You’ve determined your dog is a good example of it’s breed, is of sound structure and temperament, has proven itself in some way, and is worthy of being a breeding candidate. Now it is time to screen for underlying health concerns to determine if this dog has any evidence of disease that would deem it unworthy to contribute to future generations, or give you, the breeder, considerations to proceed with breeding with caution.
What health testing should you do?
The best website to visit to see what health clearances your breed should have prior to breeding is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA.org). Click on “Browse by Breed” and type in your breed. If you are breeding purpose-bred mixed breeds, you should look up health clearances for all breeds in the mix. Some breeds do not have any required health testing. In these cases, and for all breeds, you should also go to your National Breed Club’s website and search for recommended health clearances.
In general:
Hips/Elbows: All breeds should consider having their breeding animals OFA x-rayed for hip and elbow dysplasia. This can be done by most veterinary clinics, however be sure to ask if the doctors and staff have adequate experience in taking these specific radiographs. OFA radiologists can only grade the x-rays as good as the picture shows. Bad images will get bad ratings. Some dogs will need to be sedated for appropriate images. The veterinarian will have the client fill out the appropriate OFA forms (bring a copy of their registration certificate). The dog must have a permanent form of identification such as a microchip or tattoo. The veterinarian will submit the paperwork along with the x-rays to OFA for evaluation. The results will be emailed and mailed to the client and posted to the OFA website. For more information on hip and elbow dysplasia, visit https://ofa.org/diseases/hip-dysplasia/ and https://ofa.org/diseases/elbow-dysplasia/
Cardiac: All breeds should consider having their heart examined by auscultation by a board-certified cardiologist. Breeds at higher risk of heart disease, or if their parent club recommends or requires an echo, or any animal found to have an abnormality upon auscultation should have an echocardiogram done by a board-certified cardiologist. These can be done at the office of the cardiologist or at health clinics commonly offered by kennel clubs at conformation shows. The cardiologist will give the owner a copy of the exam findings. It is the owner’s responsibility to mail, email or upload a copy of the results to OFA in order for the results to be posted to the dog’s file on OFA. Information about uploading results to OFA can be found on OFA.org. Owners will need to create a log in and pay appropriate fees online. For more information about cardiac disease screening visit https://ofa.org/diseases/cardiac-disease/
Eyes: All breeds should consider having their dog’s eyes examined by a board-certified ophthalmologist. This is true for every breed, even breeds whose parent club does not require it. This is a thorough exam of the inside and outside of the eye, including defects of the lids/lashes, cornea, sclera, iris, lens, and retina. This can be scheduled at the office of a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist or at a health clinic commonly offered by kennel clubs at conformation shows. The ophthalmologist will give the owner a copy of the exam findings. It is the owner’s responsibility to mail, email or upload a copy of the results to OFA in order for the results to be posted to the dog’s file on OFA. Information about uploading results to OFA can be found on OFA.org. Owners will need to create a log in and pay appropriate fees online. More information about eye diseases and testing can be found at https://ofa.org/diseases/eye-disease/
DNA Testing: Most breeds will have DNA tests that are either recommended or required. As research advances, more and more genetic markers are being discovered and more diseases can be identified by genetic testing. There are many companies that offer genetic testing through salivary sampling. Owners can order collection kits on their own, collect samples on their own, and mail the kits back to the lab. OFA offers genetic testing through The University of Missouri and their fee includes the registration of results with OFA. AKC now offer DNA + Health that affordably screens for breed-specific diseases as well as all other available DNA tests including a color panel and several phenotypic traits. There are a large variety of other labs that offer genetic tests. For more information on genetic tests recommended for your breed, visit your breed’s parent club website or search by breed at one of the following labs: https://ofa.org/laboratories/. Results must be submitted to OFA using the DNA Genetic Disease application and pay the appropriate fees.
Thyroid: any breed can develop hypothyroidism, however, some breeds are more predisposed and there may be a heritable cause. Thyroid testing is done by serum sampling. The dog must be examined by a veterinarian and the appropriate samples and OFA submission form sent to one of the approved labs listed here: https://ofa.org/diseases/thyroid/thyroid-labs/. The lab will then submit results to OFA and OFA will charge the appropriate recording fees to the owner. For more information about OFA thyroid testing visit https://ofa.org/diseases/thyroid/
BOAS/Brachycephalic breeds: OFA now offers grading and recording of respiratory function. The Royal Kennel Club and the University of Cambridge have devised the Respiratory Function Grading Scheme (RFGS) designed to advise owners if their dog is affected by BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome) and give guidance to breeders on how to lower the risk of producing affected puppies. The program has been licensed by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, and RFGS screening is now available in North America using a grading scale of 0-3. This is a growing program and access to trained and approved veterinarians is limited at this time. For more information on this screening, visit https://ofa.org/diseases/rfgs/
Patellas/Patellar Luxation: Breeds predisposed to patellar luxation should have their stifles or knees examined by a qualified veterinarian and their patellas graded on a scale of 0-4. Applications should be submitted with appropriate fees to OFA. More information on patellar luxation can be found at https://ofa.org/diseases/patellar-luxation/
Other phenotypic evaluations: OFA is starting to offer other phenotypic evaluations such as OCD evaluation of the shoulder, Legg-Calve Perthes, tracheal hypoplasia, congenital deafness, sebaceous adenitis, serum bile acid disease, spine database for breeds prone to vertebral abnormalities like French Bulldogs, Bulldogs and Boston Terriers, kidney disease, and a dental database. More information about these additional tests can be found at https://ofa.org/diseases/other-phenotypic-evaluations/
Brucellosis: In addition to these health clearances done on breeding animal prior to breeding, every breeding animal should be screened for brucellosis within 6 months of breeding. Brucellosis is a contagious bacterial disease that can lead to infertility, abortions, and can spread to other areas of the body. This is a blood sample that is drawn by your veterinarian and typically sent off to a laboratory for testing. This test is not recorded with OFA.
Laboratory testing: for all breeding animals, it is a good idea to consider annual routine blood panels, such as a CBC, chemistry, 4Dx test, urinalysis, and fecal egg count. This will help screen of underlying illness that should be addressed prior to breeding, such as anemia, infection, organ issues, tick borne disease, heart worm, UTI’s, GI parasites etc. In females expected to need a c-section, screening organs just prior to breeding also ensures that the organs are healthy enough to undergo anesthesia at time of whelping. These tests can all be done routinely at your veterinary clinic.
Preventative care: it is good practice to have all breeding dogs as well as dogs in the home and kennel kept up to date on routine vaccinations and preventative products for internal and external parasites. Bitches should not be vaccinated once they have been bred. This could cause abortion. Some breeders prefer to draw titers on brood bitches to help them determine how often to vaccinate the dam as well as when to begin vaccinating the puppies. Most dewormers for internal parasites are considered safe while pregnant, however you should consult with your veterinarian prior to giving these products while pregnant. It is generally not advised to give flea and tick preventatives to a pregnant bitch as there are limited safety studies and birth defects have been reported in the few studies done.
Supplementation: just as a human would be advised to take pre-natal vitamins prior and during pregnancy, it is advised to supplement brood bitches with Folic acid to help prevent midline defects in puppies. There are several canine reproductive products that contain folic acid as well as a variety of other vitamins and minerals to support a healthy pregnancy. Human folic acid tablets may also be safely given to dogs on a daily basis during pregnancy.
Nutrition: Brood bitches should be kept in a fit healthy weight appropriate for the breed. Obesity can lead to infertility or pose a higher risk for dystocia (difficulty birthing). Generally a pregnant bitch can be maintained on her normal adult maintenance diet, all life stage diet, or diet formulated for pregnancy throughout pregnancy and should not need to transition to a puppy food that is higher in calcium until she is within a week or two of whelping. Diet changes should be made gradually so as not to upset the dams digestive system. Calcium may be supplemented during and shortly after whelping through special paste or tablet supplement, or through nutrition like cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. Once the dam has regained her appetite after whelping, she may be fed a puppy food at an appropriate rate for her own maintenance plus lactation.
For further questions about pre-breeding health screening, contact your local or reproductive specialist veterinarian.
