F.A.O. Lankeela (or anyone who know about hip and eye scoring!)

[blackcat77]

When should I be thinking about getting my (now 16 month!) Belgian Shepherd bitch hip and eye scored? and do the hips have to be done under general anaesthetic?

[kita1]

You can score hips anytime after 12 months of age. There are some vets around who do them under sedation, but most do them under general anaesthetic.

This is the KC advice on hip scoring and eye testing:

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/308


You could also ask the breeder and see which vet they use.

Which type of Belgian do you have?

[blackcat77]

Thanks Kita, but my breeder lives near Spalding, Lincs, and I'm just outside Portsmouth! I have a Malinois bitch named Isla. I think that she is pretty much fully grown now, so I'll probably get her done sometime next year. I believe her breeder also told me that they do eye-testing at some shows as well.
Thanks for the Kennel Club link, very useful.

[lankeela]

As kita says, anytime after twelve months is fine for hip scoring. Unless you have a very laid back dog, it is difficult to get them to lie still enough without knocking them out, but if you have a particularly quiet Malinois (a contradition in terms!)
you might get away with sedation. I will enquire about vets in your area who do them without anaesthetic and let you know.

As for eyes, they should be done annually (usually, depending on conditions prevalent in your breed), and your nearest specialist is Ian Mason, Seadown Vet Hospital, Frost Lane, Hythe, SO45 3NG tel [phone]. Details of other eye testing sessions can be found in either of the weekly dog papers, Our Dogs or Dog World, and they are often held at shows, so again I will look out for any in your area and let you know.

Obviously if you are planning on breeding, then try to get her eye tested as near as possible before mating as you can, to ensure the most up to date information.

[blackcat77]

Thank you Lankeela - no, "laid back" and "Malinois" do not often occur in the same sentence! I may consider breeding from her one day in the future but not at present. We hope to do a few shows next year so if some are fairly local to us I'll get her done there - I usually get Dog's Weekly so will keep an eye out for testing in there; thank you for the vet information as well.