Before You Breed Your Dog - Checking for Common Health Defects
08/29/2006
If you are interested in breeding your dog, don’t forget to consider hereditary health defects. Even if your dog looks healthy, he or she could be carrying genes that could be passed on to the puppies. You should begin by asking your vet to test your dog for common problems in that breed. For example, German Shepherds should be checked for hip dysplasia. Once your dog passes the tests, check to see if his or her ancesters are clear of the disease. One great resource for researching genetic problems is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals database.
