Percy and Kip are each now 45 pounds.
Barli is 28 pounds, and Dash was recently weighed at 31.4 pounds.
They are now old enough for PennHIP or preliminary OFA xrays to see how healthy their hips are.
Keep in mind that if your dog is under sedation for a procedure, that is a good time to have hips checked also.
PennHIP can be done reliably once they are four months old. We used Anne Malphrus at North Greenville Animal Hospital. It was $350, including the xrays, exam and anesthesia. She will ask if you are OK with releasing the information and if you say yes, it is a great favor to all the English Shepherd breeders who want to know how their breed is doing and especially to those with dogs related to ours. ~~~You can get this information on your dog at any time, the only obstacle is the money and effort it takes to get it done. But if for some reason you want to know hip scores on all the other pups in your dog's litter, or on all the pups you produce in a litter of your own, no amount of money can get that information for you. That's what you are a part of when you say yes to the PenHIP vet.
The alternative method for checking hips is OFA. The dog needs to be two years old. Any vet can take the radiographs and send them to OFA, for about $200 usually. Shop around. Some will do it without sedation, if your dog will hold still for it. If they use digital images it is quicker to send to OFA and results come back faster.
There is also such a thing as a preliminary OFA, which can be done on a dog as young as four months old. They are a little more reliable done after 12 months, though.
If you are fortunate enough to be near a clinic, you might do it for less.
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| Barli at about 4 months |
