Kushinda OFAs

There are several environmental factors that contribute to increasing the risk of developing HD:

• If the puppy is obese during the first 24 months of its life,

• If you jump the puppy for competitive obedience training,

• If you apply excessive force at the base of the hips in teaching the sit (& down), or

• If you allow children to ride around in "horsy-style" on the puppy.

From a genetic perspective, an ethical breeder relies on the professional opinion of a third party, to evaluate all potential breeding stock. It should be noted that there are several third party organizations (each representing a different evaluation process, i.e., Penn Hip) that provide this judgment for a fee. At Kushinda we use the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), a not-for--profit organization, established in 1966, originally created to assist breeders in addressing hip dysplasia.

At the age of 24 months (or older) you submit x-rays of your breeding stock to the OFA. They employ board certified veterinarian radiologists to examine the x-ray of the hips (see pictures of an OFA x-ray below). The OFA uses the opinions of three different radiologists to assign a grade of Excellent, Good, Fair, or to withhold an OFA number (indicating evidence of HD). Because a dog may not show any clinical signs of HD such as limping and/or not being able to get up, an actual x-ray is evaluated. The results of this evaluation determine if a dog should be bred or not. For instance, if a dog does not receive an OFA number form the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) it should be eliminated from a breeding program.

The entire process (sedation, x-rays of hips & elbows, microchiping [to permanently identify the dog], submission to the OFA) averages about $300.00 per dog.

At Kushinda every single dog that has ever been used in our Breeding Program has an OFA number. This is a major step we take to ensure we have reduced the risk of any puppy developing HD. Unfortunately, it is still not a 100% guarantee a puppy won't develop HD. For instance, if a new puppy owner allows their puppy to become obese, the puppy (even though its parents - [and in our case the grand parents & great-grand parents, etc.] have been cleared of HD), could eventually develop HD. To drive this point home, our Contract stipulates that you are aware of/ and responsible for managing your puppy's weight!

So, always ask a breeder if the sire & dam have OFA numbers. In a good breeding program, the grand, and great-grand parents will also have OFA numbers. You can use the OFA's search engine to verify an OFA number! The dog's OFA number will also be published on the puppy's AKC registration form.

One goal of the Kushinda Breeding Program is to produce genetically clean, sound dogs. We ONLY use those dogs that have been screened for hip dysplasia (and, thus have an OFA number)!