So confused about what is important! Help!

[PuppyHopeful]

I am currently looking for a puppy and I am reading so much conflicting information about what a breeder should be providing in terms of health information about parents and the puppy. Are there any tests that if a breeder did not do or have results for should be a warning sign?

 

[Jan]

The health testing that a breeder should do are listed here:
Boxer health testing

If the breeder doesn't do them, you have to wonder if they really care about the puppies that they are producing. Doing the required health testing is not cheap. Breeding is not really a money making exercise. Good breeders breed to better the breed. They should show in conformation to prove that their dogs meet the standards for the breed.

Good luck!

 

[PuppyHopeful]

Thank you Jan!

So would you say that if a breeder said that their puppies are not heart tested because this only verifies that they do not have a heart murmur present and didn't really respond when asked about the parents health tests that this would be something to be concerned about?
Thanks again.

 

[Jan]

Puppies don't usually have their heart tested. It is the parents that need to have the testing done. You don't want them passing their heart problems along the their offspring.

If the breeder won't provide you with information about the health testing, it probably wasn't done. It would definitely be an issue. I would walk away and keep looking for puppy elsewhere.

 

[Bathel]

So would you say that if a breeder said that their puppies are not heart tested because this only verifies that they do not have a heart murmur present and didn't really respond when asked about the parents health tests that this would be something to be concerned about?
Thanks again.

As an example... here are the test results we got from our breeder when we asked for them.

Parent 1 (name withheld in accordance with board rules)

ARVC: Positive Heterozygous
SAS: Clear
Echo Doppler: 1.6 flow rate.
OFA #: BX-CA1879/16M/C-VPI-ECHO.
Holter : 3/12/11 0 VPC's
Clear of CHD: PennHip .48 DI, no cavitation or degenerative joint disease either hip.
DM: At Risk

Parent 2 (name with held in accordance to board rules)

ARVC: Positive Heterozygous
SAS: Clear
Echo Doppler: 1.85 flow rate
OFA #: BX-CA2217/49F/C-NOPI-ECHO.
Holter: 2/24/12 2 VPC's
Thyroid: Normal
DM: Carrier


Now, looking at ours, the Positive heterozygous in both parents meant that the pups would have a 25% chance of being positive homozygous for boxer cardio myopathy, which by the way our pup has but we know that going into the purchase.

To help you out... the ARVC is testing genetic markers to see the risk of passing on the predisposing for boxer cardio myopathy.

SAS is testing for Stenosis, which is another common heart issue in boxers

Echo Doppler is another heart test that shows the beat and blood flow of the heart.

The OFA# I think is testing for hip/elbow dysplasia... maybe someone with more knowledge could expand on that.

Holter is a 24 hr EKG to test the heart for irregular heart beats that could show boxer cardiomyopathy

The Thyroid test is obviously testing the thyroid

The DM screening is a genetic test looking at the markers for Degenerative Myelopathy. There are very few boxers that have a test result of clear DM, so an at risk with carrier is considered ok for breeding.

What we looked for in a breeder when we purchased our little girl:

1. Actively showed dogs. IE, they were breeding to get their next champion, not to make $$$$ as a business.

2. Goes along with #1, How often did they have litters? IE, if they were just churning out litter after litter that could be a warning of not taking all the steps needed to product responsible.

3. Did NOT own both the breeding parents. IE, they were looking for the best match for the litter and not just what they had on hand.

4. Did health testing on both parents and offered those results to us prior to purchase.

5. Offered a health warranty

6. The last and final consideration was cost...


Hope this helps.