Comparison of two canine registry databases on the prevalence of hip dysplasia by breed and the relationship of dysplasia with body weight and height

Abstract

To compare the results of 2 canine registries for classification of the hip joints for dysplasia by breed, and to relate the percentage of dysplastic dogs with body metric characteristics. Data on the ranking order of hip dysplasia by breed from 2 registries for 156 dog breeds. The prevalence of hip dysplasia listed by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and the breed mean score according to the list of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) Kennel Club Hip Dysplasia scheme were related to weight and height as well as the body mass index (BMI; kg/m(2)) by breed. The OFA ranking order and the percentage of dysplastic dogs were highly correlated with the BVA mean score (rho = 0.74). A significant correlation was found between the prevalence of hip dysplasia and the BMI (r = 0.63). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the highest area under the curve, corresponding to the best discrimination, was at a BMI of 110 kg/m(2) with a criterion value of 15% dysplastic dogs (area under the curve, 0.89). Because the ratio of dogs in the positive and negative groups reflected the prevalence of the condition among breeds in the OFA database, the positive likelihood ratio was 9.32 and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.24. The OFA statistics and the BVA mean scores reflected the prevalence of hip dysplasia among dog breeds. Body mass index accurately discriminated between breeds with high or low prevalence of hip dysplasia.