Hip Dysplasia

How often do you see hip dysplasia in APBT

 

According to OFA records, 23.7% of APBTs tested have hip dysplasia. This number isn't concrete, however, because the vast majority of bulldog breeders do not health test their stock. I suspect that the percentage would be much different if it included a greater number of performance-bred APBTs.

 

thanks GSD ,,, I'm following a ?? with another?? this maybe something you rather not answer... Have you noticed it (prominent in a certain bloodline):cool:
such as in heredity and pasted down...

thanks

 

Also worth pointing out that people whose dogs fail their OFA hip scores don't have to allow them to be published. The system doesn't work as well as it should because of people who don't test, and people who don't want the results known. I've also heard of breeders testing and re-testing until they get a result that's acceptable to them. I had Loki tested, and I'll be testing my young dogs when they're old enough. It's worth it for me to know for sure, and that's also information that's helpful to their breeder.

 

if "dogmen" did test their dogs, the 27% would drop astronomically, when bred for performance everything has for the most part fell into place for the breed health wise. If bred away from being true athletes, things go to junk in a few generations and would include hips. Those that have "pitties" probably should test their dogs because they were bred away from athletic performance

my correct opinion

 

I agree to an extent. Unfortunately, some structural/internal issues do occur in "real-deal" bulldogs, but are never noticed because the dog is able to work through the mild discomfort... Sometimes even into old age.

So, that gets to another point... Many will point out that if it is not adversely effecting the dog, then it is not an issue. I'm not sure if I agree.

I will say that I think health testing can be an important tool, but it does not make nor break a successful breeding program. My dog's breeder does not health test, and he passed his preliminary exam at 12 months. I'll x-ray him again at 2 years, just to be safe.

Depitlady, I couldn't tell you. My experience with specific lines and their traits is very minimal at best.

 

I know if a dog has been Dx with it.. Keeping the dog in great shape and watch for over weighting (FAT) will prolong complications. thanks everyone.. I just felt this topic doesn't come up as much as it should and new owners may not be aware of this problem... I think it maybe more common that alot of owners think

thanks
depitlady

 

Gameline dogs can have HD. In fact a game dog is more likely to gut it out on grit and cover up a problem like HD.

I think there is a common misconception that if a dog has HD they are a cripple and can't walk right. Not true, I have heard about a dog with bad HD being a weight pull champion.

So far I'm only aware of maybe 3 gameline dogs being tested. All 3 did rate excellent if I remember correctly.

 

I think it probably depends on what you want out of the dog. As you said, these dogs are tough. Working through a little pain and discomfort is no big thing to them. If they feel it afterward, but they ignore it during, is that considered adversely affecting them? Depends on where your emphasis lies.

That is a good point. The dog I knew who had a bad hip and was a good pulldog wasn't gamebred by any means. But she didn't show her problems until tested. I can only imagine when you up the ante to a gamebred dog that they're not going to show any orthopedic issues until they're really hurting.

 

All comments made are true. But I disagree about watching the weight and allowing the dog to work through mild discomfort etc. Why? Because hip dysplaysia is is genetic disease.Other breeds, German Sherpherds being the main one, are plagued with this disease because some would rather not get their dogs tested. And no, my dogs haven't been tested.Not because I don't think it's important, but because until i read this thread i had no idea that the number of apbt tested were so high. Now I am thinking about getting my both my dogs tested.
I have witnessed firsthand a German shepherd of working lines(DDR) that had HD and it was very mild almost non existent until 8 years old.She spent 8 years living good, scoring high at trials, romping with kids and protecting the house, only to be handicapped and in pain at an old age.Very sad to see.
The only way to weed out HD, is to test all breeding stock and spay/neuter.

 

Mseebran, the irony is that if you go based just on the numbers in the OFA database, German Shepherds have healthier hips than our breed. Obviously as we've discussed, the system has it's flaws, so I'm not saying that we should take what's written as gospel. But the point is, the GSD people have embraced health testing as something to help them improve their breed. While there are around 600 tested APBTs on there, the GSD people have close to 93,000 now. Even the AmStaff people are beating us with 2500 dogs tested.

http://www.offa.org/hipstatbreed.html

I know there are some who adamantly refuse to do these tests. It's their call. But I hear talk of people being belitted for testing, and it's ridiculous. Nobody should have to endure name-calling or other short-sighted snarkiness because they health-test.

 

people could also take your numerous stances on how hip testing can only better the breed as belittling to those that dont

Nobody should have to endure name-calling or other short-sighted snarkiness because they do not health test.

it goes both ways

 

I think they should have to endure some belittement for NOT healthtesting. There are only two reasons I can think of to not test and neither are good.

1. Too cheap to shell out the money.

2. Afraid it would force them to deal with problems they are happy to ignore.

Health testing can't do any harm if a person really is interested in breeding a better dog. If they have other motivations for breeding then healthtesting can be quite threatening.

 

Health-testing can help improve the breed. If people who aren't doing it feel belittled by me saying that, then they obviously aren't secure in what they're doing. People who believe that what they're doing is the right thing aren't even going to sweat my comments that I think folks should health-test. That's like you saying something to the effect of people wanting to better the breed will leave the country to roll their dogs where it's legal. (And you did say something like that where everybody could see, so don't bring your "baiting" comments.) Is that belittling to those who refuse to do so? I don't find it belittling at all, because I simply don't credit an argument like that.

It goes both ways.