OFA joint evaluation options and number of radiographic views:
hip dysplasia (1 view), elbow dysplasia (2 views), shoulder osteochondrosis (2 views)
To see which joint diseases OFA recommends screening your pet for by breed please see this website:
https://www.ofa.org/browse-by-breed
Here is information on the various joint diseases:
Hip dysplasia: https://www.ofa.org/diseases/hip-dysplasia
○ Dogs 24 months of age or older: qualify for an OFA hip number and true certification
○ Dogs 12-24 months of age: OFA will release preliminary results for hips and elbows if the animal is permanently identified via microchip and the owner initials the authorization block to release all results (including abnormal results) when the application is initially submitted
○ Dogs 4-12 months of age: only a consultation report will be issued
Elbow Dysplasia: Like the hip certification, the OFA will not certify a normal elbow until the dog is 2 years of age. The OFA also accepts preliminary elbow radiographs as with the hips.
https://www.ofa.org/diseases/elbow-dysplasia
Shoulder Osteochondrosis:
○ 12 months of age or older : these pets will be assigned an official breed OFA number
○ Less than 12 months of age: OFA consultation only
https://www.ofa.org/diseases/other-diseases/osteochondrosis-ocd-of-the-shoulder
Pricing:
● Physical Exam (this allows the veterinarian to assess safety of sedation and recommended doses as well as evaluate the overall health of your pet and address any other abnormalities found that could potentially be heritable/passed onto offspring): $43 per patient
● Sedation (recommended by OFA in order to get joints in position for best evaluation provided no contraindication to sedation is found on physical exam): $45 per patient
● Radiograph and application submission fee (CVH staff will annotate radiographs, fill out submission form, and send all information needed for evaluation to OFA for you):
○ 1 view - $160 (hips only), $45 submission fee
○ 2 views - $175 (elbows OR shoulders only), $45 submission fee
○ 3 views - $190 (hips, plus either elbows OR shoulders), $50 submission fee
○ 5 views - $275 (hips, elbows, and shoulders), $55 submission fee
*Microchip (including placement and registration): $46 + tax - Only dogs with a verified permanent id (tattoo or microchip) will have their results transmitted to the AKC for inclusion in their registration and pedigree documents
Expectations:
Visit: The entire visit for your pet to have an exam, sedation, radiographs taken, and appropriate communication regarding exam findings with you will be expected to be between 1 hour and 1 hour and 30 minutes total. Your pet should be fasted (no food intake for 12 hours) prior to his/her visit to increase safety of sedation. You may offer your pet free choice water at all times. The sedation used for the procedure is light enough for your pet to be able to walk out of the clinic with you at the end of the appointment, but still result in his/her feeling sleepy and potentially less coordinated for the rest of the day. For this reason, it is recommended to keep them away from stairs and other hazardous areas until full recovery from the sedation.
Results:
The average turnaround time from receipt for of-age evaluations on dogs 24 months of age or older is 2-3 weeks. Preliminary evaluations on dogs under 24 months of age have an average turnaround time of 1-2 weeks. Reports are sent to the veterinarian and owner on completion of the evaluation. It may take Crosslake Vet up to 48 business hours to submit the application and radiographs to OFA.
