Around Town Mobile Veterinary Clinic

9030 Sainsbury Court
Bristow, VA 20136

(703)753-7988

www.aroundtownvet.com

Canine Hip Dysplasia afflicts millions of dogs each year and can result in debilitating orthopedic disease of the hip. Many dogs will suffer from osteoarthritis, pain, and lameness, costing owners and breeders millions of dollars in veterinary care, shortened work longevity, and reduced performance. The occurrence of CHD is well documented in large and giant breed dogs, more than 50% of the most popular large breed dogs will show X-ray evidence of CHD, but there is also evidence that CHD is prevalent in many small and toy breeds as well as in cats.

PennHip incorporates a new method for evaluating the integrity of the canine hip. It is accurate in puppies as young as 16 weeks of age. To obtain diagnostic quality radiographs, the musculature around the hip joint must be completely relaxed. For the comfort and safety of the animal, this requires either heavy sedation or general anesthesia. The evaluation usually takes less than an hour

The PennHip procedure is provided at a flat rate fee that includes anesthesia, all required X-rays, and submission fee to PennHip.

Commonly Asked Questions:

Is It Possible To Hurt My Dog's Hips?

After many studies, both in the PennHIP laboratory and in independent laboratories, there is no evidence to suggest that the PennHIP procedure is any more harmful than the standard hip-extended procedure. Certainly, in dogs having extreme laxity and pain associated with inflammation and advanced osteoarthritis of hip dysplasia, any manipulation of the hip(e.g. OFA, PennHIP, routine orthopedic examination) can potentially cause transient discomfort (1- 2 days)

Will AKC And Other Breed Registration Organizations "Recognize" PennHIP?

In 1996, the AKC board of directors announced plans to remove all health and genetic information from the official AKC registration and to include it along with PennHIP information in the "Information and Health Database" known as CHIC. This database is managed by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and breeders and dog owners may apply to enter PennHIP information for a fee of $25.00



Does The Distraction Index Significantly Change Over Time?

A study of large breed dogs showed that the distraction index stayed the same over time (within acceptable statistical limits) and was much more reliable over time than other methods such as the Norberg angle and the OFA scoring method.

Are OFA Radiographs Different/better Than PennHIP Images In Assessing The Hip Joint?

Results suggested that OFA scoring radiographs (x-rays) underestimated susceptibility to osteoarthritis in dogs.
Accuracy of OFA-criteria scoring was poor:  92% of dogs scored "normal" at 2 years of age developed histopathologic osteoarthritis of CHD at end of life.
In contrast, the PennHIP DI at 2 years of age-predicted all 48 dogs were susceptible to OA of CHD and by the natural end of life, 98% of these dogs had radiographic or histopathologic evidence of OA.


Want to learn more?

For a detailed explanation of the procedure/more information, visit the AIS PennHIP website or watch their video here.





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