common conditions that we see in general practice. There conditions are in part heritable conditions, and therefore many years ago schemes were delevoped with the aim to provide scientific based expert opinion of these conditions. 

Breeders and concerned owners can get their dogs’ hips and elbows checked radiographically in a simple procedure. This scoring test can help predict whether a young dog is likely to suffer from hip or elbow dysplasia, both debilitating conditions where the respective joints become prematurely arthritic and very painful.

Benalla Veterinary Clinic regularly perform safe, fully monitored anaesthesia and produce high quality radiography essential for this purpose, so call 5762 2788 to book an appointment for your dog(s).

The Procedure:

  • Radiographs of the hips (and preferably elbows which are often required) are made whilst the dogs are under general anaethesia.
  • The digital X-ray images are burned onto a CD and once your dog has recovered from the general anaesthetic (usually a few hours), you can take them home.
  • You can send the CD off to a registered hip and elbow scorer, who will then follow up with a report.
  • For breeders formal scoring is required and you will need to present your dog’s pedigree and microchip information to the vet who will certify the scoring paperwork and forward to a registered specialist radiologist for interpretation. The dog’s score report will be then forwarded to the vet clinic and the dog owner.

Dogs need to be at least 12 months of age to be scored. If however your dog is showing signs of lameness at an earlier age, we recommend a check-up with your veterinarian because some diseases are best detected earlier than 12 months to benefit from early intervention procedures and treatments.  For more information, please contact our clinic on 03 5762 2788.

Book an Appointment with Us

We ask that you make an appointment if your animal requires veterinary attention. This ensures you will have fast and efficient service.  This can now also be done online via our portal.

(03) 5762 2788

16 Church Street, Benalla VIC

Weekdays
8.30am - 5.00pm
Saturdays - Sundays
Closed

Proudly serving the pets of Benalla, Wangaratta, Euroa, Winton, Mansfield, Violet Town, Glenrowan, and the surrounding area.