Hi Kim, Many health testing things aren't as black and white as we'd like to think...but I can tell you what I do and you can use the information as you see fit.
> 1) If eyes have been deemed "clear", what does this mean....clear for what? Nothing and everything. ;-} First consideration is that the breeder should be talking bout a CERF exam, an eye exam done by a board certified opthalmologist. "My vet says her eyes are fine" doesn't cut it. In a CERF exam, the eye doctor will complete an extensive form checking off normal or affected for a wide variety of eye problems...both hereditary and non. Some diseases, such as PRA, will result in a non-passing exam, ie: you couldn't get a CERF number on that dog. Other eye anomolies...even some inherited ones such as entropian...will not prevent issuance of a CERF number. So, "eyes clear" can mean different things to different people. At the minimum, I'd want the sire and dam's CERF number which you can check on line for exam history. Better still is a copy of the examination check sheet. > Does the test have to be performed yearly to be valid? I think it's important that dogs used for breeding have a CERF exam within one year of being bred so active dogs should be screened annually. If someone's a few months over, I wouldn't refuse them stud service or not buy a puppy from them but if they were done at 1 year and not again for several years later...I'd be uncomfortable. > ...I remember there was a disease involving the eyelids (is this PRA?), but I don't >understand what the test checks for and how often it should be repeated. The diseases involving the eylids are entropian (eyelid curls in and irritates the eye) and ectropian (eyelid curls out allowing debis to collect and irritate the eye). These are hereditary but a dog can still get a CERF number with them. They can be repaired surgically but often more than one operation is req'd as the dog matures. PRA is probably what you're remembering from a few years ago. It's Progressive Retinal Atrophy and results in night blindness leading to total blindness. PRA is hereditary, causes blindness, and it will prevent a dog from getting a CERF number. We seem to have a wide range of age at onset for PRA which is somewhat unusual...most breeds have an age at which they're typically affected. We know of Berners who were virtually blind but so well adapted to it their owners didn't have any idea. For these reasons, I like to see dogs CERFed every year or two...even those not used for breeding. It's non-invasive and only about $20-$25 so I just don't see a reason not to do it regularly. > 2) Why are the heart and thyroid tested? Because they can be affected by hereditary conditions which impact the life of the dog and potentially, their offspring. BMDs can be affected by several heart defects, the most common of which is probably SAS. SAS can be present in a range of 'grades' from mild (dog usually lives a normal life without overt symptoms) to severe (dogs may not survive to 8 weeks or they may die suddenly at 1-2 years of age). We know that some dogs having SAS are subclinical so the potential exists to breed them, thereby increasing the chances of producing affected puppies. A basic cardiac clearance is done with auscultation (stethoscope exam) by a board certified cardiologist and can be registered with OFA. It's usually done once, after 1 year of age...I've done both my spayed and my breeding dogs. Dogs with active breeding careers, heavily used studs in particular, should be repeated every couple of years thereafter as mild cases can go undetected until they worsen a bit with age. Genetically, mild doesn't necessarily produce mild...it can increase SAS in any degree, so it's important to know if a dog is affected even if he's a 7 year old stud dog. A step beyond auscultation screening, which makes sense for breeding dogs with a family history of producing SAS or other heart anomolies, is a cardiac ultrasound evaluation. Hypothyroid (underactive thyroid gland) is one of the most common problems across all breeds. It can be treated pretty effectively with thyroid hormone supplementation which isn't terribly expensive....so if you were to do a disease hierarchy, there are a lot worse things for a dog to inherit than hypothryoidism. However, it certainly isn't desirable and it can affect fertility so many breeders screen for it for information purposes, though they may still chose to breed an affected dog or bitch. The incidence of hypothyroidism increases with age so to be accurate, tests should be repeated periodically throught the dog's life. > I noticed that the Breeder > Checklist I pulled off one website suggests testing the dam. Why not test > both the sire and dam? I can't speak for Pat, but I'd guess that's an oversight. I can't think of any reason to test one and not the other. > In this day and age, if the hips tested "good " and the elbows test "normal", > is this pretty good? I guess "excellent" would be better, but how rigid > should one be for a pet quality puppy? Personally...I don't worry a whole lot about good vs excellent (I'm not sure OFA or GDC use "normal" without qualification). What I'm more interested in is what the sire and dam have produced previously...even with other mates...and how their siblings (the litter's aunts & uncles) were. > My family is looking for a nice pet, with the best chance for a longer, healthy life. Which is exactly what you should be looking for, and you have every right to expect that the breeder plan the breeding to stack the odds in your favor! You should also expect the breeder to be able to discuss with you...IF you're interested...what facets of the breeding are a relatively higher risk than others. One mating may be very solid in hips, but a bit more iffy in elbows. Another breeding might have good longevity, but a relatively higher incidence of auto-immune disease behind it. Not everyone wants to know these things...and that's fine! But if you DO want to thoroughly know the breeding, a responsible breeder should be able to discuss that kind of detail with you. >But we are not looking to breed, > and I was thinking maybe "good" hips and elbows are "good enough" for us. Companions and show/breeding prospects come from the EXACT same breedings...the difference being that a good show/breeding potential puppy probably has more bone and substance, perhaps a head that's closer to the standard...that sort of thing. These are things that don't impact the companion dog in the least. OTOH, I DO want a companion dog with fundamentally good structure as I think that impacts how the dog ages and how it copes with some of the ills that can affect it throughout the course of its life. A well planned, thoroughly researched, litter is just that...within that litter, some pups will excel more than others in terms of conformance to the standard. That's the difference between show & companion...not the clearnaces of the sire and dam. There's so much to think about and put into perspective.... Thank you for asking questions that will help you make the right decision for you and your family in the long run. -Sherri Venditti
