Are these Labrador puppy hip scores and eye health okay to buy?

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!

There is nothing you can do about the scoring now. I personally would not be worried about it. All you an do at this point is wait until the puppy is old enough and get him x-rayed to see if he has any dysplasia. A score of 1 from one parent does not mean the offspring will be affected. Hope this answers your question. Best wishes.

It depends on what you're looking for in your Labrador. If you want a purebred dog, then looking to see what certifications a local kennel club or breeding club in your area offers is a good start. For health, there are often certificates that certify a dog is free of certain hip or joint problems. As for the puppy, researching about common health and behavioral issues before getting one can help you identify problems before they get bad. Meeting the parents of the puppy is also a good idea to help determine personality, breeding conditions, and how mom and dad were both raised to give you an idea of how the puppies may turn out.

I presume you mean they do NOT screen for the conditions? I would be very cautious about buying such a pup when there is an opportunity is there to purchase from screened parents - why are these breeders not screening their breeding lines? It may be as simple as never having experienced any of them in these lines but without proof there is little else to go on. Remember that no screening test is 100% proof that the condition could not arise in an individual but it does reduce the likelihood. I would also urge you to consider adopting a pup or young adult unless you intend showing or breeding pedigree lines - there are many many dogs in need of good, responsible homes!

Those colors can both darken and lighten over time. Generally speaking Labrador retrievers can be prone to hip dysplasia, ear infections, allergies, elbow dysplasia and as they get older certain types of cancer such as lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma. For this puppy you could discuss with the breeder if any testing was done on either parent such as OFA hip/Penn Hip radiographs, health guarantee or veterinary records for the puppy.

Nothing seems abnormal based on this pictures but that does not replace a good exam. If you are worried about confirmation or a bone problem then she needs to see a vet. They can actually move her legs evaluate the joints and bones to make sure there are no problems. If indicated they can even do an X-ray although she is too youn for hip dysplasia to show up

From what I can see his hips look pretty good, there is good coverage of the femoral head by the hip socket, the femoral heads seem to be pretty smooth and rounded, but if you want a second opinion, you can ask your vet for copies of the x-rays or ask them to send them to a veterinary radiologist for an expert eye.