Health testing schemes for inherited disorders allow breeders to reduce disease prevalence in pedigree dogs. Understanding what tests are available and what they mean helps buyers choose healthy puppies from responsible breeders.
Health testing for inherited dog diseases is one of the most direct welfare interventions available within the companion animal sector, yet it remains voluntary in most countries and inconsistently adopted by breeders. The welfare impact of untreated inherited conditions is significant and chronic: hip dysplasia causes lifelong progressive arthritis; progressive retinal atrophy causes blindness; exercise-induced collapse causes potentially fatal episodes; hereditary cataract causes vision impairment requiring expensive surgical intervention. These conditions are not rare unfortunate exceptions but endemic problems in specific breeds that informed health testing programs can systematically reduce over generations. The challenge is market failure: health-tested puppies may cost no more than untested ones, removing the financial incentive for testing, while buyers often lack the knowledge to ask for or interpret test results. The most effective interventions are kennel club requirements for health testing before registration (which some schemes now implement for specific conditions) and buyer education that creates demand for health-tested puppies.