|
Hips
All retrievers intended
for breeding should be hip-scored. This is a
once in a lifetime test and consists of an
assessment of an x-ray of the dog's hips by a panel
of expert vets. Breeding animals should have a
hip-score lower than the breed mean score (BMS).
You can find out what your breed's BMS is
on the British Veterinary Association's website.
The reason for hip scoring is to reduce the chances
of each generation of puppies suffering from the
crippling disease of hip dysplasia. You can read
more about hip dysplasia here.
Eyes
All retrievers intended
for breeding should have a clear eye certificate.
The eye certificate is awarded after a physical
inspection of the dog's eye by a specialist vet.
The certificate does not tell you whether or not
this dog will develop eye disease, only that
it is healthy at the time of the examination.
Eye certificates should be renewed annually
Other tests
In addition to the above
essentials, most vets now recommend Elbow
tests for retrievers, especially labradors and
golden retrievers as Elbow Dysplasia is becoming
more common in these breeds
An exciting new
development is the OptiGen
test - a DNA test for a particular
eye disease causing blindness. This test is a
once only test which will determine whether the dog
will ever develop the disease or whether he or she
is a carrier. It does not replace the annual
eye certificate but is an addition to it.
Further information
Use the links below to
find out more |
