What are the CHS Terms and Conditions?

The owner/agent of the dog must agree to all of the CHS Terms and Conditions to submit their dog to the Schemes. Vets need to make sure this has been agreed to before submitting any radiographs.

What are the stages of the submission process?

1. Contact your vet and arrange an appointment for your dog to be X-rayed.
2. The X-rays must be taken under anaesthesia or heavy sedation which means that the dog may have to be left for a short time at the veterinary practice. 
3. Once the X-rays have been taken, your vet will submit the details and X-rays to CHS online.
4. The BVA fee can be paid at the practice or online. If paying online, the practice needs to select this option during the submission process to email the payment link to the dog owner.
5. The X-rays will be scored by our Scrutineers. We hold weekly scoring sessions, where a pair of our Scrutineers review the radiographs.
6. The results will be uploaded to your vets portal and passed on to yourself. We recommend discussing the results with your vet.

What is the wait time for hip and elbow scores/grades?

We aim to have a one to two week turnaround for hip and elbow scores/grades following the CHS team receiving full payment of a submission. Once your dog's radiographs have been assessed, a completed certificate detailing the results will be uploaded to the submitting veterinary practice’s portal, which will be available for them to download for you. We are unable to fast-track any submissions or give preferential treatment to any practices or breed clubs.

How much does it cost?

A single submission to the Hip/Elbow Scheme starts from £77.40 (inc. VAT). Kennel Club Assured Breeders and SSPCA Assured Puppy Breeders can receive a 15% discount. A full breakdown of costs and offers can be found on our fees page.

How do I pay the CHS submission fee?

You can pay your CHS submission fee directly at your vet practice. Alternatively, you can pay online. If paying online, you'll receive an email asking you to make an online payment once your vet submits your dog's radiographs. Please follow the link in the email to make your submission fee payment. Please note: submissions will not be scored or graded until payment has been received in full by CHS.

What are the health and safety requirements for vets?

The veterinary surgeon certifying the submission must ensure that the Hip and Elbow Procedure Rules and Regulations are understood and followed. This includes working in accordance with the current Ionising Radiations Regulations when radiographing dogs - more information on this can be found on page 2, point 4 of the procedure Rules and Regulations.

What views are required for the elbow scheme?

Two mediolateral views are required: flexed and extended. To ensure correct positioning please watch our comprehensive how-to video for radiographic positioning and read Section 4 in the Procedure Rules and Regulations. 

How do I access the online submission portal?

Vet practices must submit their client's hip and elbow submissions through our online portal - please visit chs.bva.co.uk. Please note, this submisssion portal is only for vet practices.

How are the results used?

Hip and elbow scores/grades for Kennel Club (KC) registered dogs and their relatives are published online via the Health Test Results Finder on the KC website. If your dog's results are not showing on there, please email us with your dog's details. 

Taking into consideration the scores of an individual dog’s relatives provides greater guidance about a dog’s genotype than does its own score in isolation. In addition, for the most affected breeds, numerical ‘estimated breeding values’ (EBVs) are also provided for each dog. This service is unique worldwide in dog breeding and is underpinned by the close working relationship between the KC and BVA.

I've received my dog's hip scores. What do they mean?

The hip score is made up of the total number of points given for different features in the hip joint, it is representative of the severity of the condition. The lower the score the better. The minimum score for each hip is 0 and the maximum is 53, giving a range for the total score of 0 to 106. This total score should be compared to the breed median. CHS recommends only breeding dogs with hip scores under the breed median.

I've received my dog's elbow grades. What do they mean?

Once your dog has been graded, a completed certificate detailing the elbow grades will be uploaded to the submitting veterinary practice’s portal, which will be available for them to download for you. A grade is given for each elbow and the overall elbow grade is determined by the higher of the two individual grades. CHS recommends only breeding from dogs that have an elbow grade of 0. The grades are:

• 0 = Radiographically normal
• 1 = Mild osteoarthritis
• 2 = Moderate osteoarthritis or a primary lesion with no osteoarthritis
• 3 = Severe osteoarthritis or primary lesion with osteoarthritis

I think the positioning was wrong and that’s why my dog received a bad score?

Our Scrutineers will reject any images with incorrect positioning that would affect a dog’s result. When there is clear evidence of HD/ED and/or osteoarthritis and the dog will be scored well beyond the breed median or get a high elbow grade, the scrutineers may decide to assess a suboptimally positioned dog. In the event that an image(s) is/are rejected , the submitting practice will be informed with some information regarding the reason for rejection. New radiographs are then requested. You are able to appeal the result of a hip score or elbow grade within 45 days of scoring/grading. Click the link below to see our appeals process.