Health Testing and Screening for the Mini Dachshunds and French Bulldogs
My number one priority is and will always be the health of my dogs and the dogs I produce. I believe this is what has propelled me into pole position as the peoples choice as I have always been seen as the leader for health testing in my selective breeds, I also campaign to the general public as such. I remember sending blood samples to UC Davis in California, America 30 years ago as this was the only canine lab available to me.
I work closely with the breed councils of my respective breeds too, to support them and encourage best practice as I have a large following and sometimes people just aren’t aware. These tests are categorised into “good and best practices”. Good practice are tests that have strong evidence and are a minimum level that is expected. Best practice tests are also important but may not be as critical as good practice.
I use either Laboklin or Animal Genetics for all of my diagnostic testing. I use Professor James Oliver BVSc PhD CertVOphthal DipECVO FRCVS who is head of Ophthalmology at the largest specialist veterinary centre in Europe for the BVA eye testing and Essex Vets for the IVDD screening X-rays which are then sent off by the vets direct to Anu Lappalainen DVM PhD in Finland who is a neurology specialist for grading the spine. She is the only person recognised by the British Kennel Club to grade the x-rays.
For dog breeders and exhibitors, the message is clear, the future of pedigree dogs depends on prioritising health, collaboration and education. Whether we’re planning breeding programmes or evaluating show dogs, we all have the power to shape a healthier and more sustainable future for dogs.
Dachshunds Health
In January 2025, The Kennel Club launched a new health and welfare standard for the breed which provides clear guidance on relevant testing based on evidence in breed health and conservation plans. For Mini Smooths and Mini Longs Good Practice requires IVDD Screening at a minimum and best Practice requires additional BVA Eye and PRA Cord 1 eye testing.
I am pleased to say that I go above and beyond these health test recommendations, I do all of the above and additionally include the following…Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) also known as brittle bone disease and Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is an inherited neurologic disorder of dogs characterized by gradual muscle wasting and loss of coordination typically beginning in the hind limbs.
So in short the quality of my dogs and my standards are top tier, my current checklist (Jan 2025) for my dachshund breeding girls can be found below and as of writing this (Jan 25) I believe it is unmatched!
- IVDD Screening – IDC low/none calcified disc grading matings to achieve the lowest risk of the litter being affected by IVDD.
- Cord1 PRA Clear.
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) and Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) Clear
- Result of MM on the “M” locus so no possibility of producing double dapples.
- BVA Eye testing clear
- Luxation of Patella grading of ? or less.
Recently, I was asked by Ian Seath (Trustee of Dachshund Health UK and Chairman of the UK Dachshund Breed Council) if I would participate in a very important study for the health of the dachshund as this is his main focus, he was awarded with the Molly Raine Trophy back in 2009 for his contribution and services to dachshunds. Details from the email I received are below…
“Dear Zoe,
An interdisciplinary team of veterinary neurologists and geneticists from the University of Cambridge Veterinary School are carrying out a study to investigate IVDD in dachshunds.
This project, which is a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and Wisdom PanelÔ, will be a part of a PhD thesis investigating the genetics of intervertebral disc disease in dogs.
Specifically, we aim to investigate the underlying genetics of disc calcification in Dachshunds. For this, and with the help from our partners at Wisdom PanelÔ, we will collect DNA from Dachshunds that have been assessed under The Kennel Club/ Dachshund Health UK IVDD Screening Programme and for which an official score is available.
We will genotype these dogs for genetic markers spread across the genome and identify regions of the genome that are associated with disc calcification score. As part of this investigation, we will genotype all these dogs for the CDDY mutation, enabling us to obtain the first accurate estimate of CDDY frequency in the UK Dachshund population.”
French Bulldog Health Testing
My French Bulldog dogs health as is my other dogs is my number one priority and I am proud to say that all my frenchies are health tested for breed relevant genetic diseases. My French Bulldog are tested via the French Bulldog Club of England Scheme (FBCE) and further testing through the Cambridge Respiratory Function Grading Scheme (RFG) for the real health issues that can affect this breed specifically BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome), Patella Luxation and spine. We also carry out and complete BVA eye tests on all our French Bulldogs. Good practise includes the 4 panel health tests and best practise includes the 6 panel. Again pleased to report I go above and beyond these guidelines.
The 4 Panel Health Clear test is the entry-level “good practise” test which includes
- Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is an inherited neurologic disorder of dogs characterized by gradual muscle wasting and loss of coordination typically beginning in the hind limbs.
- Hyperuricosuria (HUU) : Hyperuricosuria is an inherited disorder characterized by elevated levels of uric acid in the urine that can lead to the formation of bladder/kidney stones.
- Juvenile Hereditary Cataract (JHC) Juvenile hereditary cataracts are an inherited form of cataracts that commonly cause blindness in dogs by clouding the lens of the eye and affecting both eyes symmetrically.
- Canine Multifocal Retinopathy 1 (CMR1) Canine multifocal retinopathy 1 is an inherited eye disease characterized by areas of retinal detachment. The disease does not typically lead to blindness or vision deficits.
French Bulldog Health Testing
My French Bulldog dogs health as is my other dogs is my number one priority and I am proud to say that all my frenchies are health tested for breed relevant genetic diseases. My French Bulldog are tested via the French Bulldog Club of England Scheme (FBCE) and further testing through the Cambridge Respiratory Function Grading Scheme (RFG) for the real health issues that can affect this breed specifically BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome), Patella Luxation and spine. We also carry out and complete BVA eye tests on all our French Bulldogs. Good practise includes the 4 panel health tests and best practise includes the 6 panel. Again pleased to report I go above and beyond these guidelines.
The 4 Panel Health Clear test is the entry-level “good practise” test which includes
- Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is an inherited neurologic disorder of dogs characterized by gradual muscle wasting and loss of coordination typically beginning in the hind limbs.
- Hyperuricosuria (HUU) : Hyperuricosuria is an inherited disorder characterized by elevated levels of uric acid in the urine that can lead to the formation of bladder/kidney stones.
- Juvenile Hereditary Cataract (JHC) Juvenile hereditary cataracts are an inherited form of cataracts that commonly cause blindness in dogs by clouding the lens of the eye and affecting both eyes symmetrically.
- Canine Multifocal Retinopathy 1 (CMR1) Canine multifocal retinopathy 1 is an inherited eye disease characterized by areas of retinal detachment. The disease does not typically lead to blindness or vision deficits.
6 Panel Health Clear
.The 6-Panel Health Clear Test is the most advanced test. It also includes all of the same health testing as the 4-Panel Health Clear Test, but it adds in more detailed testing than the liver function, kidney function, thyroid function, heart function, gastrointestinal health (GI), and skin health (SKH).
- Chondrodysplasia (CDPA): This is a group of genetic disorders that affect bone and cartilage development. These conditions can be caused by mutations in various genes involved in skeletal development.
- Chondrodystrophy (CDDY and IVDD Risk): A second FGF4 retrogene (CDDY) was discovered and described by the Bannasch lab in 2017 that shows an effect on both leg length and more importantly an association with premature spinal disc degeneration
My current checklist for my French Bulldogs is equally impressive and as of writing this (Jan 25) I test for the following
