Health Testing Dogs

Yes, It’s That Important

That’s it, I’m taking a stand. I’m tired of seeing dogs affected with crippling and life-shortening inheritable diseases that can be prevented by health testing parents of puppies. I’m also tired of hearing some dog breeders say, “I don’t health test because I don’t have diseases in my lines.” Bologna!

I’ll explain why dog health testing is so important. Official forms are considered acceptable proof that a dog was health tested and had passed.

A Bit About Health Testing

If someone says his breeding lines are free of inheritable disease, he’s lying. I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. People will lie to make money. Plus, dogs are so stoic and resilient. They seldom show diseases unless it’s really bad. The only way to know if a dog is free from an inheritable disease is to test for it. If a dog is not health tested, assume a dog has an inheritable disease. It’s that common among dogs.

 The only way to know if a dog is free from inheritable diseases is by testing for them.

Why Health Test Dogs?

Just like people, dogs contain genes that turn on or off specific traits. If a dog is not health tested and carries inheritable disease genes, there’s a chance greater than 50 percent these genes will be passed onto your puppy (using a Punnett Square). If both parents are not health tested, there’s a 75% or higher chance–this is scary stuff.

By health testing parents, grandparents and great grandparents, you’re decreasing the likelihood of your puppy developing preventable diseases. And trust me, inheritable diseases are ugly. It can cripple puppies and young dogs, and significantly shorten their lives. Now, there is a slight chance puppies can develop diseases even if parents are health tested, but it’s usually a mild case and can be managed without expensive surgeries.

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Inheritable Diseases are Common

I’ve seen young dogs (under a year old) die of cardiac arrest while playing in the yard. Dogs lose one or both eyes due to an inheritable eye disease. Dogs can even bleed out and die within hours due to inheritable blood disorders. Yes, folks, it’s that serious. I’m not exaggerating one bit. If you don’t believe me, join a few Facebook groups of dog owners supporting each other through $5,000 surgeries and, worse yet, loss of a beloved dog, which could have been prevented.

To find a list of inheritable disease testing requirements for your specific breed, check out OFA’s database.

Ask for Documentation–Don’t Trust Verbal Promises

If a dog is free of an inheritable disease, Orthopedic Foundation of Animals (OFA) can verify by issuing  a registration number and certificate stating the outcome. Each certificate has the dog’s registered name, owner’s name, microchip or tattoo number and additional information about the dog. If a dog fails, OFA will still issue paperwork stating the dog didn’t pass and is affected with inheritable disease.

Better yet, view a dog’s OFA health testing results here. All you need is the dog’s registered name and search from there. Don’t trust verbal promises. Ask for documentation from the breeder. They can email you copies of OFA certificates for both parents, grandparents and great grandparents.

Check documents closely. Now, some unethical breeders play nasty games by showing you dog OFA certificates. However, these dogs are not the parents of your puppy. Yes, it happens more than you can imagine. These folks know how to deceive informed pet parents. The only way you can ensure this doesn’t happen is by locating a reputable breeder using recommended guidelines and ask for references from past puppy buyers.

What is Orthopedic Foundation of Animals (OFA)?

OFA is a non-profit organization, which sets standards and perimeters for health testing dogs. They collect and share testing results in an effort to decrease inheritable diseases in dogs. Yes, they are the authority for canine health testing and dogs are only considered free of these diseases if they’ve met OFA standards.

Local veterinarians complete most exams and fluid collections. However, vets must ensure these samples meet or exceed standards provided by OFA. If so, a vet signs and mails official OFA documents, then a registration number and certificate are issued. Local vets, on the other hand, capture X-rays and send films to OFA, which are evaluated by orthopedic specialists to determine presence of disease.

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