The Importance of Health Testing

 

This web page is dedicated to "Dom" - Clemwood Fiann Dom Perignon. If you have not
read this terrible story about Dom, then please take the time and read about him on our
"Boys Page".

 

This web page was created to help educate "Puppy Buyers", before they purchase an
Australian Shepherd from a Breeder, concerning the Hereditary Diseases and the
Importance of Health Testing.

 

This may also help Breeders, who do not do all the Health Testing (or none at all),
understand why it is so important to do the Health Testing before they breed. If "Puppy
Buyers" would stop purchasing puppies from Breeders who do NOT health test their
adult Aussies, then these Breeders would be forced to stop breeding OR to start Health
Testing their adult Aussies.

 

It appears that many Breeders just do not care. Some Breeders know that they are breeding
Aussies that are infected with Hereditary Diseases. These Breeders know this to be true,

because their Offspring have been Health Tested by other Breeders who purchased their

Aussie pups. But they Refuse to "come out of the closet" and disclose the TRUTH. So, they

just continue producing infected litters of Aussies.

 

If anyone has ever had to take a "newly purchased sick puppy" (or an older Aussie) to the
Veterinarian, then you will never forget the expense and the heartache. And in hindsight,
you probably learned that this sick infected Aussie came from a Breeder who never did
the first Health Test on the Sire and Dam.

 

Science has recently provided Breeders with the tools of DNA Health Testing to screen
for Hereditary Diseases before they breed. As a potential "Puppy Buyer", the worst thing
you can do, is "Price Shopping" for a puppy. These DNA Health Tests are expensive. A

lower priced pup has probably not had any health screening and this pup's parents have

probably not been appropriately Health Tested.

 

You should understand that when a Breeder spends this kind of money on all of the

Health Testing for all of their Aussies (especially the expensive DNA Hereditary Disease Tests)

and when a Breeder has published the Health Test Results with the Registered Names and the

Pedigrees of their Aussies on their website, then you have found a RESPONSIBLE BREEDER

who sincerely cares about the betterment of the Australian Shepherd Breed and who cares about

eliminating Hereditary Diseases and who cares about producing a sound and healthy litter of

Aussie puppies. These pups will be justifiably higher priced.

 

Pedigrees are very important. Breeders who do NOT have the Pedigrees on their website
may be trying to hide something such as a "known infected bloodline" OR they may also
be trying to hide their inbreeding practices which is known as "Wrights Coefficient Of
Inbreeding" .

 

As of now, we have three DNA Health Tests available for Hereditary Diseases in the
Australian Shepherd. These are: (1) HSF4 - Hereditary Cataract Mutation (2) PRA -
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (3) CEA / CH - Collie Eye Anomaly / Choroidal Hypoplasia.

 

1) HSF4 -Hereditary Cataract Mutation -a mutation which puts an infected Aussie at a
very high risk of developing cataracts and ending in total blindness. An infected Aussie

with this mutation can pass this Hereditary Disease on to its litter of pups.

Testing Company: The Animal Health Trust www.aht.org.uk Cost of Test : Approximately
$98.00 per Aussie

Testing Company: Animal Genetics www.animalgenetics.us Cost of Test : $45.00 per
Aussie

 

2) PRA - Progressive Retinal Atrophy - another blinding Hereditary Disease and genetic
disorder which causes the Retina to degenerate and die. PRA can be inherited by a litter
of puppies from an infected Sire and Dam.

Testing Company: OptiGen www.optigen.com Cost of Test : $195.00 per Aussie

 

3) CEA / CH - Collie Eye Anomaly / Choroidal Hypoplasia (also includes Coloboma,
Retinal Detachment, and Hemorrhaging in the Eye) - another terrible blinding Hereditary
Disease which can involve several different defects of the Eye. Please Note: CEA / CH can
SKIP generations - just another reason why Health Testing is so important.

Testing Company: OptiGen www.optigen.com Cost of Test : $180.00 per Aussie

 

You also have other Health Tests such as the "OFA", "CERF" and tests required by the
Registries.

 

The two primary Registries of the Australian Shepherd are the AKC and ASCA. They
both require DNA tests on all Sires and Dams that are bred.

1) The American Kennel Club (AKC) Average Cost of DNA Test: $40 per Aussie

2) The Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) Average Cost of DNA Test: $45
per Aussie

The "OFA" is known as the Orthopedic Foundation For Animals: www.offa.org.This
entity records and certifies the x-rays of the Hips, Elbows, etc. This helps a Breeder
screen for Hip Dysplasia and other orthopedic problems. A Breeder must first have their
Aussie x-rayed and then have the x-rays evaluated and certified by the OFA.

X-Ray Costs for Hips (more expensive in some geographical areas) : Approx. $90 to $170 per
Aussie
OFA Hip Evaluation and Certification: $35.00 per Aussie

The "CERF EXAM" - Canine Eye Registration Foundation: www.vmdb.org - an annual
(required every 12 months) exam of the eyes performed by board certified Veterinary

Ophthalmologists which is then submitted and certified and recorded with the CERF.
Approx. Cost of Annual Test: $50 to $95 or more (can vary by "offered clinics" and geographical
locations)

Please Note:

The CERF Exam is an important tool of Health Testing. Some Breeders cannot take
advantage of this Exam for the reason of geographical issues. In other words, board
certified Ophthalmologists are few and far between, located mostly in the larger cities.
For a Breeder, whom is located in a rural area and a great distance from an
Ophthalmologist, this would make it very difficult to have this exam completed every
year. As an alternative, the three Hereditary Eye Disease DNA Cheek Swab tests
(mentioned above) can be easily used to test the eyes of their Aussies.

 

Canine Health Information Center ( known as CHIC ) has a searchable database. The CHIC program may provide information about the results of a breeder's health testing results. Please understand that a "CHIC certified dog" does not mean that this dog is "CLEAR" on all of its health tests. CHIC reports both possitive and negative test results. www.caninehealthinfo.org

 

The CERF Exam and the Three Hereditary Eye Disease DNA Health Tests:

 

An Ophthalmologist can only see what has developed in an Aussie's eyes at the time of
the examination. Here's the problem, for example: If a Cataract or PRA or CEA / CH has
NOT started to develop or appear in the eye (when the CERF exam is performed), then of
course the Aussie will pass the exam and then be recommended for breeding. But then, at
the next CERF exam (12 months later), the Ophthalmologist sees a punctate cataract or
PRA or CEA / CH which has now developed in the Aussie's eyes. With the alarm going
off, because this Aussie was bred and produced a litter of pups, the Breeder then tests the
same adult Aussie for the HSF4, the PRA, and the CEA / CH. After receiving the negative
test results, the Breeder now realizes that they have bred and passed on Hereditary
Diseases to this litter of puppies which are also infected. This is very similar to what

happened with "Dom".

Another advantage of the Three Hereditary Eye Disease DNA tests: All of these tests can
be completed on a Aussie as soon as it has been weaned and separated from its Dam. An
Aussie at approximately eight weeks old can now be "CLEARED" and not be an infected
carrier of these Hereditary Diseases by using these DNA tests. And as we all know, DNA
tests reveal the TRUTH - they do NOT lie.

What about our Privacy Laws and the Suppression of the CERF Exam Registration?

The privacy laws in this United States of America also applies to a Breeder's Aussie's
health tests information and health tests results. If the Breeder so chooses to do, they can
suppress any Health Testing Result and NOT make any available to the Public. This should
always be a huge "RED FLAG" to all "Puppy Buyers". A lot of Breeders' websites may
only show, for example, "CERF - Cleared Annually". But when you research the Cerf
Certification Online Verification, you may not find anything on this Aussie. Or you may
find that the Cerf Exam was completed only one time, just so the Breeder can publish on
their website: "CERF - Cleared Annually". This is Unacceptable. If this Breeder has chosen to

suppress the CERF Exam on their Aussie, then possibly they may be trying to hide a terrible

disease.

Approximate Total Costs of all of the Health Tests Per Aussie = $800.00 to $1000.00

 

 

Remember all of these Recommendations and/or "Red Flags" below when considering the

purchase of an Aussie. All of these can help you make a wise decision and even possibly keep you

from having a terrible experience and a horrible heartache.

1) Do NOT "Price Shop" for an Aussie. Buying an inexpensive untested pup could cost you more
money in the long run.

2) Do your Research before Buying. A Responsible Breeder has spent a lot of time,
researching Pedigrees to find good clean bloodlines, becoming knowledgeable and
educated concerning the Breed and the Health Testing. And a Responsible Breeder has
spent a lot of money on these Health Tests to ensure, as best they can, that you are getting
a sound and healthy Aussie.

3) Beware of Breeders who do not complete these Three Hereditary Eye Disease DNA Health Tests

on all of their Aussies. ( HSF4, PRA, CEA / CH )

4) Beware of Breeders who do not have their Aussies' Registered Names and Pedigrees and
all of these Health Tests posted on their websites.

5) Beware of Breeders if they do NOT offer you at least a 2.5 year written Health Guaranty for all

of the diseases which will, at no cost to you, replace an infected or diseased Aussie that

was initially sold to you. Some of these diseases do not develop or appear until an older age.

6) Beware of Breeders who refuse to answer ALL of your Questions - especially concerning the

Health Testing. Beware, if the Breeder, cannot or will not provide you with written certified proof

of all of the required Health Tests Results on the Sire and Dam. This should also apply to a Pup's

Health Record which includes deworming, vaccinations, Veterinarian appointments and health

checks, any administered medications, etc.

 

7) Beware of Breeders who do not have pictures on their website of their Kennel Building
and Kennel Facilities. The appearance and cleanliness will tell you a lot about the Breeder.

 

 

8) Beware of Breeders who proclaim that their Aussies are ''Not Kenneled" at any time, but

proclaim that their Aussies are raised inside their home. Here's the thought on this:
You CANNOT have a "Female in Heat" inside your home especially with an intact Male.
This Male will tear down the doors, the walls, try to break through the windows, and
anything else, trying to get to this Female. Also, a clean Kennel Building Facility is dearly
needed for maternity complications, whelping, a separate confinement room for an Aussie
with a sickness or a contagious disease or an injury, a grooming room, and a laundry room.

9) Beware of Breeders who register their Aussies with other registries besides the AKC and ASCA.

10) Beware of Breeders who have elaborate websites or who have pages and pages of their
opinions, but nothing about their Aussies' Pedigrees, Registered Names, or the Health
Tests with their certification numbers and/or the actual certified documents from the
Company who did the Health Tests.

11) Beware of Breeders who have their opinions (not facts) posted on their website concerning the
Blue Eyed Black Tri Aussie and/or the Blue Eyed Aussie. Science has proven that there is
nothing wrong with these Aussies, including their temperament, their structure, their
eyesight, the Breeding of them, nor anything else.

 

 

12) Beware of Breeders who breed Females who have not reached their Maturity of approximately

two years of age.

 

13) Beware: Most Breeders will not do all Three of the Hereditary Disease DNA Health Tests for

these reasons:

Theses three tests are very expensive. Also, some Breeders do not want to reveal the health
problems with their Aussies and they certainly do not want to Retire (SpaylNeuter) their infected
Aussies from Breeding after investing all the money in them. Some Breeders have spent a lot

of money acquiring the Titles, first, on their Aussies; rather than initially doing all the health testing

on their Aussies to make sure that they were "Disease Free" before they acquired the Titles.

 

 

14) Beware of Breeders who proclaim that these Three Hereditary Eye Disease DNA Health Tests

have NO validity or reliability. This is only an Excuse that these Breeders may use which in their

minds gives them a way to explain to you why they have NOT completed these three DNA health

tests on their Aussies.

 

 

15) Beware of Breeders who offer "unfairly high priced" Aussies for sale (even the ones that are

advertised as Champion Sired or Champion Bloodlines or Great Herding Bloodlines or Blue-Eyed

Black Tri) which have very little or no "CLEARED" health testing results. NO Aussies are Exempt

from these Health Tests.