Health
Checks:
All reputable breeders will carry out health checks
and adhere to the guidelines recommended by the Kennel Club Assured Breeders
Scheme (previously called the Kennel Club Accredited Breeders Scheme). Only dogs which have excellent temperaments,
good results and exemplary general health should be used for
breeding
However, as with any living animal, things can
still occasionally go wrong despite the parents having satisfactory health
checks.
With modern technology as it is we are now able to log into the Kennel Club Health Test Finder and by putting in the Kennel Club name for that dog see all the relevant Health Results attributable to that particular dog.
Canine Hip Dysplasia and Hip scoring
This complaint has a hereditary basis but the line of heredity is difficult to predict. Parents certified free of hip dysplasia can go on to produce some puppies with this condition so dogs with this condition should never be bred from. Diagnosis can only be made by X-ray examination and the resulting plates being sent off by your vet to the British Veterinary Association to be scored. Environmental factors such as nutrition and rearing of young puppies can also influence or increase the severity of the condition.
In normal hip joints the femur (thigh bone) sits solidly in the acetabulum (cup of the pelvic bone) but in hip dysplasia the head of the femur is misshapen and loose ligaments allow the head of the femus to work free as the puppy grows resulting in abnormal wear and tear on the boney surfaces that touch causing varying degrees of pain and restricted movement plus the development of arthritis.
The hips are scored individually right and left and then added together to give a total. The best score is 0:0 = 0 and the worst score being 53:53 a total of 106. The lower the score the less the degree of hip dysplasia present. The current breed average is around a total of 14 which is taken from a total of all the labradors that have been scored to date.
Although hip dysplasia is hereditary - the environment also plays a big part. Nutrition and overweight puppies, injury at a young age, over exercise of young joints, ligament tear can all contribute. Exercise which encourages the muscles to strengthen such as free running and controlled swimming is probably a good idea however exercise that puts the joints under stress are to be avoided at all cost - these include any climbing e.g. stairs or jumping e.g. agility or frisbee games.
Guidelines:
Do not allow your puppy to become fat.
No stair climbing, jumping in and out of car, jumping onto furniture, jumping or agility until over one year of age.
No slippery floors e.g. laminate or varnished wood. A major cause of ligament/joint injury - no playing or running on such floors.
No long walks until at least one year of age. Several short walks of 10 minutes are better than one long walk of 1 hour. Free running will build up muscles and free running in the garden is fine as the puppy will only do as much exercise as he is able to do and wants to do.
Try not to play stop and start games which put pressure on the joints such as ball and frisbee games until over the age of 1 year.
No rough playing which could cause injury. Children should be supervised when playing with the puppy so they do not fall on the puppy and injure it.
Ask to see the BVA Hip Score Certificates of both parents before purchasing a puppy.
Elbow Displasia
ED is similar to HD in that it is an abnormal development of the elbow - which includes a number of specific abnormalities that affect different sites with in the joint. These cause problems by affecting the growth of the cartilage which forms the surface of the joint or the structures around it. These abnormalities are primary lesions, which then induce a secondary osteoarthritic process.
Again it is a multifactorial disease, which means a number of factors can influence the occurence of the condition. the most important factor however is the genetic make up of the dog. Other factors such as growth rate, diet and level of exercise may influence the severity of the disease in an individual dog but the cannot prevent the disease or reduce the potential of the dog to pass on the disease to it's offspring.
The scores range from 0-3 for each hip individually and then added together for a total. The best score being 0:0 = 0 and the worst score 3:3 = 6
0 = Normal
1 = Mild ED
2 = Moderate ED
3 = Severe ED
It is not advisable to breed from dogs with a score of more than 1 in total.
Therefore it is essential to ask to see the BVA Elbow Score Certificates of both parents before purchasing a puppy.
Diseases common in Labradors
Retinal Diseases
The retina is a membrane which lines the back of the eye and contains the light receptors needed for vision. Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) and Central Progressive Atrophy (CPRA) are diseases which can progressively destroy these light receptors which will result in gradual loss of vision and blindness. Both PRA and CPRA are inherited conditions which can not be DNA tested for in labradors.
Retinal dysplasia is abnormal development of several structures of the eye. Dogs can be mildly affected and have folds in the retina. these are the areas where extra retina develops and in stead of forming a thin membrane over the eye the extra retina develops into folds which creates a blind spot. Retinal degeneration can also occur. Dogs with a more severe form of retinal dysplasia may also result in blindness.
A reputable breeder will have the dog eye tested yearly by a qualified optical veterinarian. Ask to see the eye certificate of both parents before purchasing a puppy and make sure that it is dated within a year of the date of birth of the puppy.
Common Diseases
ANAL FURUNCULOSIS
PANCREATIC INSUFFICIENCY
CDRM
BLOAT
PANOSTEITIS
EPILEPSY
HAEMANGIOSARCOMA
Hereditary and congenital Diseases or injuries in Labradors and GSDs:
BILATERAL CATARACT
RETINAL DYSPLASIA
PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATTROPHY
TORN CRUCIATE LIGAMENTS
HEAMOPHILIA a, FACTOR viii, or AHF DEFICIENCY
BLOAT
CYSTINURIA
CARPAL SUBLUXATION
CRANIOMANDIBULAR OSTEOPATHY
DWARFISM
DEFICIENCY OF TYPE II MUSCLE FIBERS
ENTROPION
EPILEPSY
EXERCISE INDUCED COLLAPSE
HIP DYSPLASIA
ELBOW DYSPASIA
HYPOGLYCEMIA
HYPOTHYROIDISM
HYPERTROPHIC OSTEODYSTROPHY
DIABETES
LYMPHEDEMA
MISSING TEETH
PROLAPSED RECTUM
MELONOMA
PROLAPSED UTERUS
CONGENITAL PHIMOSIS AND CUTANEOUS MAST CELL TUMORS
COLOBOMA
DISTICHIASIS
CONGENITAL HYPOTRICHOSIS
MEGAESOPHASUS
FOOD ALLERGY
LEUKOTRICHIA
VITAMIN RESPONSIVE DERMATITIS
DACROCYSTITIS
PERSISTANT HYLOID ARTERY
PERSISTANT PUPILLARY MEMBRANE
COPPER TOXICOSIS
FACTOR IX DEFICIENCY
ELBOW OSTEOCHONDROSIS
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY
RECEPTOR DYSTROPHY
UNUNITED ANCONEAL PROCESS EPILEPSY
HEREDITARY MYOPATHY
ARTHEROSCEROSIS
DERMATITIS
OSTEOCHODRITIS DISSECANS (OCD)
OSTEOARTHRITIS
CANCER
to name but a few!! Look up diseases in labrador retrievers and GSDs on the internet for more detailed information and make sure that you buy from a reputable breeder.