Hip/ Elbow dysplasia is known to occur in Golden Retrievers.  The parents of any puppy bred by Emperosgold Golden Retrievers have been assessed under the Australian Veterinary Association program as having hips satisfactory for breeding purposes, which means that the risk of a puppy developing hip or elbow dysplasia is reduced.

No breeder can guarantee that their puppies will not develop this disease, as these genetic defects can be modified by environmental factors, The degree of hereditability is moderate in nature, meaning that the formation of the hip joints can also be modified by factors such as over feeding (over weight), excessively rapid growth, (High protein and fat foods), over exercise, jumping/stairs before 12 months and certain traumas during this growth period.

We recommended if you are concerned about your puppy’s Hips/Elbows you have it x-rayed after 12 months, the x-rays must be read by either AVA or Prof Wyburn.

Your local Vet is not qualified to read these types of x-rays, it is a specialist field. The breeder should be notified of any concerns or x-ray results. No dog should ever be operated on without first having these tests read by a specialist and speaking to the breeder concerned. Hip/Elbow surgery should be a last resort.

Hip joints can range from good to bad with all degrees in between. Hips 0-106 lower scores are better 0 is best, the BREED average is 19 (International BVA 01/01/06) the lower the score the better, 0 scores are very rare. On X-ray, most dogs have some degree of Dysplasia, but it is unlikely to affect them throughout their life, Elbows 0/0-3/3,  3/3 should not be bred from.