Purebred or AKC Registered do not automatically equal health or quality.
If you're looking to add a purebred puppy to your family, be sure that at least the sire (dad) and dam (mom) both have clearances in the OFA database. The pedigree of a puppy should have OFA clearances for many generations back in their pedigree. This is a measure responsible breeders will take to ensure health and quality.
"Vet checked/approved" does not replace hereditary health screenings.
"Vet checked/approved" does not replace hereditary health screenings.
The OFA is best known for their elbow and hip evaluations. These are done to detect dysplasia. An x-ray is taken by a skilled veterinarian and submitted to the OFA. The same picture is sent to 3 of the 24 board certified veterinary radiologists. This is done randomly and anonymously. The three separate professional opinions are taken and averaged to reach the final score. The score options are: excellent, good, fair, borderline, mild, moderate, and severe. Click here for a description of each.
To read about the impact genetic selection makes in breeding, check out this research article by PLOS: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0172918
The overall purpose of health clearances is to weed out genetic diseases through responsible breeding. Only dogs with passing tests should be bred. While nothing is a guarantee in life, purchasing a puppy with generations of proven good health is one of the best ways to be sure your new pet will be with you for as long as possible.
This is one of the reasons a well bred animal can be pricey. These tests are expensive and add up.
Think of it this way: Would you rather purchase a dog for a low cost and end up spending thousands on preventable health issues down the road, or purchase a more expensive animal to significantly lessen the chance of expensive vet bills and heartbreak?
Top winning dogs in performance, field, and conformation have passing scores from the OFA.
Some examples are:
"Rumor", German Shepard Dog- Best in Show Westminster 2017
"CJ", German Shorthaired Pointer - Best in Show Wesminster 2016
Animals that have test results in the OFA database will be traceable on the website. Be sure to look up the results yourself when researching a pedigree.
This is one of the reasons a well bred animal can be pricey. These tests are expensive and add up.
Think of it this way: Would you rather purchase a dog for a low cost and end up spending thousands on preventable health issues down the road, or purchase a more expensive animal to significantly lessen the chance of expensive vet bills and heartbreak?
Top winning dogs in performance, field, and conformation have passing scores from the OFA.
Some examples are:
"Rumor", German Shepard Dog- Best in Show Westminster 2017
"CJ", German Shorthaired Pointer - Best in Show Wesminster 2016
Animals that have test results in the OFA database will be traceable on the website. Be sure to look up the results yourself when researching a pedigree.
Each breed has their own list of recommended genetic health screenings. To find out what tests your breed of choice should have, take a look at this page from the OFA website.
https://www.ofa.org/breedtests.html?btnSearch=Tests+by+Breed
Follow the OFA's Facebook page for updates on your social media.
It is true that a dog's breed can make them more susceptible to certain health issues. It is also true that purebred dogs with generations of health clearances behind them will be significantly less likely to have these problems. Learn more about CLEAR BY PARENTAGE.
Follow the OFA's Facebook page for updates on your social media.
It is true that a dog's breed can make them more susceptible to certain health issues. It is also true that purebred dogs with generations of health clearances behind them will be significantly less likely to have these problems. Learn more about CLEAR BY PARENTAGE.
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