MDBA inside out program – Radiology

What it is

The goal is to reduce hip, elbow, and spinal disease in MDBA-registered purebred dogs.

This program assists breeders test their potential breeding dogs as early as possible. The MDBA has developed a relationship with a Radiology provider (Signalpet Imaging Services) who will read our members’ dog’s X-rays. Our radiology provider will accept X-rays for assessment from puppies as young as 4 months; there is no upper age limit.

This program is different from how other Radiology providers read X-rays. They do not score the hips, elbows or spine; they assess them as deviations from normal. The x-rays are assessed and the results determine whether a dog’s x-rays are normal or abnormal. With other providers, a dog is scored against the breed average where, for example, a dog with poor hips can be rated as having good hips if their assessed hip score is higher than the average. The MDBA believes our Radiology provider uses a more appropriate assessment to determine whether a dog is suitable for addition into a breeding program.

Radiographs are assessed for deformities, injuries, laxity and osteoarthritis. Having a potential breeding dog assessed at an early age gives breeder members an advantage in making breeding decisions and selecting breeding dogs. Testing younger potential breeding dogs for abnormalities allows breeders to determine much earlier which dogs are suitable for their breeding program and minimises risks for the breeder associated with keeping a dog unsuitable for breeding until maturity.

How it works.

MDBA members can pay the appropriate fee and send their dogs’ X-ray results to the MDBA Health and Wellness Department, which will forward the X-rays to our Radiologist provider. The radiologists will read the X-rays and send the results to the member and the MDBA for inclusion into our Radiologist database.

The MDBA has negotiated a discounted price for our members who use this radiology service.

The process is:

1. Members email [email protected] for the application form
2. The application form will be sent to the member
3. The member should arrange for appropriate radiographs to be taken at a veterinary surgery.
4. The member will fill in the form with the dog’s details. The dog’s information is best obtained directly from the dog’s MDBA pedigree or certificate of registration papers.
5. The member takes the form to their preferred radiologist who will verify the dog’s microchip matches the microchip on the form, complete any other information and sign it at the time of the consult.
6. The member must pay the veterinarian the MDBA radiology assessment fee
7. The veterinarian sends the form, the MDBA radiology assessment payment and the x-rays to the MDBA Health and Wellness team.
8. The MDBA verifies the information on the radiograph with the information on the application form and in our pedigree database and that the appropriate fee has been paid.
9. Once the details are verified, the x-rays are assigned an application number and sent to our Radiology provider
10. The Radiology provider then assesses the x-rays and sends the results to the owner and the MDBA within 10 working days.
11. The MDBA will enter the results into their databases
12. The radiology results are private and are only used by the MDBA for research purposes

Fee structure

The schedule of fees for radiology assessment is:

• $85AUS for hips elbows combined,
• $85AUS for spine and trachea combined.
• $70AUS for hips alone
• $70AUS for back alone
• $70 AUS for elbows alone.