Health Testings for Goldens

It is so important in our breed to make sure you get puppies from parents that had proper health testing! There are so many things that plague our breed. Here is a break down of some health issues in golden retrievers. 

OFA Testing

Hip Dysplasia: Hip dysplasia usually develops from an abnormal hip joint. It can be caused from genetic issue or from trauma to the joint. There are multiple genes that are working together for good joint, making it tough as two passing parents can potentially throw a dysplasic puppy. A vet x-rays the hip joint and sends the films off for evaluation and a score. 1 vet scores a "prelimary test" (age 12-23 months) and 3 vets evaluate the films for "final" scoring. (Must be 24 months of age or older for a final score.) OFA Scores PASSING hips with a Excellent, Good or Fair rating. All of these ratings are passing scores with no hip dysplasia present. OFA FAILING hips are scored as mild, moderate and severe. 

Hips can also be tested with the PennHip testing as well. They use multiple films to get measurements of the hip joints. They will test puppies starting at 16 weeks old.   

Elbow Dysplasia: Elbow dysplasia is a term used to describe a polygentic disease in the elbow. There are multiple ways they can be dysplasic. A vet will take x-rays and submit them to OFA for a pass/fail score of their elbows.

​Eye Certification: Dogs must be evaluated by a veterinarian opthalmologist for genetic conditions of the eye. They will receive a CAER exam. Vet will decide if the eyes are clear from any issues and if there is a problem (such as a cataract) if it is genetic or not.

​Cardiac Disease:  Dogs will need to be evaluated by a veterinarian cardiologist. They will determine if the dog has a heart murmur or not. 
Please visit ofa.og for a more in dept explanation of all of these diseases. They are a great resource to learn about health testing. You can also research testing of specific dogs on their website by typing in their registered name or number. It will pull up any testing that has been submitted and is available to the public.
https://www.ofa.org/

Genetic Testing

All of these diseases take TWO copies of the disease in order for the dog to be affected and have any symptoms if the disease. A single copy (or a "carrier") will not have any symptoms or be at risk of developing the disease. 

  • Pra1: Pra 1 is a genetic mutation that causes vision loss and blindness.
  • Pra2: Pra 2 is also a genetic mutation that causes vision loss and blindness.
  • prcd: Prcd is a form of PRA and causes vision loss and blindness. 
  • Md: Md is a mutation of the dystrophin gene causing a deficiency of dystrophin proteins. 
  • Dm: DM is a neurological progressive disease of the spinal cord. 
  • ICH: Ich is a mutation of the outer layer of skin causing a thicker layer and flaking. 
  • NCL: Ncl is a progressive neurological disease of the central nervous system. 
For more information on any of these diseases, please visit Animal Genetics for a more in depth explanation. https://www.animalgenetics.us/Home.shtml

Here are a list of labs that are trustworthy and reliable for genetic testing. We personally use Animal Genetics for our testing.