So how do I know my puppy will be healthy?

When a breeder says puppies have been “health tested” make sure to get a list of what tests are covered; It should mean more than the puppy has been examined by a veterinarian and has its shots and has been wormed, they should also be tested for breed-specific problems.

DNA tests, blood tests, eye examinations, or x-rays are some of the tests that are to be expected to be completed by conscientious breeders before even mating two dogs. Before buying a puppy talk to your veterinarian, members of the parent breed club and other breeders and make sure you understand the health testing the puppy and it’s parents have had and what the results mean.

You will also hear breeders talk about ‘Clear By Parentage’, in Staffordshire Bull Terriers this is applicable to L-2-HGA and Hereditary Cataracts only. In Miniature Bull Terriers this is applicable to PLL. These tests, when performed on the puppies parents who test ‘Clear’, means that the parents cannot genetically pass either disease onto their puppies.

Tests can be traced through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) if the breeder elected to do so when the test was performed. If they elected not to register the results, make sure that the breeder provides proof that the test was completed and what the result was.

Here is an example of the paper proof of results submitted to OFA that a breeder might provide to prove the testing was done on a specific dog: