It is therefore superior to the traditional Second Score scheme from the point of view of a principal interested in acquiring an item at the minimum price without losing in quality.
The results from this study suggest that there is significant scope for improvement in the application of data from the UK hip score scheme to selection against hip dysplasia in Labradors.
Data consisted of 25,243 single records of hip scores of Labrador Retrievers between one and four years old, from radiographs evaluated between 2000 and 2007 as part of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) hip score scheme.
The British Veterinary Association BVAA)/Kennel Club (KC) hip score scheme is in operation in the UK, EIRE, Australia and New Zealand and examines nine aspects of a pelvic radiograph for signs of malformation and secondary osteoarthritic signs of DJD in each hip.
The rate of participation in the BVA/KC hip score scheme in the UK is relatively good with submission of radiographs for 8 10% of all annually registered Labrador Retrievers (the most popular breed in the UK), equating to 50 60% of all dogs of that breed used for breeding.
This study demonstrates that traits descriptive of joint laxity are valuable early-age predictors of osteoarthritis and shows that there is scope for improvement in the way data from the UK hip score scheme are used for selection against hip dysplasia in Labradors.
