Does a dog have to have the hip, elbow xray my breeder says yes, but I dont see why?

Question

Im not planning on breeding him, but where I live in Norway its very expensive to get it done, i wondered if it is just me paying out this so the breeder can have in on their books or if my puppy will benefit. I trust the breeder and respect them, but Im not willing to pay out that kind of money if its not needed. I am happy to let them have the xrays taken, lol. If I thought my pup would pup would have problems down the line if i dont get it done i would in a heartbeat. He has no symptoms, so what can it achieve?

Answer 1

A breeder would want you to do the health testing on your dog so you can report back to them, and they can better keep track of how the dogs are coming along, making sure that they are producing healthy dogs and avoiding those problems within their breed.. Unless you are going to breed it's not necessary.. But if you want to help your breeder continue to produce healthy, quality dogs you could have it done..

Answer 2

You are right, it will benefit the breeder and the breed in general because if the breeder has a record of the hip and elbow scores of all the pups from that litter they will have a clearer idea of the genes being carried in that line. This will influence their future breeding decisions.
You really don't need to do it for a pet unless you really want to but as the cost is a concern, tell your breeder and offer to go half and half if it is so important to them.

Answer 3

If you plan to show and possibly breed the dog, then YES you do ... it matters to the breeder because it's important to the bloodline of the dog. If a defect is noticed in a particular litter, the breeder will need to know about that.

If your dog was bought as pet-only, then the testing is optional, but you may want to have it done anyway. It can alert you to possible future problems. Joint problems are serious in dogs, and in purebreds, the breeders take such things into account in deciding whether certain dogs should or should not be bred.

My advice is to listen to your dog's breeder. He or she probably knows more about the breed than you do, and if he/she feels that testing is important, then it probably is.

Answer 4

Agree with DP.
It sounds like you bought from a reputable breeder. That's a good thing!
Is it necessary for you? Yes, if you are planning to breed. Otherwise, you would be doing the breeder and the breed a great service by getting it done. Plus, some breeders require that of people who purchase their puppies. Again, it's a sign that you have found one of the good ones.

Answer 5

If you are planning to breed, there is absolutely no excuse for not testing. Any responsible breeder will do everything they can to ensure that their puppies will be physically sound. Hip & Elbow dysplasia are at least partially hereditary, so a dog with bad hips or elbows is far more likely to produce puppies with bad hips/elbows who will suffer in later life. A good breeder also likes to know the scores which his dogs have produced to plan future matings and if you plan on doing anything like strenuous exercise or agility, it's also helpful to know that your dog's physical makeup is up to the stress & is less likely to develop arthritis in later years.
http://www.bva.co.uk/public/chs/hip_scheme.asp
http://www.bva.co.uk/public/chs/elbow_scheme.asp

Answer 6

If you are not planning on breeding the dog, then no. If the breeder wants it done to track the quality of the litter, I would think the breeder would pay for it to be done.

I would take the dog if the breeder paid for it.

Again, that's if you don't plan on breeding the dog.

Answer 7

The breeder is asking you to get it done to keep track of the "quality" (you don't have to especially as your not choosing to breed or show, (please remember to get your pup neutered / spayed) BUT if i were you i'd get it done anyway especially if the dog is one of the "problem" breeds eg: collie, GSD, Labrador as finding out early if your dog has any problems will save alot of pain & exspence later in your dogs life.
My Collie has arthritic hips and has them ever since a puppy (we weren't aware it was a problem until he hit 1 year old) he is now 7 years old and we have daily medication

Answer 8

if you are buying a puppy you don't HAVE to have it done, but at the same time, the GOOD breeders like you to get it done and let them know the results so that they can ensure they are producing good quality pups.

also if you are going to breed your dog later on, or you have a older female and you are looking for a stud dog for your b i t c h, the owner of the male may ask for the results of that test, as you should also ask to see theirs, hip dysplacia is hereditary and will be passed down from parents to pups so if you have a dog with it, you should not breed from it at all later on.

only a good breeder would ask for this test, so i recommend getting it done as he asks and helping a good breeder out.

Answer 9

Do you plan to show or breed your dog? Or do performance events? Or maybe your dog has symptoms the breeder sees that you don't? If none of these apply, you can get a second opinion before going forward with the x-rays. A responsible breeder ALWAYS tests their breeding dogs before breeding.

Answer 10

Its usually only advisable if you plan on breeding from the dog. Otherwise you don't have to get it done. If the breeder wants it done then they should pay out for it as its unneccessary for a pet dog.