How Do I Choose My Next Duck Hunting Dog? Part 3 “Certificate of Health”

Posted on April 22, 2016, 12:36 am
6 mins

Pharmaceutical Drug commercials are on every channel you watch now. Some of these commercials are great. I love hearing all the side effects of some of these great miracle drugs. Some drug’s side effects sound worse than the illness they are supposed to be helping.  What is the one line they always end with on every drug commercial? Tell your doctor if you or your family has a history of _______, _________, or ________. This should be the command given to all dog breeders. “Tell your puppy buyer if the puppy he is purchasing has a history of _____, _____, or _____!” It isn’t though. So today, I am going tell you a few things to ask the breeder when purchasing a puppy.

Have The Parent’s Hips Been OFA Certified?

  • Have the parent’s been checked for Hip Dysplasia? Hip Dysplasia is an abnormal formation of the hip socket that, in its more severe form, can eventually cause crippling lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. The next dog you purchase, make sure his parent’s hips have been checked for Hip Dysplasia. Don’t make the mistake of of buying a dog with bad hips.
  • Have their hips been graded? Hips are given grades when they are certified by veterinarians. They are given the grade of excellent (A-1), good (A-2), fair (B-1), Borderline (B-2), Mild (C), Moderate (D), and Severe (E).
  • What was the grade if they were?  For a dog that will be worked a lot, I wouldn’t purchase a pup below a B-1 or fair grade.

Have The Parent’s or The Puppy Been Checked For CNM?

  • Has a veterinarian performed a Centronuclear Myopathy genetic test? You don’t want to purchase a puppy that is CNM positive.
  • What is it? It is an autosomal recessive mutation that causes insufficient muscle function in the Labrador Retriever breed. This is due to the centralization of the nuclei in muscle fibers, caused by a missense insertion in the PTPLA gene. There is no cure for it.
  • If your breeder does have the results of a CNM test for your new pup it will look like:
    CNM/CNM Affected The dog carries two copies of the mutant gene and is homozygous for Centronuclear Myopathy. The dog is affected by Labrador Centronuclear Myopathy and will always pass a copy of the mutated gene to its offspring.
    CNM/n Carrier Both the normal and mutant copies of the gene detected. Dog is a carrier for Centronuclear Myopathy and can pass on a copy of the defective gene to its offspring.
    n/n Clear Dog tested negative for the Centronuclear Myopathy gene mutation and will not pass on the defective gene to its offspring.

     

 

Has The Puppy or The Parents Been Tested for EIC

  • What is EIC (Exercised Induced Collapse)- It is a mutation in the genetics of a dog that e severely affects working dogs.
  • What is it? Affected dogs show signs of muscle weakness, loss of coordination, severe marked increase in body temperature and life-threatening collapse when participating in strenuous exercise or activity. Affected dogs can tolerate mild to moderate exercise, but just 5 to 20 minutes of strenuous activity, or even extreme excitement such as that seen in field trials or hunt test, can induce weakness or collapse.
  • Should I buy a puppy with EIC- No, find another litter.

How are the Parents Elbows?

  • Have the parent’s elbows been certified?- The least certified part of a lab’s body by breeders, but could be the most important are the elbows. I have seen dogs with bad elbows. It is painful to watch.  Bad elbows really affect working dogs.
  • If they haven’t been certified- When meeting the puppy’s parents, observe the how they walk in the elbows. Is there any hitch in the giddy up? Ask about it? Ask have they had it checked out?

Have The Parent’s or The Puppy’s Eyes Been Tested?

  • Labradors are susceptible to a serious eye disease that causes blindness,  sometimes at a young age.
  • You should check that both parents have a ‘clear’ eye certificate, and that the eye examination took place within the last twelve months.
  • A ‘clear’ BVA eye test certificate means that the dog has been examined by a vet specializing in this field, and pronounced free from disease at the time of the examination.

Bottom Line: Do you want to spend hundreds of hours in the field only to find out your pup can’t go any more because of a inherited condition? Check all these things out before purchasing next puppy for your’s and your puppy’s sake. Health certifications are very important in picking your next puppy, they not only ensure your happiness with your next pup, but also ensure your pup lives a happy and healthy life!

5 Responses to: How Do I Choose My Next Duck Hunting Dog? Part 3 “Certificate of Health”