Health

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Health & Information for Puppy Buyers

If you are buying a Labrador Puppy from ANYONE make sure you go to a reputable breeder. Make sure you see the puppies with their mother and be aware of what Health Tests the Sire and Dam of your puppy should have had. Don't compromise and dont be fooled!

The Kennel Club have an on-line Puppy Register click here to view. (Details Breeders in UK with litters for sale)

Dogslife…..the exciting new research looking at the health of Labrador Retriever puppies across the UK.

DOGSLIFE RESEARCH PROJECT

Orthopaedic

Clinical Eye tests

DNA

Inherited disease tests for the Labrador Retriever Key

Disease	Type of test	The disease	How to test	When to test	Recommendations
Hip Dysplasia (HD)	X-ray	HD is an abnormal development of the hip joint. Osteoarthritis then develops which can be painful and disabling for the dog. Inheritance is influenced by a number of genes	X-ray by your own vet, or a vet experienced in taking x-rays for the BVA hip scheme (see bottom of page).	X-rays can be submitted to the BVA at 12 months or older.	All breeding animals should be x-rayed and scored. Breed average score currently circa. 15. Scores range from 0-53 for each hip. The lower the score the better. Not uncommon.
Elbow Dysplasia (ED)	X-ray	ED is an abnormal development of the elbow joint. Osteoarthritis then develops which can be painful and disabling for the dog. Inheritance is influenced by a number of genes	X-ray by your own vet, or a vet experienced in taking x-rays for the BVA hip scheme (see bottom of page).	X-rays can be submitted to the BVA at 12 months or older.	All breeding animals should be x-rayed and scored. Scores range 0-3 for each elbow. The lower the score the better. 0 and 1 are the recommended scores for breeding animals. If higher scores are used the mate should score 0. Not uncommon.
Disease	Type of test	The disease	How to test	When to test	Recommendations
Hereditary Cataract (HC)	Clinical eye test	Can cause problems with vision but is less likely to cause total blindness than other eye diseases. Not all cataracts are HC. Inheritance unknown.	Examination by a BVA Eye Panel vet. (http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/EP_List_Jan_2010-3.pdf)	Annual Clinical eye test normally carried out at 12 months or older.	Any Labrador who is to be bred from should be eye tested annually. Not uncommon.
Multifocal Retinal Dysplasia (MRD)	Clinical eye test	There is defective retinal development eg. rosettes, ridges, folds, geographic abnormalities and localised detachments that may affect the dogs sight. A simple autosomal recessive gene is possibly responsible for MRD.	Examination must by a BVA Eye Panel vet. (http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/EP_List_Jan_2010-3.pdf)	Annual Clinical eye test normally carried out at 12 months or older. Puppies in the litter can be examined at 7 weeks as the condition can disappear at an older age and reappear later.	Any Labrador who is to be bred from should be eye tested annually. Not uncommon.
Total Retinal Dysplasia (TRD)	Clinical eye test	This is most commonly associated with non-attachment or complete detachment of the retina and affects the dogs sight. A simple autosomal recessive gene is possibly responsible for MRD.	Examination by a BVA Eye Panel vet. (http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/EP_List_Jan_2010-3.pdf)	Annual Clinical eye test normally carried out at 12 months or older. .	Any Labrador who is to be bred from should be eye tested annually. Very Rare. Due to the effect on the animal testing essential.
Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy (CPRA)	Clinical eye test	CPRA can cause total loss of vision does but not always as some peripheral vision may be maintained. The inheritance of the disease appears complex, and environmental factors (eg. a poor quality diet) and levels of vitamin E may influence how this problem is expressed in the individual.	Examination by a BVA Eye Panel vet. (http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/EP_List_Jan_2010-3.pdf)	Annual Clinical eye test normally carried out at 12 months or older. Eye tests should be carried out annually.	Any Labrador who is to be bred from should be eye tested annually. Rare. Due to the effect on the animal testing essential.
General Progressive Retinal Atrophy (GPRA)	Clinical eye test	prcd/GPRA is an inherited disease with a recessive mode of inheritance (both parents have to have the faulty gene for the progeny to be affected by the disease). The disease causes blindness in Labradors. Generally it is first seen in middle age but it can develop at various ages.	Examination must be done by a BVA Eye Panel vet (http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/EP_List_Jan_2010-3.pdf)	Annual Clinical eye test normally carried out at 12 months or older. Eye tests should be carried out annually.	Any Labrador who is to be bred from should be eye tested annually. Fairly uncommon. Due to the effect on the animal testing essential. (Also see below)
Disease	Type of test	The disease	How to test	When to test	Recommendations
General Progressive Retinal Atrophy (GPRA)	DNA test	prcd/GPRA is an inherited disease with a recessive mode of inheritance (both parents have to have the faulty gene for the progeny to be affected by the disease). The disease causes blindness in Labradors. Generally it is first seen in middle age but it can develop at various ages.	A DNA test can be taken by either blood or mouth swab, usually by your vet. http://www.optigen.com	Test can be done at any age.	If one parent is genetically clear no affected progeny will be produced. Fairly uncommon. Due to the effect on the animal testing strongly encouraged to keep levels of carriers and affecteds to a minimum.
Centronuclear Myopathy (CNM)	DNA test	By a few months old the dog suffers generalised muscle weakness and becomes increasingly disabled. The dog may also suffer from megaoesophagus which causes difficulty with swallowing. CNM is an inherited recessive mode of inheritance (both parents have to have the faulty gene for the progeny to be affected by the disease).	A DNA test can be taken by either blood or mouth swab, usually by your vet. The sample is then sent to either http://www.aht.org.uk/genetics_tests.html or http://www.labradorcnm.com/	Test can be done at any age.	If one parent is genetically clear no affected progeny will be produced. Fairly uncommon. Due to the effect on the animal testing strongly encouraged to keep levels of carriers and affecteds to a minimum. THOUGHT TO BE MORE COMMON IN WORKING LINES AT PRESENT IN THE UK
Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC)	DNA test	At the moment it is thought to have an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance, though this is unproven as yet. This disease causes exercise intolerance and collapse. Whilst not life threatening in most dogs it can prove to be fatal in some individuals. It can show itself at any age.	A DNA test can be taken by either blood or mouth swab, usually by your vet. The sample is then sent to either http://www.vdl.umn.edu/ourservices/canineneuromuscular/taylor2008/home.html or http://www.laboklin.co.uk/laboklin/index.jsp	Test can be done at any age.	If one parent is genetically clear no affected progeny will be produced. Fairly uncommon. Due to the effect on the animal testing strongly encouraged to keep levels of carriers and affecteds to a minimum. THOUGHT TO BE MORE COMMON IN SHOW LINES AT PRESENT IN THE UK