[Shawn28]

Hey there, I am new to this group. I am getting a west German show line puppy next month. His parents have been tested and clear for Hips and HD: The ratings for the dad are :- HD/ED: normal (preliminary) DM: A - CLEAR ZW: 77
Show Rating: VP1 (Very Promising) and for the mother are HD/ED: normal (Preliminary ZW (hip indicator): 76
Show Rating: DM : A - Clear. Is that good? How can I prevent Hip dysplasia? Also I want to feed my dog raw diet once a week. What should I feed? I heard Chicken drumsticks are good any thing else?

 

[Bramble]

Hey there, I am new to this group. I am getting a west German show line puppy next month. His parents have been tested and clear for Hips and HD: The ratings for the dad are :- HD/ED: normal (preliminary) DM: A - CLEAR ZW: 77
Show Rating: VP1 (Very Promising) and for the mother are HD/ED: normal (Preliminary ZW (hip indicator): 76
Show Rating: DM : A - Clear. Is that good? How can I prevent Hip dysplasia? Also I want to feed my dog raw diet once a week. What should I feed? I heard Chicken drumsticks are good any thing else?

HD is not purely genetics, environmental factors like exercise and diet also play a part, and sometimes it just happens. DM stands for degenerative myelopathy and is a disease that affects the spine.

If you are going to feed raw then each meal for a puppy needs to be balanced. Feeding raw involes more that just tossing your pup some raw meat now and then. There is a lot of info about raw feeding, and puppies need to be fed differently that adults since they have different nutritional requirement. This site is a good place to start and also has an FB group and you can purchase meal plans from a trained nutrionalist :

Raw Fed & Nerdy | Science Based Raw Feeding for Dogs and Cats

Learn to feed a homemade raw diet using nutrient requiremens of dogs and cats with wholesome ingredients based in science.

rawfedandnerdy.com

 

[WNGD]

Welcome, where are you from and make sure you post puppy pics!

 

[mnm]

Just to clarify??? Both parents are HD/ED Normal by prelim's??? Prelim's are not official health clearances....

 

[SuperAndre]

Hi Shawn and Welcome!

What breeder are you going with for the WGSL? I know a couple and was wondering if you are working with them.

As for feeding raw, it is much more complicated than just feeding chicken drumsticks and especially for a growing puppy it is essential that they get all of the proper nutrients to grow. I think the link given by Bramble is a great start!

 

[Shawn28]

Just to clarify??? Both parents are HD/ED Normal by prelim's??? Prelim's are not official health clearances....

Yeah it says both parents are normal by prelims?

 

[SuperAndre]

Yeah it says both parents are normal by prelims?

Prelims if I am not mistaken are done by vets and not the OFA who is recommended by breed standard. Basically it is just the easier / cheaper route for breeders to cut corners. Though experienced vets can rate the same as the OFA would, a normal vet is not certified to give an official rating on the hips / elbows.

 

[Pytheis]

Prelims if I am not mistaken are done by vets and not the OFA who is recommended by breed standard. Basically it is just the easier / cheaper route for breeders to cut corners. Though experienced vets can rate the same as the OFA would, a normal vet is not certified to give an official rating on the hips / elbows.

Actually prelims are done by OFA, but they’re done when the dog is younger than 24 months. They aren’t final clearances, just an indicator for future scores. The reason some breeders do prelims is because it helps them decide if they want to put more money/effort into the dog as a breeding prospect or if they want to wash said dog as a pet. This is often important for people that show. Why put thousands of dollars into finishing a dog’s championship when the dog is likely to fail final OFAs and can’t be bred? Prelims also help breeders see how the breeding pair previously produced if the litter isn’t old enough for final clearances. Finally, prelims help any owner decide if a dog is sound enough for intense training or work, like golden retrievers doing field work. If a dog fails its prelims, the owner should really take it easy on the dog and consider washing the dog from intense training. The final decision can be made when the dog is old enough for finals, but again, it gives someone a bit of an idea of what to expect later.

A dog can fail prelims and pass final OFAs. A dog can pass prelims and fail final OFAs. That is why prelims are not accepted as being able to be bred on. The dogs are too young and still growing when prelims are obtained.

 

[SuperAndre]

Actually prelims are done by OFA, but they’re done when the dog is younger than 24 months. They aren’t final clearances, just an indicator for future scores. The reason some breeders do prelims is because it helps them decide if they want to put more money/effort into the dog as a breeding prospect or if they want to wash said dog as a pet. This is often important for people that show. Why put thousands of dollars into finishing a dog’s championship when the dog is likely to fail final OFAs and can’t be bred? Prelims also help breeders see how the breeding pair previously produced if the litter isn’t old enough for final clearances. Finally, prelims help any owner decide if a dog is sound enough for intense training or work, like golden retrievers doing field work. If a dog fails its prelims, the owner should really take it easy on the dog and consider washing the dog from intense training. The final decision can be made when the dog is old enough for finals, but again, it gives someone a bit of an idea of what to expect later.

A dog can fail prelims and pass final OFAs. A dog can pass prelims and fail final OFAs. That is why prelims are not accepted as being able to be bred on. The dogs are too young and still growing when prelims are obtained.

Oh ok, my apologies. What are the tests done by vets called then for the hips / elbows? Someone was saying an experienced vet can give just as an accurate rating but aren't official.

 

[Pytheis]

Oh ok, my apologies. What are the tests done by vets called then for the hips / elbows? Someone was saying an experienced vet can give just as an accurate rating but aren't official.

I’m not sure they’re called anything? Just a vet saying the dogs are “healthy.” To be clear, the vet takes the x-rays and sends them to be evaluated by OFA. Some vets that regularly do OFAs and have seen hundreds of films get pretty good at reading them and can make a good guess on what the hips/elbows come back rated as. Or some vets simply take x-rays, look at them, and say they’re good. They aren’t independently verified.

 

[SuperAndre]

I’m not sure they’re called anything? Just a vet saying the dogs are “healthy.” To be clear, the vet takes the x-rays and sends them to be evaluated by OFA. Some vets that regularly do OFAs and have seen hundreds of films get pretty good at reading them and can make a good guess on what the hips/elbows come back rated as. Or some vets simply take x-rays, look at them, and say they’re good. They aren’t independently verified.

Good to know, thank you

 

[mnm]

X-ray's are set to OFA because those vets are Radiologists who have extensive training in evaluating x-rays. Most regular vet's do not have the training or knowledge to corrctly evaluate the x-ray's other than to give their opinion, which is basically irrelevant. Many vet's won't even give their opinions any more since they are way off. For a breeder to breed on Prelim's, is a huge Red Flag. If they are cutting corners on the most basic health screenings, then whagt else are they cutting corners on???