Hi, I am in the middle of researching/refreshing my knowledge of the important health requirements to look for when searching for a new puppy. It has been 5 years since we last contacted breeders and I know to look for certifications on hips, elbows, and eyes. But I have a couple of questions on the eyes, heart and thyroid tests.
1) If eyes have been deemed "clear", what does this mean....clear for what? Does the test have to be performed yearly to be valid? I'm sorry if this is a naive question....I remember there was a disease involving the eyelids (is this PRA?), but I don't understand what the test checks for and how often it should be repeated. 2) Why are the heart and thyroid tested? I noticed that the Breeder Checklist I pulled off one website suggests testing the dam. Why not test both the sire and dam? What abnormalities is the test looking for? In this day and age, if the hips tested "good " and the elbows test "normal", is this pretty good? I guess "excellent" would be better, but how rigid should one be for a pet quality puppy? My family is looking for a nice pet, with the best chance for a longer, healthy life. I know this breed has health "issues"....that doesn't scare us. But we are not looking to breed, and I was thinking maybe "good" hips and elbows are "good enough" for us. Do you agree? Thank you for your comments and advice. I can be emailed at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kim Touzeau [EMAIL PROTECTED]
