What is Hip Dysplasia ?

Hip Dysplasia is a crippling disease that affects a dogs ability to move, through degeneration of the ball and socket joints of the rear legs (the x-ray above shows HD-Free hips). Most breeds have schemes designed to assess the degree to which this problem exists and screen those dogs from being bred from. In most dog breeds it is often mandated that only dogs that are graded HD-free should be bred from.

GWP Hip Dysplasia Testing in the UK

All kennel club organsiations around the world have some form of Hip Dysplasia testing system.

In the UK, there is an KC approved Hip Dysplasia scheme run by the BVA. However, UK German Wirehaired Pointers do not have to be certified HD free and the majority of breeders still do not hip test.

Under the UK Kennel Club Accredited Breeder scheme a voluntary scheme for approved breeders, it is mandated that dogs used for breeding must be hip scored or the puppies cannot be registered (but ironically it still does not have a requirement what the maximum scores must be).

In the UK, as most breeders do not hip score, the reported BVA UK breed averages only apply to scored dogs (which in German Wirehaired Pointers is only 236 dogs between 1983 and 2005, so only about an average 10 dogs a year out of about 400 puppies bred.

The German Wirehaired Pointer average breed hip score is 11 one of the lowest in gundogs and only a handful of breeds have a better score. However, under the VDD system, whilst this would still be certified HD free, it would be shown as a category of ‘Fast Normal’ or Category ‘B’ ie. near normal hips.

This compared to German Shorthaired Pointer at 10, Labradors at 15, Golden Retrievers at 19, English Springer Spaniels at 13, Cocker Spaniels at 14, Field Spaniels at 15, Welsh Springer Spaniel at 18. Weimeraner at 13, Pointer at 11, Gordon Setter at 23, Irish Setter at 15 and English Setters at 19.

The worst results in averages in gundogs are Clumber Spaniels at 40 and Sussex Spaniels at 37. However scores ranging from 0 to 77 have been recorded by the BVA for German Wirehaired Pointers, so this disorder is known to occur in the breed.

International Hip Dysplasia Schemes

In stark contrast to the UK, other Kennel Clubs take a much firmer stance and mandate HD testing or even ban litters from untested parents from being registered. The Verein Deutsch Drahthaar is one such organisation where breeding stock under the VDD breeder regulations must be certified ‘HD Frei’ as one of the requirements of the pedigree being stamped suitable for breeding. X-Rays are submitted directly to the VDD Central Office who assess the plates and certificates with results are sent back to the breeder.

These various international Hip Schemes can be compared and generally have broad agreement on what is acceptable and what is not. Below is a chart comparing the major schemes (however, this is shown purely as an aid and is not a guarantee).

Conclusions

So if you are buying a Deutsch Drahthaar under the VDD system, you can do so safe in the knowledge that the dogs parents will be HD Free certified over many, many generations.

However, if you are buying a German Wirehaired Pointer from may other countries (including the UK), DO NOT buy unless you have seen evidence that both parents have been hip scored and the published results are acceptable – ie. certified HD Free.