What Happens During a Vet Appointment for PennHip

Well, we finally made it.

It's been a round of rescheduled trips; but we finally got Dora in for her hip x-rays and elbow x-rays.

For those that are having these done; I will run through the process.

What we had done; hip x-rays for submission to the University of Pennsylvania for a PennHip rating. Click the link to discover more about the PennHip program. We also had Dora's elbows X-rayed for signs of dysplasia, to be submitted to our Ontario Veterinary College. To have her admitted to the stud registry of the SABT; she would also need verification of entropion/ectropion status and Vaginal Hyperplasia status. The Veterinarian at the Dunnville Veterinarian Clinic was able to provide us with paperwork verifying Dora to be free of entropion or ectropion; and we will schedule another visit when she is in heat to have the VH exam done.

We entered the clinic (of course my children decide that they want a mental health day today; so they came too), Dora was weighed (63.1 kg, or 138 lbs.), heart listened to, temperature taken (my son suggested that was gross and Dora probably felt violated!) and general health noted. We proceeded to the back where the x-ray machine is located, the technicians got their gear together, gave Dora a relaxant shot (which worked admirably fast; about 120 seconds and her head was nodding, probably 5 minutes; she was firmly out), they picked her up; positioned her on the table, checked the alignment; shooed me out (no need for me to be exposed to x-rays) and took about another 5 minutes to do the slides. Brought me back in; printed the slides; made sure they could read them and they were satisfactory for the University and the College, and they gave her a shot to bring her out.

She woke up; about another 5 minutes; starting with her tail, her head, back legs, front legs; she was a bit distressed; they have a door bell that rings whenever someone enters the clinic, so that staff in the rear of the building are alerted to someone entering; she barked and wanted to "check the door" whenever it rang. So of course; for my poor girlie, while she was wobbly and coming around; there were workmen coming in and out delivering, so she was rather confused; barking and trying to stand and go to the door; but not so capable.

I put her in the van; sorted out all the paperwork necessary for release of information and everything else; and we were out of there in 1 hour.

Total cost was $604 CDN including our crappy tax. That included 2 elbow xrays, 3 hip x-rays + an extra hip slide for myself that I can submit to OFA if I wish later; and/or keep for my own records.

The vet attending checked her elbow slides, saw no degeneration and checked her hip slides, no degeneration, good formed socket and tight-fitting ball, one hip was able to distract more than the other; but looked pretty good.

So now we await the official results which are mailed to my house, but the attending vet did say that he is given the results by email quicker; and since I provided my email, he can fwd the information to me.

So yay; we got some good stuff done today.



Good Ole' Canadian Girl - Proudfoot's Tad Bit O Tina - Dora - 30 mos.



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