Our Dysplasia Screening
& Testing Service

Hip and elbow dysplasia is a genetic condition which is passed down from a sire and a dam to their offspring. However, many less severely affected dogs show no symptoms or lameness until later in life, potentially after they have had many puppies.

This is why screening for hip and elbow dysplasia is essential. Unfortunately we often can’t tell if an animal has dysplasia by watching a young dog moving, so it's really important that dog's are X-rayed to be sure.

We offer hip and elbow scoring which involves X-raying your dog's hip and elbow joints, examining the X-rays and providing you with a detailed understanding of your dog's hip and elbow score.

Please note: all dog's must be over 1 year of age (for BVA Submission).

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT HERE

Screening for
Hip Dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a genetic condition in which there is a leaning towards development of hip laxity early in life.

Hip dysplasia is not congenital because affected dogs are born with morphologically normal hips.

The soft tissues (ligaments and joint capsule) that normally stabilise the hip joint become loose within the first few weeks of life. The consequence of this laxity is that the normally very tight ‘ball and socket’ hip joint becomes much less tight. The ball can become flattened and deformed and the socket becomes more saucer-shaped rather than cup-shaped. The vast majority of affected dogs have dysplasia of both hips.

All dogs with hip dysplasia will develop some level of hip osteoarthritis as time progresses.

Osteoarthritis is a progressive destructive condition where new bone is deposited around the joint and the joint surfaces wear out. It is irreversible. The degree of the severity of hip dysplasia correlates to the age at which osteoarthritis develops.

Vicky Foster looking at the X-rays on screen at Lancashire Hip Scores

Comparison image with X-rays showing good hips with no dog hip dysplasia versus hips with dysplasia - Lancashire Hip Scores

Comparison image with X-rays showing good elbow joints versus elbow joints with dysplasia - Lancashire Hip Scores

Screening for
Elbow Dysplasia

Elbow dysplasia is a much more complex condition, comprising a number of different problems – but once again, it is a genetic developmental condition that seems to be becoming more common.

The most common primary disorders include osteochondrosis, fragmentation of the coronoid process (a bony spur which breaks up when loaded) and ununited anconeal process (another bony spur that fails to fuse properly to the rest of the ulnar or elbow bone).

These initial lesions appear relatively early in life – usually well before the puppy is fully grown – resulting in early onset arthritis and lameness. However, just like in hip dysplasia, some dogs do not show clinical symptoms, such a lameness or pain, until much later in life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before Your Appointment

Once you have booked your appointment with us you are then required to contact your own vet to request your dog's medical record be emailed to us at Lancashire Hip Scores via info@lancashirehipscores.co.uk

This is a requirement of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Under Care Guidelines. It is also really useful so that we are aware in advance if your dog has any additional medical needs.

Please do not feed your dog after 9pm on the day before your appointment. Your dog may have access to water overnight.

At the Appointment

Please bring your Kennel Club Registration Document for your dog or any other registration document that you may have to the appointment.

When you arrive at the practice please go to reception where the receptionist will check your documentation.

Vicky or Michelle will admit your dog and a consent form will need to be signed. Your dog will be weighed and its microchip will be scanned and number recorded – this needs to be recorded on the X-ray.

Your dog will then have a health check by Michelle before the sedative injection is given into the muscle in the back leg.

We like to keep everything calm and as stress free as possible for your dog, so if necessary you may stay with your dog when the injection is given.

Your dog will then be taken through to the diagnostic imaging area while the sedative takes effect.

Once your dog is relaxed enough we will position for the X-rays. As soon as we are happy with the X-rays we have taken, your dog will be given another injection to reverse the effect of the sedation so they can ‘wake up’.

We will call you back into the practice where Michelle will show and discuss your dog’s X-rays with you before your dog is returned to you.

Your dog will be a little sleepy and less active than normal. We recommend a quiet afternoon for them to sleep and recover fully. They will be back to full form by the next morning!

Following the Appointment

Your X-rays will be submitted to the British Veterinary Association (BVA) or other scheme as requested later the same day.

As soon as we receive your certificates back from the BVA they will be emailed to you. The results may appear on the Kennel Club website before we receive them from the BVA.

A dog should be at least 1 year of age to allow BVA submission, however hip and elbow scoring can be done at any age above 1 year's old.

The dog's hip and elbow joints are fully developed by 12 months of age. Therefore X-rays performed from 12 months reflect a more accurate picture of the dog's hip and elbow health.

We can do earlier X-rays for general interest or if there is any concern of lameness. This can still be valuable but are not able to be submitted for official scoring.

Learn more about Dog Hip Scores and what they mean here.