Whats better?? OFA or Pennhip

My vet can do the PennHip testing..

but I was wondering what is the BEST one to get, which one is more reliable?

Riot will be tested for his hips, elbow and eyes when hes age appropriate after hes finished his Ch title incase he'd be wanted as stud to approved/compatible bitches with the same testing proof.

Anyways, I was just wondering what is more widely accepted and which is the "best" to get price aside.

Thats a hard question to answer. More widely accepted is OFA but it is my belief that penn hip actually tells you what shape your dogs hips are in.
I believe that Penn Hip is more accurate than OFA. Though OFA is more widely used.
http://www.pennhip.org/
OFFA.org

Do some reading and see for yourself which one you believe is better.
Talk to your vet who does the penn hip he probably also does OFA too. Ask his opinion. Talk to a few breeders you know who have used penn hip and ofa.

I believe that PennHIP is more accurate. The majority of people prefer OFA because it offers its online database -- it's more convenient to check up on dogs' clearances that way (even though some people prefer not to display records publicly, or don't submit CERF results). It's also alot cheaper than OFA. I would do PennHIP if there was a vet near me that could do it, but they are all atleast 10 hours away from me.

Penn Hip around here is almost twice the amount of OFA.

I'm not familiar with Pennhip . My vets always sent the XRays to OFA for ratings and certificates.

Google "pennhip vs ofa" or something similar and you'll get some excellent websites. There's actually a difference in a matter of testing, and though OFA is more widely used and recognized, I personally feel PennHIP is the better test.

Well, you could do both . . . The downside would be that it would cost more.

This would be ideal, I agree. And yeah, the cost would be rather :yikes:. Why do breed clubs favor the OFA over PennHIP? Does anyone feel it is honestly because of their online database?

This is an excellent site: PennHIP Radiographs (with pictures!) Talks about the difference, too.

And check out this site, too. Canine Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Resources. Some good sites about PennHIP on there.

I think I'd do both. PennHip when the dog is younger and OFA after 2 years of age.

It'd be more costly, but worth it since you'd have not only a precise evaluation of the hips' condition based on mathematics, but opinions from vets on them as well.

Summit, as for breed clubs preferring OFA . . . Hasn't OFA been around longer? I think it's just become the default for hip testing. The online database is a big plus but I don't think it's the sole reason for so many people to use it.

The bernese mountain dog puppy we are getting gets pennHip testing at 6 months of age and then we have to report that to the breeder. We may OFA her at 2 years but not because we are going to breed her just because it'll be for our own knowledge. If we get that done we'll have to report that to the breeder as well.

Good sites ..... I only hope people still wait for a 2 year old OFA before breeding.

THey dont have to shave the dog to get these tests right??

OFA has been around since the late 1960s, while PennHip came about in the 90s.

I would PennHip my dogs, except there is no one local who can do it, and to travel to someone that can is cost prohibitive when OFA is still perfectly acceptable. However, if I had a breed prone to serious HD, I'd spring for it for peace of mind.

No. They're both radiographs of sorts, so hair doesn't matter.

I do know some dogs need to be sedated to get a good " spread eagle " Xray .

yeah the Sedation is the part that I'm mainly worried about.

Most vets dont' know that Belgians are EXTREMELY sensative to anesthisia and usually a "normal amount" for that size of dog could cause some potential hazards..
I've give my vet an huge booklet all about Belgians and what they need/should get and then a seperte booklet on Belgians and the sedation issues they can have and the vaccine problems they can have as well.
I'd also worry about Riot having a "bad experience" at the vets with the drugs and such and then being a complete case when he comes home - hopefully its just an "over worry" lol SOo glad he wont get these things done until his CH is completed lol I still have some time to worry lmao

It's my understanding that PennHip not only shows potential Dysplasia but also hip joint laxity.
There are some schools of thought that prior to maturity there can be some normal hip joint laxity that after maturity would not be an issue.

I could have gone OFA or PennHip with Dante, I chose OFA at 14 month prelim (Hips) and OFA (Hips and Elbows) at 2 years old.

From talking to a kazillion folks about OFA vs PennHip it often seems that I could flip a coin

I have switched to PH since it gives a better view of how lax is lax and if a dog is injured PH will show it where OFA will fail it and not give specifics.

PH is not cheap and is hard ot find qualifed vets for also some dogs dont do well under anesthia.

You can call OFA up and ask them where the dog failed at and they will tell you.

I also wanted to add the fact that if you have the xrays done for Penn Hip the vet is required to submit the xrays. You cant just say no I dont want to submit them cause my dog wont pass. Where as OFA you can choose not to submit the xrays for an analasys.