BVA/KC Hip Scoring Discrepancy

DogWorldNewspaper wrote:
THE RESULT of a breeder’s appeal against a hip score reading for one of his dogs is now known.

Ken Sinclair (Araki) called for a thorough investigation of procedures after there was a huge variation in one of his dog’s hip scores when the x-rays were examined in the UK and Australia.

His Araki Fabulous Figjam, who has two CCs, scored 28 in the UK, and because his sire and dam have scores of six he decided to appeal against the British Veterinary Association (BVA)/Kennel Club findings and get a second opinion abroad. The resulting score from the Australian vet was 11.

The result of the appeal is now known and Figjam’s score has been reduced to 25. The breed’s mean score is 13.

But Mr Sinclair says he will not breed from him now and intends to send him to Australia to Jim Hickie’s Gengala kennel.

“Jim is very keen to have him, particularly after the hip score of 11,” Mr Sinclair said. “The alternative would have been to neuter him and put him in a pet home.

“I’ve always set a lot of store by hip scoring and make every effort to breed for good hips so I was dismayed at this high score. His mother and father have scores of six and his mother’s sister is three. On his dam’s side there is only one dog with a score above the breed mean score in four generations.

“But I have to ask why, if dogs should only be bred from if they have good hip scores, why is the KC registering puppies from dogs with scores of up to 60? It does make a mockery of the whole thing.”

In January Mr Sinclair told DOG WORLD that a high score could occur sometimes even from low-scoring lines due to a polygenic mode of inheritance, so he decided to seek a second opinion on the high score.

Some of Figjam’s semen had been sent to Australia so Mr Sinclair asked the Australian importer to see if the dog could be scored there. This was arranged and the x-ray disc used in the UK was sent out.

Mr Sinclair told DW that the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA)/Australian National Kennel Counci lANKC) hip scheme was the same as the BVA/KC’s and the criteria used to score each of the nine radiographic features, although written in different words, meant the same thing.

He said at the time: “The issue is no longer about how polygenic inheritance works, but is now about the massively different scores given by official scheme assessors in the UK and Australia using the same scoring criteria.

“I find this to be an extremely serious concern and I am bound to ask how there can be such large discrepancies not only in the overall total score but also for each of the radiographic features.

“I cannot say if one is right and the other wrong because I am not qualified to make that judgment. All I am saying is that the difference is so very alarming that it leads me to believe it needs an enquiry at the highest level.”

Such a large discrepancy affects a dog’s future breeding activity, subsequent calculations of estimated breeding values (EBV) for the dog involved, and for its relatives and their future breeding activity, he said.

This week the KC/BVA scheme’s chief scrutineer, Ruth Dennis, announced that after re-examination the score had dropped to 25 but still nowhere near the Australian rating.

“Your readers can be assured that this matter has been considered thoroughly by both KC and BVA and that they can continue to have complete confidence in the rigour and accuracy of the UK hip scoring process,” she said.

“This dog received a total BVA/KC score of 28, as the hip radiograph showed mild hip dysplasia. Mr Sinclair was naturally dismayed since his dog came from a low-scoring line with both parents scoring six under the BVA/KC scheme.



Re-examined

“The hip radiograph was examined by a further pair of panellists on January 29 who were unaware of the original score or that there was any issue surrounding the dog, and their score was 24. The final appeal score from the chief scrutineer was 25, the appeal being completed on February 7. Therefore, five panellists agreed on scores in the mid-20s, or the middle of the ‘third grade’, significantly higher – worse – than the breed median.

“Although the Australian score differs markedly from these scores the most significant finding, unreported by DW, is that on his scoring certificate the Australian reader also graded the hips according to two other schemes, and these grades fully support the BVA score. Firstly, he gave an Australian grade of four – range 0 to 6 – according to the scheme which is no longer used by AVA/ANKC. We have been reliably informed by a source in Australia that when that scheme was used a grade of four would have been in the ‘not suitable for breeding category’.

“Secondly, he gave an ‘international grade’ which appears to be that of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) of C1 – range A to E. The ‘comparison of hip scores’ document on the BVA website referred to above gives an approximate equivalent score for FCI grade C1 of 9 to 12 per hip, or 18 to 24 in total, similar to the BVA scores. Thus, in his grading, the Australian assessor agreed with the BVA score.”

After hearing the result of the appeal, Mr Sinclair said he would have liked to send the x-ray to the US and Sweden for re-examination but the cost was prohibitive.

“The vet in Australia is standing by his scores,” he said. “If I’d the money I’d have him scored in other countries and challenge it further but it’s not possible.

“This will make a big difference because once the scores are added the EBV will be incorrect as far as I’m concerned, and it will make a big difference to my kennel – he was going to be the future of it.”