WHAT IS HEALTH TESTING AND IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VET CHECKED AND HEALTH TESTED?
Vet checked simply means, checked by a vet. This usually happens at the time of microchipping and vaccination of puppies. The vet will listen to heart and check the overall wellbeing of the puppy. HEALTH TESTED means the dogs have undergone a series of agreed upon tests to help identify their suitability for breeding. This is with the aim of promoting and producing healthier puppies.
What are the Health Tests recommended by the French Bulldog Club?
Spine and Hip xrays for adults prior to breeding as per the French Bulldog Club of NSW Health Scheme.
DNA testing for adults and puppies if required – if both parents are clear of a hereditary genetic disease, their puppies will automatically be cleared by parentage, hence, no need to test.
Preliminary Spine X rays of puppies. This is usually performed at around 8 to 9 weeks of age. This is possibly one of the most crucial tests we can do on our puppies because any major spinal defects or abnormalities WILL show up on the x rays.
*****IMPORTANT NOTE: THE XRAY SCREENING OF ADULTS CAN ONLY BE CERTIFIED BY A QUALIFIED RADIOGRAPHER. A GENERAL PRACTITIONER IS NOT QUALIFIED TO READ OR SCORE THE XRAYS UNDER THE FRENCH BULLDOG HEALTH SCHEME. PUPPIES CANNOT BE SCORED, ONLY ADULTS AFTER TWELVE MONTHS OF AGE. THIS SCHEME WAS DEVELOPED IN CONJUNCTION WITH DR MARIANO MAKARA WHO IS THE OFFICIAL RADIOGRAPHER WHO READS AND SCORES THE FRENCH BULLDOG SPINES AND HIPS. PLEASE BEWARE OF THOSE CLAIMING TO HAVE SCORED THE SPINES OF THEIR BREEDING STOCK OR PUPPIES – ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE A CERTIFICATION FROM DR MAKARA AND YOU SIGHT IT.
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French Bulldog Club of NSW, Frequently Asked Questions (Online) <https://www.frenchbulldogclubnsw.asn.au/FAQs.php>