Health Testing
We feel strongly that health testing should be undertaken on all dogs, no matter what the breed, that are going to be used for breeding.
ALL breeders should strive to ‘better the breed’ and ‘only breed to breed standard’ and this means that we need to continuously improve not only the conformity but the health of our breeding stock.
Unfortunately, even the best looking Danes can have internal health issues that can only be screened by medical means. This is why, in our opinion, breeders can’t just rely on their ‘eye’ when screening for health issues.
The whole ‘advantage’ to having the privilege of breeding this wonderful breed is that as a breeder we can monitor any concerns that may arise and we can take some steps to prevent those issues from arising in the future. We owe it to the breed to make every attempt to reverse the health issues currently plaguing great Danes, and the first step to doing so is to health test.
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It is important to note that health testing relates to the sire and dam used in our breeding program and not each puppy. Testing puppies at such a young age would yield incorrect results as they are still developing. However, testing their parents prior to breeding allows us to make sure that we are ONLY breeding from health tested parents with good results.
We have strict limits on what constitutes as an ‘acceptable’ result and anything that doesn’t pass health testing is NOT used in our breeding program.
Due to having our reports stolen in the past we will NOT e mail copies of our results under any circumstances. However, You are welcome to view them in person.
Our philosophy is simple; we need to strive for Great Danes with great health.
Below is a summary of some of the testing we do
Hip/Elbow Dysplasia
We do Full hip/elbow scoring on our Great Danes to reduce the risk of breeding hip/elbow Dysplasia into our lines.
Hip/elbow dysplasia CAN have both genetic and environmental causes so it is important that buyers follow our strict guidelines on weight gain/exercise/living environment for Great Dane puppies whilst in their growth period to prevent what is commonly referred to as environmental HD/ED.
Our breeding stock have been Hip & Elbow scored and you are most welcome to view the original results in person upon your visit to meet us and our dogs.Due to having our reports stolen in the past we will NOT e mail copies of our results.
AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE ON HD/ED CAN BE FOUND HERE
Thyroid Levels
Hypothyroidism can cause a variety of medical problems, and has been linked to auto-immune disorders. WE fully screen our breeding stock annually for any thyroid concerns.
Heart testing (Dilated Cardio Myopathy)DCM
DCM is a heart breaking condition which typically strikes down young dogs in their prime.One of the concerns that we face with heart screening is that the results are only valid for a short period of time, so the best way to get an accurate result is to observe the heart frequently over a period of time to get a more accurate overall indication of its health. Because of this we have elected to have all of our dogs obtain a heart check from a registered veterinarian several times a year as well as a specialist veterinarian ultrasound and a full heart report obtained prior to any breeding.Unfortunately, there is no genetic testing available (yet) to test for carriers.
Eyes
All of our breeding stock have their eyes fully tested. Anything that may arise as a result of a a genetic defect will result in that individual not being used in our breeding program.
Behaviour
As we have a strong emphasis on expanding our service dog lines ALL of our dams, sires and puppies are behaviour tested (age appropriate) for any signs of behavioural issues. We also undertake a rigorous behavioural program from birth to ensure that all of our puppies are exposed to a range of stimuli which they will encounter in their lives. This has proven to produce puppies with more confidence, less fear and an all round more sound Dane.
What we CANNOT test for:
Although we try our hardest to eliminate and health issues in great danes. Unfortunately, there are still some health conditions that can arise in Great Danes that health testing technology isn’t available for (yet).
The only thing we can do as breeders is attempt to only breed from stock that hasn’t had these conditions. Because a dog can still be a carrier but not have the condition expressed its vital to LET US KNOW immediately if your pup develops any health conditions so that we can further investigate the cause and if its genetic we can cease that line being used.
• Wobblers
Wobblers disease is also known as cervical vertebral instability, cervical spondylomyelopathy (CSM), and cervical vertebral malformation (CVM).
There is currently no genetic test for Wobblers, however ethical breeders will not breed a dog from lines known to have Wobblers. This condition is considered uncommon although not unheard of in Australia. Ask your Breeder if they have had any Wobblers before and Neurological problems as Wobblers can only be 100% diagnosed with a risky and expensive procedure and therefore some Wobblers go undiagnosed and are labelled Neurological problems.
Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV) (sometimes known as Bloat).
This is the #1 killer of great danes and we provide very strict guidelines on reducing your pups chance of bloat.
There is now A DNA test for the risk alleles offered by VetGen (https://www.vetgen.com/ ). This would be a test you do on your own pet dane as it is an individual test.
This test does not cover all bases of bloat but it’s a step in the right direction. There simply isn’t enough information out there about the cause of GDV.
Allergies /Atopy
Allergies can affect all breeds of dogs and can vary from parents to offspring.
Digestive disorders/food sensitivities
such as IBS and Malabsorption. Skinny dogs who cant seem to put weight on and/or have continued loose stools.