I have just done prelims on a 12 month old. They came back with fair hips. Has anyone ever had finals come back better than what the prelims stated? Not sure whether to place the dog in a pet home or wait for the OFA finals.

Fair is passing and this pup is still growing. what about the total package? worth Waiting??

Fair is passing. If you don't like the dog, get rid of it. Don't look for an excuse.

I "don't get rid" of any of my dogs. I find good, caring loving homes for all that I place.

Oh Please. Don't "get" sarcasm?

Yes, I have had a fair come back good, rated so by all three.

I had a friend who had her bitch's x-rays done by a local vet and the OFA finals came back FAIR. A year later she learned about someone who was doing LOTS and LOTS of x-rays for OFA so she went there and got new x-rays, submitted those and the results came back GOOD. No anesthesia, just someone who knows what they are doing vs. someone who doesn't.

I would recommend you try to find someone who is very, very, experienced with positioning and try that for finals.

I will also tell you that my foundation bitch's sire was FAIR and her dam was excellent. My family vet did the x-rays and she came back GOOD. The dog and two bitches that I kept from her two litters were EXCELLENT hips. I just had prelims done on her granddaughter and she came back EXCELLENT too. That sire with the FAIR hips produced many, many, EXCELLENT hips when bred to the right bitches. Like the other poster said, FAIR is passing. Just know about it and make the right decisions with breeding if you decide to keep the pup.

Good luck!

How about trying to be a little more positive with your replies? Most folks who post here are looking for helpful information from people who may have had experience with their situation. There really isn't any need for sarcasm, and it isn't helpful at all. Please take your anger elsewhere.

I see a majority of replies that state ^FAIR IS PASSING^. I guess you found 1 sarcastic reply that I skimmed over. I don't dwell on others negative replies if there are any.

OP I would repeat either a prelim at 18to20 mo. or just do a final with a vet well known for proper placement. Can you have some breeder friends with good eyes for placement & ratings look at the radiograph and see how they feel about placement & the rating. You could also call Dr. Keller.

Placement alone could make a dog that should be an Excellent or Good appear like a Fair. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Thanks to all those with real input. It is breeders like you that count. Thank you.
I have decided to hold on to this dog, for they are nicely put together. I will redo the prelims with a different vet.
Thanks again.

ALL THE TIME!!!! Re-do in 6 months and you might be surprised.

I agree that a 12 mo. old is still growing. I feel they're still babies and the reason I never breed girls or boys under 2. They can change up to age 3 or 4, especially the boys.

If I were you, I would wait and see what 24+ mo. brings in many ways.

I've had a girl come back mild dysplasic at 13 months. She ended up with finals of fair. She has been bred twice to Excellant hip dogs with good ortho behind them. the 2 girls kept, one has OFA final Excellant and the other has OFA prelim Excellant. As many posters said, Fair is passing, it doesn't and shouldn't be a issue in keeping a dog or not.

Also, it can go the other way as well. Did x-rays on two 18 month old litter sisters and both were prelimmed Excellant. There finals at 24 months ended up for both to be Good.

My "fair" bitch has only produced excellents of the pups checked.
I wasn't going to breed her but my vet insisted fair was passing.A3G0

I gave you "positive". Fair is Passing. I would never even ask this question for a dog that I like and want to keep. FAIR IS PASSING. So to me if someone asks about placing the dog out, they are looking for an excuse to "place it with some other loving family" just not the family it has now. Grow up folks.

Have you ever thought they are just wanting to do what's best for the breed. Try to look for the positive not always the negative. Your life will be more content that way. We should be a community wanting to help each other and promote our sport. The negative attitude of a few individuals turn good people away.

First of all, take the responses with "a grain of salt". If these responses were made by reputable breeders they would have used their names. Secondly, fair is passing. Again, don't reply on the truth from anonomous posters. And, I certainly do not believe the poster who said she had OFA excellent from a fair. That's just B.S. You do what you feel is best.

You might want to consider a PennHIP evaluation in addition to the OFA prelim. It can provide additional information about the joints other than just the bone structure. I've know of fairs scoring in the 90% bracket of PennHIP, which for me would suggest hanging onto this young boy if you really love what you see. Just my opinion.....

What an interesting discussion.

It proves one thing. OFA has yet once again shown itself to be less than a scientific evaluation. From taking dogs to one vet over another to waiting until the panel at ofa changes it just does not add up to science.

My OFA Excellent girl was severely arthritic in her later years. What good was her OFA excellent rating. Likewise, my dyesplastic girl never limped a day in her 15 yrs 5 months with us.

Oh please. Are we just breeding to clearances?

Not so, Here is an example of 2 x-rays taken about 10 months apart. The first ones came back Fair, the second ones came back excellent.





You are still anonymous. "Gail" doesn't give you an identity....

Welby,
I was once "sound" too. Now I'm arthritic. I'm thinking that fall I took 13 yrs had something to do with it... Dogs get arthritic from more things than HD.

I didnt read any of the replies after Negative Nancy so in my experience prelims dont control final outcome. Take a look at the films and see if the pup was positioned correctly. In my case i did pre lims on a pup at 12 months. No reason to believe he wouldnt pass.... films looked just ok but the platellas were not in correct position and the legs were not parallel sent them in and got a Fair.... Then i went to a different vet with a phenominal pass rate and had that vet redo them 2 months later came back Excellent..... Dont dwell. If you like him then i would seek out a vet that has patience and will do them correctly..... Oh i guess i should say that the Fair was under anesthetic and the Excellent was under no anesthetic.... Good luck!!

Is it just me, or is there a big difference in the quality of the films? The 1st picture seems to be of inferior quality to the 2nd picture. The right side (left hip) on the first film seems to be blocked out a bit. Could that have something to do with the difference in ratings?

In regard to the above poster, I have heard that ratings tend to come back a higher grade for dogs who are not sedated in any way vs those that are. Does anyone have any personal experience to support this or not?

Mild sedation was used on the last seven dogs I x-rayed. Three were OFA good and four were excellent. I think the most important thing is to have a vet who knows what he or she is doing when it comes to OFA x-rays.

I completely agree that the quality of the film had some to do with the better rating, but the second set of hips do look much better set in. First ones were done with sedation; the second ones were done without sedation.