Above photograph: Tinker, first dog on the left, sledding with my friends three teams of Malamutes and Siberians.
Hip and Elbow Dysplasia in the Alaskan Malamute:
Alaskan Malamute Hip Dysplasia Xray pictures - OFA Excellent - male, female
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The above Xrays on this page are from my nearly 10-year old Alaskan Malamute, Ernie (Yukonjak's Ernie) in 2011 - on the left - and from Tinker (Slushpuppy's Special Sleigher) on the right, for their OFA certifications. Only OFA can read OFA Xrays legitimately, as only they have access to the data for each breed, not your regular vet (though some can make pretty good guesses). Ernie, Ooky and Tala were OVC'd over the years (which abruptly halted their program Fall 2011). Unfortunately, it is widely recognized, and proven many times via research (the most recent in my download section), that the later the hip Xrays, the more accurate the results (as in re-testing senior dogs) so Ernie went back this year, as a 'senior' and Ooky will be taken in, again, later this Spring as she is now a 'young' senior. There are several studies about OFA testing methods and the inaccuracy of certifying two-year old dogs. As of 2014, the only real thing that's changed, is even fewer Alaskan Malamutes are having their hips tested, or for any other disease, for that matter.
The above Xrays on this page are from my nearly 10-year old Alaskan Malamute, Ernie (Yukonjak's Ernie) in 2011 - on the left - and from Tinker (Slushpuppy's Special Sleigher) on the right, for their OFA certifications. Only OFA can read OFA Xrays legitimately, as only they have access to the data for each breed, not your regular vet (though some can make pretty good guesses). Ernie, Ooky and Tala were OVC'd over the years (which abruptly halted their program Fall 2011). Unfortunately, it is widely recognized, and proven many times via research (the most recent in my download section), that the later the hip Xrays, the more accurate the results (as in re-testing senior dogs) so Ernie went back this year, as a 'senior' and Ooky will be taken in, again, later this Spring as she is now a 'young' senior. There are several studies about OFA testing methods and the inaccuracy of certifying two-year old dogs. As of 2014, the only real thing that's changed, is even fewer Alaskan Malamutes are having their hips tested, or for any other disease, for that matter.
__OFA Stats for hip dysplasia in Alaskan Malamutes
_There are three commonly accepted methods of detecting hip dysplasia and
elbow dysplasia in a dog in Canada; Ontario Vet College (Canadian), OFA and PennHip
(American). OVC ceased hip dysplasia certifications due to lack of interest and lack of resources Fall 2011.
OFA and Pen Hip are widely available in Canada - but PenHip does NOT
provide a clear / affected diagnosis and is only really useful if you apply it to populations and NOT individual dogs. Dogs done via PenHip are graded
with a number rather than passing (or failing) grade. After failing an OFA, for example, some breeders go 'get' a Pen Hip number (since there is no fail) and yes, their hips are 'certified' - and it skewed Malamute results in the database. The last time I checked, only six Alaskan Malamutes had ever been tested via Pen Hip, in the entire history of the program (I checked in 2013).
In OFA some breeds show 75% of the dogs examined as dysplastic in their hips, while in Alaskan Malamutes - of the X-rays sent in - around 15% are shown to be affected with hip dysplasia and abnormal. Many, many more do not make it to OFA, due to 'normal' vets and the owners themselves, recognizing hip dysplasia on the X-ray, and not sending it in (not that a normal vet should be 'assessing' the X-rays as it is not valid). OFA basis its assessments on a comparison to other dogs, of the same age and breed. The BEST practice is to take the dog in when he is as old as possible to get the most accurate reading. That said, since most dogs are bred at two or three years, their hips are X-rayed at young ages. The criteria is different for every breed, a Newfoundland, for example, with an OFA excellent may not even get a 'fair' if it were an Alaskan Malamute. And since the comparatives are dynamic - they change as more (or fewer) dogs are added to the overall numbers, today's 'OFA Fair' Alaskan Malamute might have been yesterday's 'OFA Good' - and tomorrow's 'mild' dysplastic. Approximately 1750 (of nearly 14,000 in 2011) ratings are listed as 'excellent' for Alaskan Malamutes (as of January 2011). About 550 Alaskan Malamutes received a 'passing' certificate in the beginning of the OFA database, as no grade was used, meaning they count toward passes but in unknown states. The below charts were made with OFA information and contain 1974 through 2009 data. The data from 2010 is separate. In 2010, only 134 Malamutes had their hips tested - with nearly 12% rating dysplastic and 30 dogs receiving an 'excellent'. You can see from the charts, all grades, in all years. Progressing in a downward trend, far more dogs were being tested for hip dysplasia 10 years ago - more than triple the number tested, now. While there are more Malamutes being born these days, there are far fewer having their hips certified free of hip dysplasia, with OFA. PenHip has 8 - 11 Malamutes tested for each of the last four years and 300 in 26 years. Hip screening is four decades old via OFA standards. While Alaskan Malamutes are known to be affected with some dysplastic dogs, other breeds have more than three-quarters of their populations assumed 'affected' with some degree of hip dysplasia. |
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For many, many years OFA was the primary service recognized for grading animals free of, or affected with, this disorder. Dogs cleared are automatically placed in the OFA database, while owners with dogs affected, are given the option to for database inclusion. Very few 'affected' owners opt to include affected animals. During the
past decade, most noticeably in the last few years, statistics in the
OFA database have dropped significantly - by more than two thirds, for
Alaskan Malamutes. For many years, 350 to almost 500 Alaskan Malamutes were
tested annually. Fewer than 150 (all Malamutes) were tested in 2010 and about the same number for 2011.
What this means is that fewer Malamutes are being tested by OFA - or fewer Malamutes are being tested, at all - due to other factors; breeder apathy or neglect; other registries such as Pen Hip and OVC (no longer available) being used - and the extreme financial turbulence of the past decade, most especially in the last two years - or some other reason. Either way, it is very, very clear from the data, fewer Alaskan Malamutes being bred have their hips tested via the non-profit registry of OFA. Further, there are only 300 dogs, over 26 years tested via PenHip. For the last four or so years, the average is 8 to 11 dogs, per year, X-rayed via PennHip. Since there is no other certification service, that represents a 75% decrease in people certifying Alaskan Malamute hips. It is also only in the past few years 'digital copies' of Xrays became available to the owner of the dog. I cannot find ANY hip Xrays of Alaskan Malamutes on the Internet - only other breeds - so I put Ernie's and Tinker's up as an example of OFA Excellent Xrays for Alaskan Malamutes. OFA does not compare grades of various breeds to each other. An excellent in one breed is not a given it will be an excellent in another breed (or any other grade). I took Ernie back to see that his hips were still 'good' considering I still work him. Although he is only a pet, and was never used as any kind of breeding dog, he is part of a 'breeding program' - and still a very active dog. In total, just under 14,000 Alaskan Malamutes have had their hips tested for hip dysplasia since the early 1970s. The 2011 listed 'failure' rate is under 15% for grades of 'affected' - based on the tested dogs from OFA (includes both passed and failed dogs, and dogs not made public). Sadly, my Alaskan Malamute pedigree database has about 120,000 Alaskan Malamutes in it. Which means around 10% of ALL Alaskan Malamutes, ever, have had their hips tested and / or certified for hip dysplasia. Europe uses a different system. European Malamutes would only account for a small number, missing from the above statistic. And we wonder why hip dysplasia is a problem with dogs? |
How an OFA Xray is assessed
___There are approximately nine different anatomic areas of the hip that are evaluated for hip dysplasia (from OFA), labelled in the graphic on the right hand side.
It has always been widely, widely recognized that the older the dogs is, when nearly any health test is performed, the more accurate the test result. Many tests should be performed several times over the dogs life, for the highest degree of accuracy. OFA also basis its assessments on a comparison to other dogs, of the same age and breed. The criterium is different for every breed, a Newfoundland, for example, with an OFA excellent may not even get a number if it were an Alaskan Malamute. Since the comparatives are dynamic - they change as more (or fewer) dogs are added to the overall numbers, today's OFA Fair Alaskan Malamute might have been yesterday's OFA Good. The radiologist will grade the hips with one of seven different physical (phenotypic) hip conformations: normal which includes excellent, good, or fair classifications. Borderline is another classification and is recommended for re-testing several months or even years later. Dysplastic assessments includes mild, moderate, or severe classifications. |
__See diagram / image on right:
The concern in hip dysplasia is with deviations listed in the structures in the graphic on the right, in comparison to the breed normal. Congruency and confluence of the hip joint (degree of fit) are also considered which dictate the conformation differences within normal when there is an absence of radiographic findings consistent with HD. 1. Craniolateral acetabular rim: Should be sharp and clearly defined. No irregularities or spurring. 2. Cranial acetabular margin: Should be smooth and symettrically curved 3. Femoral head (hip ball): Should be spherical and convexty should smoothly fit the acetabular socket. A line drawn between point 1 and point 6 should encompass between 50% to 66% of the area defined by a line drawn between point 8 and point 6. 4. Fovea capitus (normal flattened area on hip ball) which should be well-defined. A ligament called the ligamentum capitis connects point 4 to point 5 and serves to anchor the head in the socket and still permit rotational movenet of the head within the socket. 5. Acetabular notch: See # 4 above. 6. Caudal acetabular rim: Should be sharp and clearly defined. No irregularities or spurring. |
_ 7. Dorsal acetabular margin: Should be sharp and clearly defined. No irregularities or spurring.
8. Junction of femoral head and neck: head and neck should be fused and the neck should not show any demineralization of evidence of weakness in bone. 9. Trochanteric fossa: Line drawn down the midpoint of the femoral head to the midpoint of the trochanteric fossa should make a 130 degree angle with a line drawn doine the midline of the long axis of the femoral shaft. |
Alaskan Malamute Elbow dysplasia Xray Images - OFA 'clear' or 'good'
The first certification for elbow dysplasia from OFA seems to have occurred in 1990, on DREAM PRINCE OF ISTARI (since he has the first certificate issued). At the end of 2010, 630 examinations for elbow dysplasia had been performed with and average rate of failure of 3% for Alaskan Malamutes - three out of 100 Alaskan Malamutes HAD some degree of elbow dysplasia, of those tested through OFA protocols. The latest certificate issued is in the mid-600s by the end of 2011 (around 20 dogs in 2011 had elbow dysplasia certification). Again, as a comparative, my Alaskan Malamute database, containing the registry, registration, pedigree information for most breedable, and many pet, Alaskan Malamutes, has around 120,000 dogs in it, from around the world. Yet in North America, fewer than 700 dogs have had elbow certification (includes failures and passes) - in the 22 years elbow certification has been available. That amounts to about .5% (half a percentage point) of all Alaskan Malamutes. It costs several thousand dollars to 'correct' this painful defect.
Elbow dysplasia describes as an inherited disease in the elbow of dogs. While there are very, very few Alaskan Malamutes listed in the OFA database with elbow dysplasia, most seem to be connected to the same lines. Diagnosis of elbow dysplasia is normally confirmed by radiography and consequently is another OFA Certification available to dogs. It is typically seen in young, not old, dogs. Multiple studies in other breeds have demonstrated inherited polygenic traits causing elbow dysplasia and, while there are several elbow diseases (and genes) called elbow dysplasia, they may occur individually or independent of one another. Lameness is a classic sign of elbow dysplasia and may be almost undetectable or intermittent. Genetic and environmental factors, aggravate or inhibit, its development and that can include rate of weight gain, amount of exercise, nutrition, etc.
In Canada, alone, around 500 - 600 Alaskan Malamute puppies are born each year, for the past decade. Generally, the US numbers are 3X - 5X the Canadian numbers. As of 2010, the AKC stopped publishing their registrations and numbers, due to the massive drop in numbers this decade. While 3% doesn't seem like much, it will be if you are the one left to pay the bill for thousands of dollars in operations, treatments, and pain killers for the dog afflicted with elbow dysplasia. The Xray for elbow dysplasia costs about $25 per elbow ($50 per parent) if being done with hip Xrays. Definitely not expensive for people charging $1000 - $2000 for each puppy!
Elbow dysplasia describes as an inherited disease in the elbow of dogs. While there are very, very few Alaskan Malamutes listed in the OFA database with elbow dysplasia, most seem to be connected to the same lines. Diagnosis of elbow dysplasia is normally confirmed by radiography and consequently is another OFA Certification available to dogs. It is typically seen in young, not old, dogs. Multiple studies in other breeds have demonstrated inherited polygenic traits causing elbow dysplasia and, while there are several elbow diseases (and genes) called elbow dysplasia, they may occur individually or independent of one another. Lameness is a classic sign of elbow dysplasia and may be almost undetectable or intermittent. Genetic and environmental factors, aggravate or inhibit, its development and that can include rate of weight gain, amount of exercise, nutrition, etc.
In Canada, alone, around 500 - 600 Alaskan Malamute puppies are born each year, for the past decade. Generally, the US numbers are 3X - 5X the Canadian numbers. As of 2010, the AKC stopped publishing their registrations and numbers, due to the massive drop in numbers this decade. While 3% doesn't seem like much, it will be if you are the one left to pay the bill for thousands of dollars in operations, treatments, and pain killers for the dog afflicted with elbow dysplasia. The Xray for elbow dysplasia costs about $25 per elbow ($50 per parent) if being done with hip Xrays. Definitely not expensive for people charging $1000 - $2000 for each puppy!
Elbow Dysplasia - Male Alaskan Malamute - OFA 'clear' or 'good'
Elbow Dysplasia - Female Alaskan Malamute - OFA 'clear' or 'good'
OFA Elbow dysplasia statistics for Alaskan Malamutes
• Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (hip displasia xrays and images for severe, moderate, mild, fair, good, excellent diagnosis): http://www.offa.org/hd_grades.html
• Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (elbow dysplasia xrays and images for grade 1, 2, or 3 or normal and clear): http://www.offa.org/ed_grades.html |
• Ernie's OFA Health Page:
www.offa.org/display.html?appnum=1437015#animal • Comparative to Excellent, Good, Fair, Mild, Moderate and Severe: http://www.showdogmed.com/bvs.xraysEH.html • cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/saortho/chapter_83/83mast.htm |