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Position is Everything © 24 Feb. '99 rev. '04 by Bobbie Impellizzeri |
For the past 25 years, I've written internationally published articles and edited GDS. and various AKA Newsletters. For the past 19 years, I've concentrated many of my articles on the issue of hip dysplasia, the need for evaluative x-raying (radiography), and most importantly, I've harped on the need for breeders and owners to submit hip and elbow x-rays of their over-two-years of age GSDs to the Orthopaedic Foundation for certifying.
To everyone's credit, it is a fact that the number of owners and breeders submitting x-rays to the OFA for evaluation and/or certification is higher than ever. However, in spite of the all the information and advice available from the OFA to aid the breeder or owner in obtaining and submitting the best possible x-rays for evaluation, much of it is either overlooked or ignored. X-rays are submitted that are not properly readable, or that result in a less-than-desired evaluation, and all too often, the disappointed breeder/owner points the finger of blame at the OFA.
From the comments that find their way to my ears, I'd have to say that most of the gripes and complaints leveled at the OFA have LITTLE, if anything, to do with what OFA is and/or does, and/or the RELIABILITY of their evaluation/certification.
What 90% of the grumbles are about, is unhappiness with the OFA's "reading" of a pee-poor x-ray that then "jump-starts" the submitter into looking for a "second opinion." Getting this "second opinion" usually involves going to a DIFFERENT radiologist, having a NEW x-ray taken, using THEIR methods on THEIR equipment, making DARN SURE it's gonna be clearer and better than the first one. Now, what exactly has all THAT got to do with the OFA's original evaluation of the ORIGINAL film?
Getting to the bottom line (which I am very fond of doing quickly), let me say this about that..........NOTHING!..........
If you had sent a "better" film to the OFA in the FIRST place, odds are there wouldn't have been a need for a second.....
The OFA functions as an
orthopaedic radiographic evaluative organization (along with other functions)
with authority in the United States to CERTIFY
radiographs of dogs hips and elbows (other skeletal things, too) and assign
a NAMED category/
rating to the evaluation.
That's what they DO: EVALUATE AND CERTIFY what
is sent to them.
What they DON'T DO, is - they don't x-ray, they don't make breeding decisions, they don't make "guess-timates" about FUTURE condition. They RATE WHAT THEY SEE AT THE MOMENT CAPTURED ON THE FILM!
If YOU take your dog to a lousy radiographer - Shame on YOU!
If your radiographer can't achieve proper positioning on an UNSEDATED struggling youngster for that preliminary, and you agree to let him x-ray anyway - Shame on YOU!
If YOU don't have your radiologist anaesthetize your 2 year old dog in order to achieve the most near-perfect positioning for submission for Certification - Shame on YOU!
If you ALLOW your vet to submit ANY film to the OFA for EVALUATION OR CERTIFICATION that is less than the VERY BEST FILM QUALITY AND BODY POSITIONING - Shame on YOU!
If your film receives a lesser rating (because of poor quality/position) than it might otherwise get - Shame on YOU!
If you firmly believe the submitted and evaluated film IS truly NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DOG'S CONDITION, and you do NOT then take a NEW x-ray under OPTIMUM (anaesthetized) positioning and film quality, and then submit this film for evaluation, comparison, and possible UPGRADE - Shame on YOU!
If you bitch, whine and complain about the above, and feel that the OFA "doesn't know what the hell they're doing," you've already made it very clear that it's really YOU who doesn't know what YOU are doing, or what the OFA can do! Shame on YOU!
The OFA bends over backwards to be helpful and instructive....they ACTUALLY DO want to, and make every effort to, give you the MOST ACCURATE and reliable reading of what's before their eyes ON THAT PARTICULAR FILM!......They DON'T even LIMIT the number of times you can submit film......They are HAPPY to be able to give a better "rating" on a better film!
The OFA does not preach against the use of any other evaluative or diagnostic processes. The OFA has pointed out however, that while all of the other evaluative/diagnostic processes may use differing "methods" to get to an end result, the bottom line in EVERY method is STILL X-RAYING and reading what's in your face at that moment in time!
Where you take your dog is YOUR decision; NOT the OFA's. What method you use is also up to YOU; NOT the OFA. It's incumbent on YOU to get and submit the BEST film possible of your dog's hips or elbows; NOT the OFA. If YOU screw up, you have only yourself to blame; NOT the OFA.