Genetic Testing

Diseases. Sickness. Genetic problems. Dysplasia issues. There are so many difficulties and complications that can arise in the dog breeding world.  Thankfully, with the incredible growth of technology over the past decades, breeders have had the ability to control more and more genetic issues in the dogs they produce. Through selective breeding, genetic testing, and thorough research into pedigrees, many of the genetic diseases common to Labradors can be eliminated completely in a breeder's lines. If you are considering purchasing a puppy from anyone, be sure and ask if they have done genetic testing ,and if so, which tests. Whether they have or haven't should give you a better idea of the breeder's integrity and ethics.  A dependable trustworthy dog breeder will be striving to provide the most quality dogs possible, and doing everything in their power to better their breed.

Here are some of the genetic diseases and concurring tests common to the Labrador breed:

Exercise induced collapse (EIC)
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
Centronuclear  myopathy (CNM)
Retinal dysplasia/Oculoskeletal dysplasia (RD/OSD)
Hereditary Nasal Parakeratosi (HNPK)
Dwarfism (SD2)
Degenerative myelopathy (DM)
There are many more, but these are the core tests a Labrador breeder should be testing for. 


There are also exams that can be done by a certified veterinarian that will show a tendency towards hip and elbow dysplasia. These can be done through PenHip or Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)