Canine hip and elbow dysplasia are the most common hereditary orthopedic problems seen in dogs. Screening can help to reduce the risk of producing puppies with these potentially crippling diseases. We offer two methods of diagnosing hip dysplasia: radiographs submitted to either the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and/or to PennHIP.


OFA Hip X-ray (Golden Retriever)

The OFA evaluation is based on a single x-ray with the dog in a hip-extended position. This film is evaluated by three board-certified veterinary radiologists to determine the dog’s rating. Dogs must be 24 months or older to receive an OFA certification. The OFA x-rays consist of a single x-ray with the dog in a hip-extended position, which is then evaluated by three board certified veterinary radiologists to determine the dog’s rating. In addition to hip certifications, OFA provides certifications on elbows, cardiac, thyroid and a variety of breed-specific disorders. Dr. Howard has been performing OFA evaluations for more than a decade, and holds bi-annual OFA clinics sponsored by the Valle del Sol Golden Retriever Club.

PennHIP is an alternative method of diagnosing hip dysplasia. For PennHIP evaluation, three separate x-rays are submitted for interpretation. Rather than receiving a pass/fail score on the hips, owners receive an actual measurement of the amount of laxity in their dog’s hips, in addition to a scale indicating where that dog’s score compares to other dogs of the same breed. PennHIP radiographs can be done as early as 16 weeks, and provide a more scientific and less subjective evaluation than other methods.

Dr. Howard was one of the first in Arizona to become a certified PennHIP veterinarian, having completed training and the certification process in 1994. Since then he has taken hundreds of PennHIP radiographs, and is very experienced in the process.