What is SV certification for GSD puppies and how does it work?

It is best to get a dog from a breeder that has breeding stock that is OFA certified. Whether or not the vet checks, shots, dewormer are included is up to you. Any dog, but especially a GSD, with hip dysplasia is going to cost you a lot of money and the dog a lot of pain. Go with the OFA tested parents regardless of the price.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach The British Veterinary Association (BVA) uses a scoring system where each hip is evaluated and assigned points based on degree 9 criteria of hip dysplasia in each hip. Each hip is then scored independently and given a number from 0 (best) to 53 (worst). So, a dog may get a total value from 0 to 106, with lower scores being better. A "good" score is anything lower than the breed average, which can fluctuate a bit over time. The current average score for German Shepherds is 18, so anything lower than 18 is a better-than-average score. (Of course, the average is only taking into account those dogs who have been submitted to receive a score, which I would expect to be better than the population at large, since the dogs being submitted are generally those being shown or bred). If your paperwork is indicating that one of your pup's parents received a total of 6 and the other a 3, I would consider those very good scores. Alternatively, it might be indicating that one of those dogs received a 6 in one hip and a 3 in the other hip, for a total of 9...which would still be well below (and therefore better than) the breed average. Either way, I'd say those look like good scores. :-) Hope this helps!

Hi there, It's great to hear that the puppy's parents have good OFA certifications! This is the best predictive factor we currently have for good orthopedic health. I do not know of any direct size correlation with orthopedic disease and size. The bone density should be the same either way. The best things you can do to keep any dog from having orthopedic disease over time is appropriate exercise (swimming is great!), keeping the dog lean, and feeding a high quality diet made for large breed dogs. Royal Canin is my personal favorite brand, and they make a diet specifically for German Shepherd health. I would avoid anything marketed as "grain free" or "raw" as these are linked with many nutritional disorders, many of which can be orthopedic related. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Looks can be deceiving but these photos do look like purebred dogs. It’s hard to say if they are working or show lines. I recommend to call the breeder as they are most familiar with their bloodlines. You can also contact the breed club as they likely have excellent resources. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions!

I am not 100% sure what you are referring to but I am guessing DM (degenerative myelopathy). Is that correct? Yes, there is DNA testing available to see which dogs carry the gene for this disease. If two dogs bred together that both have this autosomal recessive gene then the chance of the offspring developing the disease is 1 in 4. Some dogs carry the gene but never develop symptoms. All animals should ideally be tested prior to purchase and breeding. The problem is that most breeders do not do the testing. If you buy another GSD you should only buy from a breeder that has done the testing. Hope this answers your question. Best wishes.

They look like German Shepard puppies. If they are purebred they should have registration papers on both the father and mother. Once they register the litter they should give you papers so you can register your puppy. If they do not have papers then there is a good chance that they are not purebred German Shepard puppies. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

I would consider at his age a referral to a veterinary surgeon to discuss any surgical options particularly for his hips. This might delay the onset of arthritis in the future. Depending on what's causing his elbow dysplasia surgery may be an option there as well. You could also get the advice of a surgeon as to which is more likely to cause issues the elbows are the hips. I would also recommend starting him on a joint supplement now and potentially omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. All supplements and physical therapy are great surgery might be your best bet at long-term comfort.