Common health tests that breeders perform on their dogs
BAER | This test is used to check hearing for deafness on dogs at least 35 days old. |
CERF | The Canine Eye Registration Foundation conducts painless eye examinations and certifies dogs to be free of heritable eye disease. |
OFA | The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals tests for orthopedic and genetic diseases and maintains a database of their findings. |
Penn | PennHIP is a method to assess, measure and interpret hip joint laxity. |
Thyroid | Test for canine hypothyroidism, the absence of sufficient thyroid hormone to maintain healthy body functions. |
Brucellosis | Brucellosis is a disease caused by a bacteria. In female dogs, infection leads to abortion or early death of infected puppies. |
Neuroaxonal Dystrophy | A rare neurological problem that affects muscles and movement in young puppies. |
Bloat | Bloat is when the stomach fills with gas and flips over. This twists blood vessels, blocks blood flow and traps gas. The gas and pressure builds up, forcing the stomach to expand. Within a few hours or less the stomach is extremely stretched and hard, and the stomach tissue begins to die. Circulation is cut off, causing the dog to go into shock. Without emergency treatment Bloat is fatal. Even with aggressive therapy, some dogs do not survive. |