Hip Evaluation – OFA and PennHIP

Ingersoll Animal Hospital is one of the select Des Moines Iowa Veterinary Hospitals that do both Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) evaluations of hips, elbows and stifles and are also certified to take PennHIP radiographs for hip evaluation.

• OFA is the traditional means of hip evaluation using the extended hip radiographic position and PennHIP is a newer method using three radiographic positions to evaluate hip laxity following the belief that a “tighter hip is a better hip.” Hip dysplasia is an inheritable disease manifested by increased hip joint laxity that leads to osteoarthritis (OA). Hip joint evaluation is an important test for breeders to monitor their breeding program and to use as a screening test prior to breeding. many breeders will have one or both hip evaluation methods done.
• Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) effects millions of dogs a year and is a degenerative, developmental condition, leading to painful hip osteoarthritis, stiffness, and diminished quality of life. Many dogs will be affected by osteoarthritis, pain and lameness costing owners and breeders millions of dollars in veterinary care, shortened work productivity and reduced performance. CHD is well documented in large and gigantic breed dogs, but it is also prevalent in small breed dogs and cats. In some dog breeds more than 50% of the dogs are afflicted.*
• CHD is the most commonly inherited orthopedic disease in dogs; it is a disease of complex inheritance that is caused by many different genes. The development of Canine Hip Dysplasia is also affected by environmental factors such as weight and age. There are no medical or surgical cures for CHD but there are surgical procedures and medical means to lessen the pain and discomfort of CHD and to help improve the quality of your pet’s life. Veterinarians and dog breeders have been working together through selective breeding strategies to decrease the incidence of canine hip dysplasia.

For more information on Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) please visit
https://www.offa.org/