Hip Scores and Hip Dysplasia in dogs in Ireland

Hip score X-rays are taken at the clinic under general anaesthetic in dogs over 1 year old. These are sent for independent scrutiny by a panel at The Kennel Club/ British Veterinary Association. This is to encourage breeding from adult dogs with good hip conformation to reduce the prevalence of hip dysplasia in particular in large & giant dog breeds like labrador, Rottweiler, and German Shepherd Dogs. The average hip scores by breed are listed below.

What are the costs for a hip score?

Our cost for Canine Hip Score is £95 - as a complete package for breeders - This includes the general anaesthetic, taking of the x-rays and the BVA/KC fee (£40).

Careful positioning of the dog by an experienced veterinary surgeon whilst taking the x-rays is essential in order to achieve a low (good) hip score. Inaccurate positioning may lead to rotation of the hip and subsequent failure to measure the score correctly.  (useful site on positioning)

Our experience in taking hip score x-rays and good value means that we receive dogs from German Shepherd Dog Breeders, Working labrador breeders & large / giant dog breeders from all over Ireland. (A Stamp also carried out for the GSD club). We carry out approx 60 -100 hip scores per year.

How is the hip score calculated?

Dysplasia means abnormal development, and the degree of hip dysplasia present is indicated by a score assigned to each hip. The hip score is the sum of the points awarded for each of nine aspects of the X-rays of both hip joints. The minimum hip score is 0 and the maximum is 106 (53 for each hip). The lower the score the less the degree of hip dysplasia present. An average (or mean) score is calculated for all breeds scored under the scheme and advice for breeders is to use only breeding stock with scores well below the breed mean score.

A: Breeds with 1000 or more scored (29)

Breed     No scored   Range     Breed mean scores

Airedale Terrier      1,397      0-91                     16

Bearded Collie 2,910             0-79                     11

Belgian Shepherd Dog:

(Groenendael) 429              0-104                     11

(Laekenois) 8                       2-16                      10

(Malinois) 141                      0-60                       9

(Tervueren) 871                 0-93                        10

(BSD pre-2000 unspecified) 179 2-98              12

Bernese Mountain Dog 4,434 0-102                  15

Border Collie/Working Sheepdog 6753 0-89      13

Dobermann 1,161             0-70                          10

English Setter 2,730        0-95                           18

Flat-Coated Retriever 5,461 0-85                       9

German Shepherd Dog 39,123 0-106                19

Golden Retriever 31,233 0-106                         18

Gordon Setter 2,293 0-104                                23

Hungarian Viszla 1,522 0-68                            12

Japanese Akita 2,132 0-92                               11

Irish Setter 1,038 0-100                                    15

Italian Spinone 1,031 0-89                                 14

Labrador Retriever 64,297 0-106                     15

Leonberger 1,216 0-89                                     12

Newfoundland 3,917 0-106                              26

Old English Sheepdog 1,675 0-100                   19

Rhodesian Ridgeback 1,982 0-88                      11

Rottweiler 11,962                  0-99                    12

Samoyed 1,379                    0-94                      13

Siberian Husky 3,343            0-47                       7

Tibetan Terrier 1,906           0-90                       14

Weimaraner 1,836              0-89                        12

Welsh Springer Spaniel 1,525 0-104                 18

Group Total 199,884

B: Breeds with 500-999 scored (15)

Alaskan Malamute 743 0-69                               13

Australian Shepherd Dog 542 2-71                    10

Briard 850 0-99                                                  18

Bullmastiff 948 0-104                                         26

Chow Chow 737 0-106                                      14

Clumber Spaniel 648 0-102                                37

Cocker Spaniel 817 0-96                                    14

Dogue de Bordeaux 609 0-93                            23

Elkhound 528 0-61                                             13

English Springer Spaniel 803 0-102                   14

German Short-Haired Pointer 751 0-57              10

Irish Water Spaniel 764 0-102                             17

Large Munsterlander 568 0-88                           13

Rough Collie 902 0-89                                         12

Standard Poodle 598 0

C: Breeds with 100-499 scored (32)

Anatolian Shepherd Dog 181 0-68                    14

Bouvier Des Flandres 145 4-76                         18

Boxer 374                   0-75                                16

Bracco Italiano 101 4-79                                    16

Brittany 403 0-74                                                17

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 266 0-92             16

Chesapeake Bay Retriever 468 0-61                 11

Curly-Coated Retriever 397 0-59                       11

Dalmatian 129 0-39                                             11

Field Spaniel 168 0-66                                        16

Finnish Lapphund 138 6-40                                13

German Wired-Haired Pointer 288 0-77              11

Giant Schnauzer 167 0-75                                 14

Great Dane 377 0-68                                         13

Hovawart 198 0-79                                           11

Hungarian Puli 451 0-102                                   16

Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla 190 4-60              14

Irish Red & White Setter 343 0-96                      10

Mastiff 326 0-81                                                 18

Maremma Sheepdog 144 2-83                           15

Norwegian Buhund 127 2-76                            15

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever 341 0-70     11

Otterhound 189 4-106                                        43

Polish Lowland Sheepdog 380 5-60                  17

Pyrenean Mountain Dog 468 0-94                      12

St Bernard 466 0-73                                          21

Shetland Sheepdog 307 0-100                          14

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier 438 0-62              13

Spanish Water Dog 117 5-42                             15

Sussex Spaniel 137 7-101                                 38

Swedish Vallhund 154 2-40                              12

Tibetan Mastiff 190 0-101                                  14

Group Total 8,568

D: Breeds with 40-99 Scored (19)

Breed   No  scored    Range            Breed mean scores

Affenpinscher 41        6-52                                     16

Afghan Hound 45         0-54                                     8

Australian Cattle Dog 60 5-23                                11

Beagle 45                  10-71                                    23

Canaan Dog 42         5-45                                      12

Estrela Mountain Dog 53 1-89                                24

Eurasier 43                 4-27                                     11

German Long-Haired Pointer 54 0-35                   10

Irish Wolfhound 75       0-86                                    6

Keeshond 51                0-63                                    12

Kerry Blue Terrier 61   4-66                                    16

Komondor 41               2-72                                     15

Miniature Poodle 44     4-58                                   13

Pointer 92                    0-60                                    12

Portuguese Water Dog 51 4-63                             15

Pyrenean Sheepdog 88 3-77                                   13

Shar-Pei 61                 4-81                                    17

Smooth Collie 65        0-17                                     6

Staffordshire Bull Terrier 48 6-47                           13

E: Breeds with 10-39 scored (23)

Basenji 38                     0-14                                   7

Basset Griffon Vendeen P.T 14 9-48                     20

Beauceran 28              3-63                                   15

Bichon Frise 16           4-19                                     10

Bloodhound 37           0-62                                      20

Border Terrier 10        6-33                                    14

Bulldog 20                10-96                                     45

Bull Terrier 12           0-12                                       7

Eskimo Dog (Greenland Dog) 23 6-60                    17

Hungarian Kuvasz 13 10-65                                   22

Japanese Akita Inu 26 6-59                                    14

Japanese Shiba Inu 35 0-35                                   10

Lagotto Romagnolo 26 0-43                                    12

Lowchen 10 7-25                                                  14

Miniature Schnauzer 17 4-32                                 13

Neapolitan Mastiff 32 7-78                                      25

Pug 23                    8-53                                          21

Russian Black Terrier 36 8-90                                38

Saluki 37                 0-14                                          5

Slovakian R/H Pointer 22 4-29                                 9

Standard Schnauzer 25 6-70                                 23

Tibetan Spaniel 39 2-31                                          12

Welsh Corgi (Pembroke) 28 9-58                            25

Group Total 567

F: Breeds not currently recognised by the Kennel Club (8)

American Bulldog 314 0-102                                  18

Boerbol 58                  4-65                                     21

Cane Corso 62           4-69                                     24

Inuit 163                      4-89                                     16

Labradoodle 262         1-86                                    14

Presa Canario 31          0-81                                   17

Tamaskan 23              0-56                                     11

Utonagan 80              0-106                                    20

List of breeds and average hip scores for each breed taken from the Kennel Club registration database from 1st November 2001 until the end of October 2008

More useful information of BVA hip scoring may be found at http://www.bva.co.uk/canine_health_schemes/Hip_Scheme.aspx

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/313