# Average hip x-rays cost?



## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

You will see this really vary from parts oof the country and even from one vet to another. I find the best way to find out is check with those in your area who regularly get them done on their own dogs. They will be able to tell you who knows what they are doing and who to avoid. Most general vets are not good at this, as a rule of thumb.


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

AmbikaGR said:


> You will see this really vary from parts oof the country and even from one vet to another. I find the best way to finnd out is check with those in your area who regularly get them done on their own dogs. They will be able to tell you who knows what they are doing and who to avoid.


Thanks, I would like to get the x-rays done for peace of mind. ETA - I see you answered my question (that I shouldn't go to my regular vet to get them done)! Ok, hmm I wonder how I can find out who to go to then ...


----------



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

marieb said:


> I was wondering if anyone could provide me with an estimate for hip x-rays maybe with and without anaesthesia?
> 
> I can call the vet tomorrow, but I've been thinking about it tonight and was curious. I'm located in MA if that's any help, but I was just wondering about a ballpark figure. Thanks!


Average in the midwest is around $250.00 - $300.00 for hips and elbows. If they are for OFA, you will also have to make a separate check to them for $40.


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

Pointgold said:


> Average in the midwest is around $250.00 - $300.00 for hips and elbows. If they are for OFA, you will also have to make a separate check to them for $40.


Thank you, I don't think I will be sending them to OFA because it is just for peace of mind. The vets can normally diagnose anything that would possibly be wrong right? So I wouldn't need to send it to OFA too?


----------



## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

marieb said:


> Thanks, I would like to get the x-rays done for peace of mind. ETA - I see you answered my question (that I shouldn't go to my regular vet to get them done)! Ok, hmm I wonder how I can find out who to go to then ...



Where do you live. You might find folks here that know of vets in your area to go to.


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

AmbikaGR said:


> Where do you live. You might find folks here that know of vets in your area to go to.


I'm in Chelmsford, MA ... I've brought Maddie to Tufts Vet School before, I'm not sure if that would be a good option ...


----------



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

marieb said:


> I'm in Chelmsford, MA ... I've brought Maddie to Tufts Vet School before, I'm not sure if that would be a good option ...


A teaching hospital is an excellent option!


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

Pointgold said:


> A teaching hospital is an excellent option!


Thanks! I do have another question though, I just went to the website and I was kind of confused because it seems like you need to be referred by a regular vet (we were last time because of her UTI issues when she was a puppy). 

From their FAQ's:
*What is a referral hospital?*

The Foster Hospital for Small Animals is a referral hospital, meaning that the majority of our patients have already been seen by a primary care veterinarian who has recommended an evaluation by one of our specialty services. Although the hospital does provide some primary care, and you can make appointments for patients who have not seen a primary care veterinarian, we recommend that you see your regular veterinarian before considering a visit to our facility.


So does that mean I probably shouldn't go there to get her x-rays done?


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

Ok, at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston it says that they provide "PennHIP and OFA hip and elbow exams" 

So this would probably be a good place to call I'm thinking! I'll call tomorrow to see about an estimate and possible appointment. Thanks for all the help!


----------



## Enzos_Mom (Apr 8, 2010)

Are you wanting them done for peace of mind because you think something may be wrong or just because you're curious? If you think there may be something wrong, you might want to look into pet insurance before you take your dog for the x-rays, because if something is found and your pet isn't already covered, it will be considered a "pre-existing condition" and you will never be able to get coverage for that illness. I'm worried about Enzo's hips, so I made sure to get the insurance now while my only concern is that he sometimes sits funny, rather than waiting til it's apparent than something is wrong with him.


----------



## eeneymeanymineymo (Oct 5, 2009)

I know of a few golden breeders who go here for hips & elbows in MA:

http://www.sladevet.com/index.asp

Is this close for you?

And I WOULD send them into OFA for the additional $ 40 for THEIR opinion. Do not leave that up to the vet doing the films. I believe Slade does send them digitally. 

Cost: not exactly sure what Slade charges - call them but I pay $ 225 for hips & elbows plus the $ 40 to OFA. I believe Slade does them without anesthesia.


----------



## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

I'd send them in to OFA, it is an additional $40 and you'll have experts reading the radiographs. If you decide not to send them in, that is certainly fine. Just make sure that you go to a vet that deals with a lot of orthopedic problems, is the 'performance' vet of choice for those competing in dog sports, or is recommended to you by a trusted breeder. A Veterinary teaching hospital is a great option. I doubt that you'll need a referral for xrays.

Our clinic is about $400 for hips and elbows with sedation. This includes payment to OFA on your behalf.


----------



## eeneymeanymineymo (Oct 5, 2009)

Slade does both OFA and PennHip:

http://www.sladevet.com/HW-Radiology.asp


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

Enzos_Mom said:


> Are you wanting them done for peace of mind because you think something may be wrong or just because you're curious? If you think there may be something wrong, you might want to look into pet insurance before you take your dog for the x-rays, because if something is found and your pet isn't already covered, it will be considered a "pre-existing condition" and you will never be able to get coverage for that illness. I'm worried about Enzo's hips, so I made sure to get the insurance now while my only concern is that he sometimes sits funny, rather than waiting til it's apparent than something is wrong with him.


I'm a worrywart and I guess for peace of mind ... she's 2.5 now so I figure I might as well. I'm hoping that nothing is wrong because when Maddie was younger and I was in VA, I had her vet at the time x-ray her hips and the vet said that everything looked fine. I just want to confirm that ... or if there's a problem at least I'll know.


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

eeneymeanymineymo said:


> I know of a few golden breeders who go here for hips & elbows in MA:
> 
> http://www.sladevet.com/index.asp
> 
> ...


Thank you!! Yes, Framingham is not far away, that is very doable and I would prefer that more than Boston. And I would also prefer a vet who does them without anesthesia so that's great ... I am going to call them tomorrow!


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

CarolinaCasey said:


> I'd send them in to OFA, it is an additional $40 and you'll have experts reading the radiographs. If you decide not to send them in, that is certainly fine. Just make sure that you go to a vet that deals with a lot of orthopedic problems, is the 'performance' vet of choice for those competing in dog sports, or is recommended to you by a trusted breeder. A Veterinary teaching hospital is a great option. I doubt that you'll need a referral for xrays.
> 
> Our clinic is about $400 for hips and elbows with sedation. This includes payment to OFA on your behalf.


Thanks for the advice! It sounds like from everyone's opinion that it would be good to send them to OFA. And that estimate is probably pretty close to around here!


----------



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

AmbikaGR said:


> You will see this really vary from parts oof the country and even from one vet to another. I find the best way to find out is check with those in your area who regularly get them done on their own dogs. They will be able to tell you who knows what they are doing and who to avoid. *Most general vets are not good at this, as a rule of thumb*.


That is something I learned a couple months ago... :doh:

I paid about $130 (cost of exam + xrays) to have my regular vet do the xrays. Anesthesia would have cost $20-40 more. And then it would have been more for the OFA xrays. I was quoted about $250.


----------



## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

I would suggest you send the films to OFA for reading. When my regular vet originally took x-rays they read them as showing severe hip dysplasia. When I followed up with an orthopedic vet they indicated the hips were not dysplastic but "not great".
Eventually I went to the veterinary center where everyone goes for their OFA x-rays. Not only do they not use anesthesia but they literally do thousands of the x-rays and are experts at positioning. I sent the x-rays to OFA and they were rated as "excellent". It was well worth the extra effort to go to the experts.

I learned about this particular vet from a local kennl club and various reputable Golden breeders so you might want to check with a local kennel club for suggestions as to where to have them done.
Good luck!


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

Megora said:


> That is something I learned a couple months ago... :doh:
> 
> I paid about $130 (cost of exam + xrays) to have my regular vet do the xrays. Anesthesia would have cost $20-40 more. And then it would have been more for the OFA xrays. I was quoted about $250.





BayBeams said:


> I would suggest you send the films to OFA for reading. When my regular vet originally took x-rays they read them as showing severe hip dysplasia. When I followed up with an orthopedic vet they indicated the hips were not dysplastic but "not great".
> Eventually I went to the veterinary center where everyone goes for their OFA x-rays. Not only do they not use anesthesia but they literally do thousands of the x-rays and are experts at positioning. I sent the x-rays to OFA and they were rated as "excellent". It was well worth the extra effort to go to the experts.


Thank you everyone for the great advice! I am so happy I posted because I was about to call my regular vet tomorrow and make an appointment. 

It's great to have the name of a person who breeders in this area go to and I'm going to call tomorrow and hopefully make an appointment for sometime soon!


----------



## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

marieb said:


> Thank you, I don't think I will be sending them to OFA because it is just for peace of mind. The vets can normally diagnose anything that would possibly be wrong right? So I wouldn't need to send it to OFA too?


Actually, no. If you're going to go to the expense of getting the x-rays, you should have them looked at both by your regular vet and by a radiologist and/or an orthopedist.


----------



## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

I'll add another 2 cents worth - I think that brings me up to about 1 nickel's worth so far on this thread.

Provided the dog is not from a breeder, you have no intention of ever breeding her and you are taking your dog to a vet you know regularly does OFA hip xrays and after looking at them he said they were fine I would not be inclined to send them to OFA. If the vet felt there was an issue then I would pay for the second opinion. In you area I would think $400+ to be the norm. And while a vet may be known for doing the xrays without anesthesia it will always depend on the dog. If the dog is not comfortable in staying still in the required position then they will need to use anesthesia. If the dog is from a breeder I would also do the elbows at the same time as to provide them with very valuable information on their breeding program. 

Good luck:wavey:


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

I would not send film to OFA unless you are assured that your vet has a good reputation for knowing how to position....positioning is EVERYthing.
I pay $196.00 for hips and elbows - no anesthesia - the vet will take as many shots as necessary to get good film....
There _are_ vets in our area that will only take 'x' number of shots and 'oh-well/close-enough' if they are not able to get great film.


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

AmbikaGR said:


> I'll add another 2 cents worth - I think that brings me up to about 1 nickel's worth so far on this thread.
> 
> Provided the dog is not from a breeder, you have no intention of ever breeding her and you are taking your dog to a vet you know regularly does OFA hip xrays and after looking at them he said they were fine I would not be inclined to send them to OFA. If the vet felt there was an issue then I would pay for the second opinion. In you area I would think $400+ to be the norm. And while a vet may be known for doing the xrays without anesthesia it will always depend on the dog. If the dog is not comfortable in staying still in the required position then they will need to use anesthesia. If the dog is from a breeder I would also do the elbows at the same time as to provide them with very valuable information on their breeding program.
> 
> Good luck:wavey:


Thanks, I appreciate the advice!! Maddie is not from a good breeder, I'm just doing this for me to know. I am going to call the vet who was posted that does a lot of these x-rays today and see about an appointment. 

I guess I will see like you said and if everything looks fine then I won't send them to OFA, but if it looks like there's a problem I can send them to OFA. I guess I might as well do the elbows too if I'm paying to get the hips done ...


----------



## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

If you just want peace of mind, OFA is only going to give you a rating. A radiologist and/or an orthopedist can actually talk you through the x-ray and discuss the formation of the joint and the potential problems that may arise in the future.

For example, if you see OFA "fair," what does that really tell you? It tells you the joint is good enough to breed the dog, but if you want peace of mind, you'll want to know exactly what's imperfect about it. Is it malformation? Laxity? 

In your shoes, since you're going to the expense of getting the films done, I'd put my money toward a professional consult on the joint, rather than a rating. OFA is awesome, but you're not going to get the individualized attention you'd get from a great specialist.


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

tippykayak said:


> If you just want peace of mind, OFA is only going to give you a rating. A radiologist and/or an orthopedist can actually talk you through the x-ray and discuss the formation of the joint and the potential problems that may arise in the future.
> 
> For example, if you see OFA "fair," what does that really tell you? It tells you the joint is good enough to breed the dog, but if you want peace of mind, you'll want to know exactly what's imperfect about it. Is it malformation? Laxity?
> 
> In your shoes, since you're going to the expense of getting the films done, I'd put my money toward a professional consult on the joint, rather than a rating. OFA is awesome, but you're not going to get the individualized attention you'd get from a great specialist.


That does make sense ... I've made an appointment with the Slade Vet for next week and the receptionist who I talked to was really nice and helpful. She said I will have an appointment with the vet first and they will manipulate the legs, etc to make sure there aren't any issues with luxating patellas or something like that first. 

She also explained how some dogs are fine with the positioning without anesthesia and some aren't. But I am pleased that they are able to see me so quickly and I know that they do a good job positioning the x-rays. I guess if there is a problem on the x-rays, then I could always get an orthopedic consult after - instead of sending them to the OFA.


----------



## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

I wanted to update! We went this morning and it was $170 for just hips without anesthesia. The vet explained to me that one side looks great, but that the socket is more shallow on the other side, but that she thinks it would still be a "Fair." I sent the results into OFA (it was recommended by the vet) and we'll see what it comes back as! 

I'm glad that I went and I feel relieved knowing there isn't a huge issue ... Thanks for the vet recommendation they definitely knew what they were doing and they said the positioning on the x-ray was perfect!


----------



## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Sounds like you made all the right choices to me. :wavey:


----------



## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

Some teaching hospitals will see patients through veterinary referrals. That was how we ended up with UC Irvine when Cassie's hips were diagnosed as "moderately" dysplastic. If those hips were moderate I can't imagine what "severe" would have looked like.

***Edit - I'd just woken up and hadn't seen the second page....I'm sorry.

But congratulations on your baby's hips being Fair!


----------



## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

OK I have a question. Can any vet take pictures to be submitted to OFA? I thought they had to be OFA certified for the radiographs.

I know I pay $200 annually to have Teddi's hips checked because of her surgery. No we do not submit her radiographs and yes we are concerned with positioning but it does not "make a difference" at this point. I do know at MSU there is a person who is HIGHLY recommended for the pictures. I hear about people all the time going to him. I know for PennHip you have to be certified to do the work. I thought that was true for OFA. 

I know my golden puppy will have her hips/elbows OFA checked regardless of whether or not I plan to breed her (I don't) it is required by the breeder contract by the age of two. It does not bother me, I want a performance dog so knowing will be nice. Also it will help future people researching her lines. I may do Quinn when she is old enough just to know. 

Ann


----------



## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Yes any vet can take the xrays and be submitted to OFA. It is in the best interest of the dog and owner that the vet be well versed in the proper positioning, as a dog with okay hips can fail due to improper positioning by a less knowledgeable vet.


----------



## kgiff (Jul 21, 2008)

Maxs Mom said:


> OK I have a question. Can any vet take pictures to be submitted to OFA? I thought they had to be OFA certified for the radiographs.
> 
> I know my golden puppy will have her hips/elbows OFA checked regardless of whether or not I plan to breed her (I don't) it is required by the breeder contract by the age of two. It does not bother me, I want a performance dog so knowing will be nice. Also it will help future people researching her lines. I may do Quinn when she is old enough just to know.
> 
> Ann


any vet can, but it's best to go to someone that is good at doing them. My pups' sire is OFA excellent, but because of poor positioning in his prelims, his prelims came back as mildly displastic. 

My breeder's contract requires hips and elbows done at two. I'm driving about an hour and a half each way to get them done (just need to figure out when I canofo). I had a vet tech I do agility with and was recommended to me do his prelims because she was closer.


----------



## animallover (Jul 18, 2010)

How old should the GR be when the xray is done? What is the benefit of knowing? I mean if the hips are problematic how do you treat? My first GR was two when she passed and I hadn't even thought to have her hips checked...


----------



## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

2 years of age is the standard age as you are assured that the pup is done growing. There are many reasons to know

Helps your breeder with more information on what the breeding pair produce.
If you are doing any reugular activity - agility, field, obedience - is is good to know that the dog is physically sound to do so.
If there is a problem there are certain things that can be done to help the dog not suffer later in life. And this does not mean surgery, in most cases it could be a revamped diet, giving of some supplement(s) and strengthening thru some exercise therapies.


----------



## luvgolds (May 20, 2009)

animallover said:


> How old should the GR be when the xray is done? What is the benefit of knowing? I mean if the hips are problematic how do you treat? My first GR was two when she passed and I hadn't even thought to have her hips checked...


We had Harley x-rayed at 1 yr 1 mth when we had him neutered. It was $50. It wasn't a 'professional' x-ray for certifications, but just so our vet could review it to see if she thought we would have problems in the future. My thoughts were I'd like to know now so I could get him on supplements, come up with an exercise plan, etc. If it was really bad it would be time to start saving up for surgery. Luckily Harley's hips were good! His biggest problem is his allergies...


----------

