... this is very helpful and informative. Thank you very much, Mr. Bandy!

Susan,

I'll paste the reply I posted a while back to a similar question. Please let me know if you need any clarification or have any other questions. Feel free to e-mail me privately if you would prefer.

Thanks for thinking about Bulldog health!

Dan Bandy
Chair BCA Health Committee

There isn't really an overall consensus about health testing among Bulldog breeders. The reality is that the majority of even the most reputable Breeders haven't done "formal" testing in the past, by that I mean OFA testing, CERF, PennHip, etc. But, I'm glad to be able to say that is changing.

At a minimum of 12 months of age, OFA Cardiac, Patella and Thyroid testing can be completed.

The OFA Cardiac application can be completed by your regular vet or by a Cardiologist and generally only entails a thorough "auscultation", which just means listening with a stethoscope. If you keep an eye out you can often find a cardiac clinic being held during an all-breed or Specialty show weekend. The fees are usually very reasonable and can be an easy way to get access to a Cardiologist.

The OFA Patella application can be completed by your regular vet and requires no sedation or x-rays. They simply manipulate the dog's patellas and they either luxate (move out of their normal position) or they don't. There are different degrees of luxation, but any luxation will keep the dog from receiving OFA certification.

Thyroid certification requires testing by an OFA approved lab. Your vet can draw a blood sample and send it to one of the labs listed on the OFA application along with the completed application and your check for the OFA fee. There are 3 components to the testing (T4, TSH & TgAA) that must all be within the normal range for your dog to receive OFA Thyroid certification.

At a minimum of 24 months of age, OFA will evaluate elbows and hips for certification (preliminary x-rays can be submitted on dogs over 12 months but less than 24 months). X-rays of the elbows and hips are required for these certifications. They can be taken by your regular vet and may require sedation and/or anesthesia. The instructions for identifying the x-rays and correct positioning can be found on the OFA application for these certifications.

If you follow the link to the Health Committee page you'll see info on some studies that Bulldogs are now participating in, including Trachea and Spine databases. There is also a link to CHIC (Canine Health Information Center). The required tests for a Bulldog to receive a CHIC number are OFA Cardiac and Patella certifications. Once those certifications are completed a CHIC number and certificate will automatically be issued for the dog.

To receive a CERF number, eye testing must be completed by an ophthalmologist. And to maintain current certification the exam must be repeated annually. Eye clinics are also sometimes available during all-breed show weekends.

I can tell you that it is very rare that any Bulldog will pass all of the above tests. I only know of a few that have passed OFA cardiac, patella, thyroid, hips and elbows.

The vast majority of Bulldog hips that have been submitted to OFA have been classified as dysplastic. Having said that, actual lameness do to dysplastic hips appears to be infrequent in the breed in my experience. I don't think that many people have considered elbow testing up to this point, but it is a relevant test in my opinion as a disproportionate amount of a Bulldog's weight is carried on their front legs. Many Bulldogs also will have 1 or both patellas that luxate. And hypothyroidism is also common in our breed. I would think that at a minimum everyone that decides to test would at least require that a dog pass cardiac certification to be bred. What other results are acceptable in a dog you are hoping to breed is really a decision to be made by each Breeder at this point.

Here are some helpful links to bookmark for health testing info:

CHIChttp://www.caninehealthinfo.org/
OFAhttp://www.offa.org
BCA Health Committee sitehttp://bcahealth.homestead.com/
CERFhttp://www.vmdb.org/cerf.html

I'm glad to see you considering health testing and I hope all of the above info is a little more informative than it is confusing.

Regards,
Dan Bandy