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Here I
will give some information on the health concerns and testing that I feel is
recommended for responsible breeding practices. I am giving my educated and
informed opinion, not just based on my breeding and dog sporting experience,
but after much concentration and study in the field (I hold a B.Sc. in
Biology and am a biology teacher at the college level). Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have
any questions.
It is not
recommended to breed a dog (male or female) before the age of two years old.
This is because the joints and bones have yet to fully mature, and the dog is
still growing. There may not be an accurate assessment of the hips before 2
years of age. It is especially important that females are not bred before the
age of 2. Being pregnant is hard work! It can be hard on the joints, organs,
respiratory and circulatory systems. It also requires more nutrients to
nourish puppies. If a dog is under 2 years of age when she becomes pregnant,
she is taking valuable nourishment away from her still growing and maturing
body to give to puppies. Neither the mother, nor the puppies benefit from
this. Some breeders have something done called a preliminary OFA (done before
the dog is 2 years old). This will give the breeder the early indication of
how the hips are progressing. However, it is not a valid indication of adult
hip status and is in no way to be used as an acceptable test for breeding any
dog less than 2 years of age.
OFA hip
evaluations are done by a team of veterinarians observing the x-ray of the hips
and evaluating the way the bone fits in the socket. A dog within normal
limits will be given a reading of Excellent, Good or Fair. The dog will
receive a certificate in the mail with a certification number. A dog given a
fair evaluation is still within normal limits, although a look through the
dog history should be done. Ask your breeder for the info. A dog with fair
hips that comes from a pedigree of dogs good or better is still a great
breeding prospect. A dog with fair hips from a history of dogs with fair,
ones with hip dysplasia, or no history at all, would be a questionable
breeding prospect. Ask your breeder to see the certificates of the sire and
dam of a puppy you are purchasing. Info: http://www.ashgi.org/articles/fact_chd.htm http://www.offa.org/hipinfo.html
OFA elbow
evaluations are typically done at the same time as hips. A team of
veterinarians evaluate the elbows. A dog within normal limits will be given a
reading of Normal. I prefer all my dogs x-rays to be done naturally (without
medication). This means the dog must lie on the table on its back and not
move for the duration of the x-rays. I feel it is important to produce a more
natural state of the joint on the x-ray, than one from a drugged dog, and
gives the breeder a better indication of the actual state of the joints. The
dog will receive a certificate in the mail with a certification number. Ask
your breeder to see the certificates of the sire and dam of a puppy you are purchasing. Info: http://www.ashgi.org/articles/bone_joint_elbow.htm
Eyes are
examined by a certified ophthalmologist at approximately 8 weeks of age and
then yearly if the dog is going to be part of a breeding program. The eyes
are screened for a large array of eye disorders including but not limited to:
cataracts, PPM, CEA, PRA, Iris Coloboma, and Distichiasis. Some of these can be tested for by genetic tests
to determine if the dog has the affliction or is a carrier before any physical
display of the affliction. With cataracts, not all dogs positive genetically
will develop cataracts and some dogs that are genetically negative still may.
There are likely many genes that are responsible for different types of
cataracts, as well as environmental factors and injury. This is why certifications
should still be done on dogs that are tested clear. Ask your breeder to see
the certificates of the sire and dam of a puppy you are purchasing, and your
copy of the ophthalmologist report on your puppy. Info: http://www.asca.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=3254 http://www.asca.org/cataractsinaussies
There is
no test to screen for epilepsy. The best one can do as a responsible breeder
is try to stay away from those lines where epilepsy has reared itself, or do
as safe as possible crosses to them. This takes a TON of time, research and
dedication. I have had my pedigrees analyzed for epilepsy risk, have studied
the various lines, and I calculate all risk in all my potential crosses to
maintain a low possible epilepsy outcome. To this day I have not produced a
single dog that has come down with epilepsy. I am a
genetics ‘nerd’ and use some already developed theories
with my own twist on them. I often get emails from other breeders asking me
to look at their pedigrees and potential crosses for my opinion. As a breeder
I will look at pedigree first before looks before purchasing a dog for my
breeding program. Looks can improve in a line, unhealthy pedigrees can and
will continue. Epilepsy is a terrible disease and certainly one I would like
to avoid at all costs. Even with all the time of research put into the lines,
nothing is 100%, as some breeders just don’t share the information and
then we don’t know that it is there. We can only do the best we can to
avoid epilepsy with pedigree research, analysis and skill until a test is
developed. Info: http://www.ashgi.org/articles/fact_epilepsy.htm
MDR1 is
the acronym for multi drug resistance. MDR1 has been around in the breed
since the beginning of the development of the breed. Breeders were generally
not aware of it, since the only way one would know before testing was
available was if the dog reacted to certain medications. Responsible breeders
informed potential buyers that some herding breeds and dogs are susceptible
to certain drugs, including but not limited to invermectin (found in certain
heartworm medications). One of the old expressions I heard that was used by
vets was “White feet? Do not treat”. However, at that time they
just didn’t know why herding dogs could react to certain medications. A
dog carrying the MDR1 gene certainly can have a long and normal life. It is
not a ‘disease’, nor is it debilitating. A list of drugs that may
cause sensitivity can be made available to your vet (although most vets are
already knowledgeable about the gene). A dog with 1 or 2 copies of the gene
certainly can still be a good breeding prospect. There are far worse
conditions out there than a dog carrying MDR1, and an otherwise very healthy
line/dog should not be over looked due to MDR1. MDR1 can be eliminated in the
lines over time, we need to establish careful breeding practices to ensure we
don’t lose otherwise healthy lines just because of MDR1. If we just
eliminate all dogs carrying MDR1 from our breeding practices we would have a
very narrow genetic population that could leave the breed open to far more complications
and disorders. Info: http://www.ashgi.org/articles/mdr1.htm http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/genetics.aspx |
Page last updated 23/12/11
