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How common is dysplasia?
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Author:  Gasnmyveins [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:03 am ]
Post subject:  How common is dysplasia?

I've read that coonhounds are rarely dysplastic and on the other hand I've read that 16% of the X-rays that weren't immediately obvious and had to be sent in were positive. I figured I'd just ask the people who have the most experience and have nothing to gain from telling me one thing or the other.
I've found some pups that are 1/4 Plott, 1/4 Treeing Walker, and 1/2 Redbone. (In theory) They are nearby and cheap. Both parents are on site. I can't decide whether to take the chance and get one, or wait for a pup whose parents have their certificates such as OFA. Do breeders generally do that with coonhounds? I see them going for $150 to $250 in the classified sections here and other places, but they are always too far away so I don't bother the people to ask about it. I'm not looking for an expensive dog. She'll be mostly a pet for my kids, who also gets me and my kids out in the woods from time to time. I won't be doing any competitions or anything. Would that caliber of dog (no laundry list of champions in the pedigree) be likely to have these certifications? Hips, eyes, health guarantee, dna guaranteed to match pedigree? Sorry if I'm asking ridiculous questions, I just really don't know much about buying a dog. All I know is I don't want huge medical bill later, and I don't want to explain to my kids why the dog couldn't come home from the vet.
Thanks, Don.

Author:  Buckshot [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How common is dysplasia?

Quote:
I can't decide whether to take the chance and get one, or wait for a pup whose parents have their certificates such as OFA. Do breeders generally do that with coonhounds?


It will be a long wait if your looking for OFA certified coonhounds in the hunting world...............Your best bet if you want a pup from OFA certified hounds is to look into AKC breeders of the Westminster style dogs.

Author:  Gasnmyveins [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How common is dysplasia?

I had a feeling. It only makes sense. Still, I'm wondering if dysplasia ends up being a problem very often. Just because a high percentage of submitted x-rays are positive doesn't necessarily mean a lot. I guess the real question becomes "how many of the dogs x-rayed needed to be submitted for review?" If it was only a few percent, then it's meaningless, because 16% of 5% is less than 1% of the total number of dogs. I'm probably way overthinking this and worrying too much about it, but I just don't want to have to explain why the dog didn't come home from the vet.
So, is anybody having problems?

BTW I looked and AKC dogs get expensive FAST.........

Author:  Buckshot [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How common is dysplasia?

Certain breeds are more prone to it.

Does it happen with Coonhounds? Yes. But not like breeds such as Labs and etc...Every once in a while you will hear about a Coonhound with it.

Here is the latest stats (through 2011) off of OFA's site: http://www.offa.org/stats_hip.html

My opinion is I think that down the road it will be more common within the Coonhound breed. With the rise of the net and all these forums and classifieds, folks have a greater way to sell pups than before the net existed.

Coonhound folks breeding that shouldn't be breeding are breeding because they have a male and female dog. More and more no count Coonhounds with genetic faults are polluting the gene pool because so and so can make some $$$.

The #'s you posted are only for dogs that have tested..............I would venture to say that I would guess when your talking #'s, that the OFA #'s represent less than 1% of overall dog population.

Now those # make you stop and think. Take the Bulldog - 506 evaluations over the last 37 years -- 72.1% of the 506 evaluations has some form of Dysplasia.

Who are the ones paying to test? It is not the backyard breeders or puppy mills. I would venture to say that it's well respected breeders who make planned crosses with other well known dogs (especially in the show dog world) where pedigrees are studied and scrutinized to produce the best dogs.

If the #'s for those type of dogs are at 72.1%, then does that correlate back in the untested dog world of the backyard breeders and puppy mills of Bulldogs with issues with Dysplasia?

I would say that yes..........which my reasoning above on Coonhounds down the road will have the issue with the way folks are breeding no count dogs like the other breeds have been bred to no count dogs with genetic faults and look where we are today with alot of the different breeds and the health problems with breeds.

Author:  Gasnmyveins [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How common is dysplasia?

Thanks, buckshot. That sets my mind at ease regarding the hips.

Author:  HuckFinn [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How common is dysplasia?

Don't understand why you would go for a mix breed when a registered dog would be about the same price. But I didn't know HD testing was routine. Only dogs i know that have been tested were already showing signs of dysplasia. In that case 16% would not be a high percentage. With a little research, you can find out who the respected breeders are. Sounds like you want an all-round dog so I would recommend the redbone.

Author:  Buckshot [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How common is dysplasia?

HuckFinn wrote:
But I didn't know HD testing was routine. Only dogs i know that have been tested were already showing signs of dysplasia.


In certain breeds, they are prone to the conditions. Breeders have them checked before breeding. Breeders can show prospetive pup buyers that their sire and dam are OFA certified.

Then you have some dogs that are checked because you can see something is not right about the pup or dog's gait and you take to have tested.

A little info on dysplasia:

Quote:
It is one of the most common genetic conditions known in dogs. More than one gene is responsible for the deformity of the hip joints. Treatment can be expensive, often requiring corrective surgery. Dogs or puppies with hip dysplasia are often abandoned or relinquished to shelters because their owners refuse to pay for vet care. Symptoms of hip dysplasia usually appear before the puppy is 13 months old, but they can happen when the dog is older.


I have a Basset with hip dysplasia. Here is a pic of his xray showing his hips:

Image

Image

He was diagnosed as a pup and switched him to adult food to slow his growth down. He just turned 4 years old............Don't know what the future holds with his hips. He may go lame in 2 years, when he is 9 or never go lame. He does have issues that require climbing such as stairs, brush piles, and etc...He actually runs better than he walks.

I give him 2 joint supplements each night that contains glucosamine and chondroitin that he has been since he was a puppy that seems to give him a boost or a jump in his step so to speak.

Author:  Gasnmyveins [ Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How common is dysplasia?

There are a couple of reasons I'm considering the mix. One, it's available now and it's about 11 weeks old. That means it would be much more likely to be housetrained (or at least a LOT farther along when) when the girls start school again. Two, it's actually in the same state as us. Three, they'll take $60 for one, which should cover the shots and such that they've had. So between the price of the pup and not having to travel, if I paid $250 for a purebred pup I'd save maybe $300. Would I rather have the Redbone or a Treeing Walker? Sure. But paying $70 ($60 + gas) versus paying $250 plus maybe $100 or $150 in gas does add some incentive to get the mix. Plus, lots of guys hunt mixes, so I'm guessing it would be mostly a pride thing for me. That leaves me on the fence, so I'm giving the mix some consideration.
Buckshot, thanks for the extra info. I thought bad hips were bad hips. I didn't know they might never go bad, or could go later in life, or very early.

Author:  HuckFinn [ Fri Jul 20, 2012 3:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How common is dysplasia?

Well, that is certainly an interesting mix. Buckshot, thanks.