Hips and eyes

want 2 breed my choc lab bitch do i need her 2 have eyes and hip score or does this only apply for male dogs

No you need to test any dog you are breeding from, hips and elbows and eyes and any other test that is recommended for your particular breed

Hips.
Eyes. (GPRA & HC)
Exercise induced Collapse (EID)
Elbow Dysplasia.

As has already been pointed out - bitches need to be tested as well as the males.

My recommendation would be to do hips, elbows and eyes.

Get the eye certificate done first as it is the cheapest - if there are issues with the eyes, then with some conditions you won't be able to breed and save yourself the cost of hips and elbows.

I don't know what part of the country you are in - but find a vet who is experienced in taking hip and elbow plates - I do nearly a 4 hour round trip to use the vet of my choice.

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Someone has mentioned the DNA tests for PRA, CNM and EIC - here you have two options.

You can test your girl, and if she is clear for all three, then this gives you the widest possible choice of dogs - these tests are tools to enable us to make informed breeding choices.

If you test your bitch and she comes back a carrier for one or more of these conditions, then you must find a dog who is clear for any of those of which she is a carrier.

the g-PRA test should be done through Optigen who hold the worldwide patent - the cost with a blood draw and paying for the test will cost you around £160

Optigen Breed Tests available

The CNM test can done through AHT, Vet DNA centre (DDC) in the States or the originating company in France (I am uncertain of their name)

Vet DNA Center (DDC)

AHT

EIC test must be done through the University of Minnesota or Laboklin (the latter hold the European license for the test) - ETA this cost me £72.50

Laboklin UK

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Turnaround times vary by test - Optigen is around 2 weeks from receiving the blood or swabs.

The CNM test through AHT - (cost £4 - the results came through for me in about 3 weeks - but I know of someone who recently did the test, and am sure she had her results in about a week.

EIC through Laboklin - you send the package to an address in Manchester, and then they daily send the test to Germany,

My eldest boy is EIC clear, but I recently had to do a test urgently for my youngest boy, as his intended Beau's half brother was a carrier, and both dads were clear,

They got the results to me in record time, although several calls to Germany and Manchester may have helped expedite the process - fortunately both dogs came back EIC clear meaning that the pups (if there are any) will be hereditarily clear for EIC.

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Owning a bitch - it's not mandatory to test - you can use a stud dog that's been tested clear for these conditions - this could enable you to register your pups hereditarily clear for any of the conditions listed if both parents are tested, and allows you know exactly where you stand with your girl.

Personally, I test all my dogs (dogs and bitches) for hips, elbows, eyes, PRA and CNM - at the present time, only my boys are tested for EIC at the current time (but I also have no plans to mate the bitches - so no real need to test them at this time).

In line with the ABE Scheme - because I am fortunate to have boys clear for EIC and PRA - one for CNM and the other to be tested - I accept bitches who have been hip-scored and hold a current clear eye certificate, although my preference would be to see them elbow scored as well -


I am fully aware this can leave some breeders in a dilemma with a poor score that they know has been definitely caused by an injury - they then struggle to find stud owners who will allow them to use their boys - but the simple fact is - it would be just as easy for a breeder not to submit the plates if the elbows were considered to be bad - but to the eye, from a stud dog owners perspective, they would just have to assume that the bitch hasn't been elbow scored-in reality, there is very little to distinguish between those that do, and those that don't