Tests

Question
I am fairly new to the breeding business and really want to be a responsible breeder as I will be doing this for the rest of my life. When I took my bulldog  in for her regular exam, I asked the vet if there are any tests/exams that I should do prior to breeding her. His response was no/ she is perfect health. I know that bulldogs have a long list of health problems and I want to make sure that I am doing everything correctly. Is it possible to have a bulldog completely free of hereditary problems? Or what are the major problems that I should screen out before breeding her and do you have a list of tests that she should get prior to breeding her.  One last question, I knew another bulldog breeder and her female had a mild entropion on her left eye and still bred her.. is an entropion a big deal? Thank you kindly!

Answer
Hi Jenny. Unfortunately, the bulldog is known for a few serious health problems. The hips need to be x-rayed and inspected by the OFA,  Luxating patellas can also be a problem that needs to be checked out. Thyroid needs to be checked, as well as the heart. English bulldogs are also known for eye problems. I am including some links at the bottom of this letter that I feel that explains what is needed in your breed. Please check them all out, and if you have anymore questions, feel free to ask. I don't think there's a dog alive today that is completely fre of everything. Even if they're not affected by a disease, they may be a carrier for it. The thing to do is to test for what you need to, take those test results, and figure out what needs to be done. I personally OFA my dogs' hips, do a throid check, holter test the heart, and have a cardio vet perform other tests. In Boxers, the heart is a big issue, so good breeders have to check the heart out as thoroughly as they can. Every breed is different, and has different health checks that need to be performed. These links that I gave you lists exactly what needs to be checked for in your breed, and why. You can also go to egroups.com and find an e-mail list in your breed. People there will be better able to help you with exactly what needs to be done before even thinking about breeding your girl. If a vet tells you that your dog is perfect, there's nothing wrong with her, no health tests needed, find a different vet. Seriously. Entropin can be a big deal. Honestly though, I don't know how it fits into your breed's health issues, that's why I really suggest you contacting someone in your breed. I wish you good luck, I hope that I've been of some help to you. If I can help with anything else, feel free to holler.

www.wikihow.com/Breed-English-Bulldogs
www.caninesemenbank.com/EnglishBulldogs.html
http://engbulldogs.com/Bulldog%20Club%20Standard.htm
www.phenixbulldogs.com/breeding/
http://www.bulldoginformation.com/bulldogs-hereditary-defects.html#demodectic     A REALLY GOOD ONE!!