# How much did your hip/elbow scores cost, where did you go I get them done?



## Dober (Jan 2, 2012)

Rupert is due to get his hips and elbows scored soon and I'm still deciding where to take him. 

In still deciding if I'm gonna have him done under GA or sedation, but was wondering if anyone have any recommendations? From reading up in the pros and cons of both methods I'm leaning towards sedation.

My local vets quoted £300 inc the BVA fee, plus £80 for the elbows (rupert is 32kg) under anesthetic. A lot of dobe people take them to southampton as it only costs £110 inc BVA and an additional £50 for elbows all under sedation.

I know a lot of people go through breed clubs at a reduced price. Price and location are not really important to me, I want the best.

So where do you go, how much did you pay and were you happy with the results.


----------



## Blondie (Feb 27, 2011)

I used my local vets, its 3 years now since we had Magnum and his sister done. It cost just under 200 quid each and we had no complaints with the quality of the x-rays and the dogs were fine too, they had GA.


----------



## rocco33 (Dec 27, 2009)

If you are in the South, then Marilyn at Southampton will be the cheapest, unless you are a club member that gets discount (I have used Marilyn in the past, but also a vet who offer discounts to one my clubs). The most important thing is to get a vet experienced in taking xrays for scoring - more important than price - and Marilyn does have a lot of experience (if you can get hold of her ). The other thing to remember when looking at costs is the cost of petrol/diesel to get there. You may find the savings you make by going somewhere cheaper is wiped out by the cost of getting there. But, most important is that they are experienced in taking the plates.


----------



## SiobhanG (Apr 24, 2012)

Having assisted vets with performing x-rays for hip scores, I wouldn't do it under sedation for my own animals. There is a lot of manoeuvring and sometimes even sellotaping the legs together, tying up and weighing down with sandbags etc I would much prefer my dog to be under GA (assuming they were young, fit and healthy).


----------



## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

lakeview vets , deal, kent have health testing days once every 2 months . Cost a couple of years was £120 all in


----------



## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

what are are you?


----------



## shamykebab (Jul 15, 2009)

Had one of mine done early last year - can't remember the exact amount but it came to around £150 for hips and elbows under sedation. Had to go down to Durham though, as I knew that particular vet was a very experienced scorer. Might be a bit far for you though!


----------



## Dober (Jan 2, 2012)

Marilyn in Southampton is who he dobe people I know use  im in Milton Keynes so about two hours away, but I can travel however far it doesn't really matter.


----------



## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

if you use FB theres a site dedicated to health tests and dates

https://www.facebook.com/groups/170959846274011/


----------



## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

SiobhanG said:


> Having assisted vets with performing x-rays for hip scores, I wouldn't do it under sedation for my own animals. There is a lot of manoeuvring and sometimes even sellotaping the legs together, tying up and weighing down with sandbags etc I would much prefer my dog to be under GA (assuming they were young, fit and healthy).


its awful isnt it!

we had one of our collies hips x rayed as he had a slight limp, after he had this done his legs were never the same again!

makes you wonder if its the right thing to do if something is suspected, not for breeding, although it still seems pretty bad too!


----------



## Shrap (Nov 22, 2010)

I went to Alpha Vets in Kinross, it cost £220 for a 41kg dog, including BVA fees (that's both hips and elbows - under sedation).

They came highly recommended but I wasn't 100% happy. One of his legs wasn't straight and made his hips look uneven, I'm convinced it was the vet nurse that did his xrays.... She mentioned after how easy he was that she took his blood with no-one else there and he just stood there and that during x rays he kinda woke up during, wagged his tail and then drifted off again...

I've heard good things about Moy Farm vets.


----------



## rocco33 (Dec 27, 2009)

SiobhanG said:


> Having assisted vets with performing x-rays for hip scores, I wouldn't do it under sedation for my own animals. There is a lot of manoeuvring and sometimes even sellotaping the legs together, tying up and weighing down with sandbags etc I would much prefer my dog to be under GA (assuming they were young, fit and healthy).


I can't comment on your vet's scoring process, but can assure Dober that Marilyn does not operate like that. Probably due to her skill and experience, but your dog will be mildly sedated, and when your turn you will assist her holding your dog in position while the xrays are taken, and then it's finished - simply walk in and walk out. Mine were a little quieter than normal, but someone who doesn't know them wouldn't know they were sedated.

PS - I haven't been to Marilyn for a few years so can't remember, but I would imagine you would not be able to assist if you were pregnant.


----------



## swarthy (Apr 24, 2010)

I use a vet in Ross on Wye who comes highly recommended - been using him for 6 years now and I know a lot of other people who travel to him in the same way people go to Southampton.

They use sedation, and I didn't any change from £300 (incl BVA fees) but plus fuel (and he will also do them on Saturdays which makes life much easier for me) 

My own vets use GA - I didn't get much change from £500 7 years ago (incl BVA fees) - then my vet messed up the elbow forms which had to go back to her, be signed by me, and then returned to the BVA - in total, it took a good few months to get the results back. 

All of the recent hips / elbows I've put in have come back within 1 to 3 weeks - very fast 

Whichever what you do it - it's the elbows that bump up the cost because of the number of plates needed

Good luck wherever you decide to go - happy to share the details of who I use (only just over an hour or so from MK if you go across country - used to work at the OU and always came home that way).


----------



## Dober (Jan 2, 2012)

swarthy said:


> I use a vet in Ross on Wye who comes highly recommended - been using him for 6 years now and I know a lot of other people who travel to him in the same way people go to Southampton.
> 
> They use sedation, and I didn't any change from £300 (incl BVA fees) but plus fuel (and he will also do them on Saturdays which makes life much easier for me)
> 
> ...


Thank you for your help!


----------



## vizzy24 (Aug 31, 2008)

I used marilyn in Southampton, it was 3 years ago and cost £75 they are very experienced and they did it under sedation and also a rough idea of whether if will be a good or bad result. Definitely worth the trip


----------



## swarthy (Apr 24, 2010)

vizzy24 said:


> I used marilyn in Southampton, it was 3 years ago and cost £75 they are very experienced and they did it under sedation and also a rough idea of whether if will be a good or bad result. Definitely worth the trip


Is that just for Hips though?


----------



## Dober (Jan 2, 2012)

I checked with someone who's just been to Southampton and they said it was £110 for hips and £50 extra for elbows, inc BVA fees. I thought it sounded 'too good to be true' by those prices, but I have heard a lot of good things about them in the past too.

I'm also enquiring with my local vet college who do ruperts hydrotherapy twice a week, who come reconmended too.


----------



## swarthy (Apr 24, 2010)

Dober said:


> I checked with someone who's just been to Southampton and they said it was £110 for hips and £50 extra for elbows, inc BVA fees. I thought it sounded 'too good to be true' by those prices, but I have heard a lot of good things about them in the past too.
> 
> I'm also enquiring with my local vet college who do ruperts hydrotherapy twice a week, who come reconmended too.


including BVA fees  are you sure that's right?

I don't see how that can be - the BVA fees have stayed the same as lat year at £90 for hips and elbows

BVA - Hip Scheme

that means taking the plates and the sedation costs just £70


----------



## SiobhanG (Apr 24, 2012)

rocco33 said:


> I can't comment on your vet's scoring process, but can assure Dober that Marilyn does not operate like that. Probably due to her skill and experience, but your dog will be mildly sedated, and when your turn you will assist her holding your dog in position while the xrays are taken, and then it's finished - simply walk in and walk out. Mine were a little quieter than normal, but someone who doesn't know them wouldn't know they were sedated.
> 
> PS - I haven't been to Marilyn for a few years so can't remember, but I would imagine you would not be able to assist if you were pregnant.


Oh believe me, I quit working at that particular practice after two weeks! I'm just aware there are probably others using such methods but it's nice to hear people recommending more capable vets on here.


----------



## chaka (Feb 19, 2012)

I would highly recommend my vets in Cheshire. They x ray under sedation (no sellotaping legs together etc) and are brilliant at reading plates and giving you a very good idea as to what the score is ( means you can relax a bit , or at least can adjust to the bad news) waiting for the BVA score to come back. People travel from a long distance to get to him and in 20 years of him scoring my dogs I have never had a problem. Its nearly 3 years since the last one was done, will check what prices were then.


----------



## WarFlyball (Aug 15, 2008)

I had my collies hip scores done under sedation in February (he was 18.1kg), they were £173 plus BVA. The vet is very experienced and was able to give me a very good idea of the scores before they came back


----------



## vizzy24 (Aug 31, 2008)

swarthy said:


> Is that just for Hips though?


Yeah but it does include bva, the elbows were an extra £45 I think


----------



## Dober (Jan 2, 2012)

Booked him in for today for hips and elbows, £210 inc BVA fees  very excited! Did I hear someone say Marilyn can give you a rough idea of the results before theyre sent off?


----------

