Health Testing Crash Course
Health testing can be very confusing for those who are not seasoned breeders. Everyone tells you to make sure your puppy is health tested... but for what? I have found that many people who are communicating with a breeder are nervous to ask health testing questions out of fear that the breeder will feel they are unprepared. Here a Marigold Mini Doodles we do NOT expect you to be health testing experts, and we welcome any questions about the health and well-being of your puppy. Please ask us any questions you may have!
To help potential doodle owners further understand health testing, we created this guide. Please keep in mind that the following is what we at Marigold Mini Doodles believe Miniature Goldendoodles need to be tested for, every breeder will give you a slightly different answer. Thankfully, the majority of reputable Goldendoodle breeders will agree that certain tests are a necessity, and this is why many of our recommended tests are also a requirement for all Goldendoodle Association of North America (GANA) breeders.
Whether you are getting a Marigold Mini Doodle Pup or considering a doodle pup from other breeders, PLEASE keep the importance of health testing in mind. At the same time, remember that there are other considerations that need to be made when choosing a breeder. Does the breeder actually back up their health testing by offering a health guarantee on the puppy? What is the temperament of the parent dogs? Does the breeder kennel their dogs, or are they kept as family pets or in guardian homes? If allergies and shedding is a factor, remember that certain generations, such as F1B or multigens, are much better for this. First generation goldendoodles often shed!
*Please keep in mind that we breed Miniature and Mid-sized Goldendoodles, which are a cross between Moyen or Miniature Poodles and Golden Retrievers. Standard Goldendoodles require slightly different health testing because of the standard poodle genetics.
To help potential doodle owners further understand health testing, we created this guide. Please keep in mind that the following is what we at Marigold Mini Doodles believe Miniature Goldendoodles need to be tested for, every breeder will give you a slightly different answer. Thankfully, the majority of reputable Goldendoodle breeders will agree that certain tests are a necessity, and this is why many of our recommended tests are also a requirement for all Goldendoodle Association of North America (GANA) breeders.
Whether you are getting a Marigold Mini Doodle Pup or considering a doodle pup from other breeders, PLEASE keep the importance of health testing in mind. At the same time, remember that there are other considerations that need to be made when choosing a breeder. Does the breeder actually back up their health testing by offering a health guarantee on the puppy? What is the temperament of the parent dogs? Does the breeder kennel their dogs, or are they kept as family pets or in guardian homes? If allergies and shedding is a factor, remember that certain generations, such as F1B or multigens, are much better for this. First generation goldendoodles often shed!
*Please keep in mind that we breed Miniature and Mid-sized Goldendoodles, which are a cross between Moyen or Miniature Poodles and Golden Retrievers. Standard Goldendoodles require slightly different health testing because of the standard poodle genetics.
There are two types of health tests. Genetic and Physical. I will break these down individually.
Genetic:
The genetic tests are very reliable and can be taken at any age. Genetic diseases are much simpler to diagnose and predict than physical disease (such as hip dysplasia. For each of the genetic tests that we perform, their are 3 possibly outcomes. The dog could be CLEAR of the disease, where both alleles are normal (N/N), AFFECTED by the disease, where both alleles are affected (A/A), or a CARRIER of the disease, where one allele is normal and the other is affected (N/A). Carriers are healthy and make excellent pets. Carriers can be used effectively in a breeding program as long as they are paired with a CLEAR mate (so no affected offspring are produced). Affected dogs should never be used or produced in a breeding program.
What genetic diseases should Miniature Goldendoodles be tested for?
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1) prcd-PRA: (Full Name: Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy). prcd-PRA is one of three types of Progressive Retinal Atrophy... a disease that causes the retina of the eye to slowly degenerate. Dogs that are AFFECTED with prcd-PRA will slowly lose their eyesight. This disease is found in Golden Retrievers and all sizes of Poodle. -GANA requires at least one parent per GANA registered goldendoodle to be CLEAR of this disease.
2) GR_PRA1: (Full Name: Golden Retriever Progressive Retinal Atrophy 1) GR_PRA1 is one of three types of Progressive Retinal Atrophy... a disease that causes the retina of the eye to slowly degenerate. Dogs that are AFFECTED with PRA1 will slowly lose their eyesight. This disease is found in Golden Retrievers. -GANA requires at least one parent to be tested CLEAR of this disease (since this only affects Golden Retrievers, a purebred poodle of any size counts as a clear parent). 3) GR_PRA2: (Full Name: Golden Retriever Progressive Retinal Atrophy 2) GR_PRA2 is one of three types of Progressive Retinal Atrophy... a disease that causes the retina of the eye to slowly degenerate. Dogs that are AFFECTED with PRA1 will slowly lose their eyesight. This disease is found in Golden Retrievers yet is significantly rarer than GR_PRA1. Therefore, it is not a requirement for GANA breeders. At Marigold Mini Doodles, we test for it anyway. 4) Vwd I: (Full Name von Willebrand Disease) Vwd is blood clotting disorder similar to hemophilia in people. AFFECTED dogs can bleed profusely from small wounds, causing life threatening blood loss. This disease is found in poodles. -GANA requires at least one parent to be tested CLEAR of this disease (since this only affects Poodles, a purebred Golden Retriever counts as a clear parent). 5) DM: (Full Name: Degenerative Myelopathy) DM is the human equivalent of Lou Gehrig's Disease. It destroys part of the nerves in the spinal cord slowly resulting in paralysis and death. This disease is found in Golden Retrievers. It is not a requirement for GANA breeders. At Marigold Mini Doodles, we test for it anyway. 6) Ichthyosis: (Full Name: Ichthyosis, test is called ICT-A) Ichthyosis is a skin disorder that causes the skin to become scaly and flaky resulting in a coat full of dandruff. Owners with even mild allergies often have difficulties living with ichthyosis affected dogs, and dogs are prone to skin infections. Frequent baths are necessary to prevent build up of dandruff. Ichthyosis is a disease found in Golden Retrievers. It is far more common in English "Cream" Golden Retrievers than American Golden Retrievers, but both are potential carriers. Because ichthyosis is generally more of a cosmetic inconvenience, it is not a requirement for GANA breeders. At Marigold Mini Doodles, we test for it anyway. 7) IC: (Inconsistent Coat): Inconsistent coat is not a health condition but the coat gene that affects all Golden Retrievers causing short hair on their nose and face. It is a natural, healthy gene... but nobody wants a Goldendoodle with short hair on its face... we want that adorable teddy bear look! Because inconsistent coat is not a health condition, it is not a requirement for GANA breeders. At Marigold Mini Doodles, we test for it anyway so your doodle looks like a doodle! |
Physical:
Every single reputable dog breeder will use breed improvement programs such as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), University of Pennsylvania's Hip Improvement Program (PennHIP), and the Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) to evaluate their dogs' potential to succumb to these physical ailments. Please stay away from any breeder that does not test their breeding dogs for breed-specific structural abnormalities, as this puts your puppy at risk! Unfortunately, physical testing is still not as black and white as genetic testing for a variety of reasons. There is also more room for human error when viewing and taking x-rays, and detecting disease prior to it occurring has not been perfected. Strenuous activity can also cause a genetically normal dog to be affected by structural problems later in life. To prevent activity-induced health problems, please consult your veterinarian about appropriate activities for you and your pet.
-OFA Hips and/or PennHip: These are two of the most common tests that detect hip dysplasia. All breeding dogs should have had one of these tests performed because puppies out of parents with healthy hips are less likely to succumb to hip dysplasia. Unfortunately, hip dysplasia is not purely genetic (there are physical causes as well). Both OFA Hips and PennHip require x-rays. GANA also accepts BVA, or a Dr. Walden Report as acceptable hip tests.
-OFA Elbows and/or Pennhip: These are two of the most common tests that detect elbow dysplasia. All breeding dogs should have had one of these tests performed because puppies out of parents with healthy elbows are less likely to succumb to elbow dysplasia. Unfortunately, elbow dysplasia is not purely genetic (there are physical causes as well). Both OFA Elbows and PennHip require x-rays. GANA also accepts BVA, or a Dr. Walden Report as acceptable elbow tests. -CERF Eye Clearances must be performed every 6 months. Golden Retrievers are prone to eye problems, and regular eye exams performed on the parent dogs helps prevent the chance of genetic eye-related problems passing to offspring. -OFA Patella Permanent Clearance at 1 year of age. Miniature and Moyen Poodles can experience Patellar Luxation problems, where the hind knee moves out of place. This can result in pain for a severely affected dog. -OFA Cardiac Permanent Clearance at 1 year of age. Golden Retrievers are known to have Congenital Heart Defects, such as heart murmur. It is impossible to genetic test for these problems, so parent dogs must pass a cardiac exam. |
Congratulations on making it all the way through the crash course! Do you still have questions? We encourage you to ask them!
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