Could anyone advise me of the health tests recommended for Golden Retrievers?

Many thanks, Hayley

Eye test, hip score and elbow score.

The latest BMS is 19 although the median is 13. Elbows should be clear. (0).

Eye conditions include Centralised PRA, General PRA, Hereditory Cataracts (Both early and late forming), Multifocal Retinal Dysplasia (otherwise known as retinal folds). Congenital Cataracts, Primary Glaucoma and Multiocular defects should also be tested for although at the moment they are listed as "Conditions under investigation"

Regards, John

A local woman who breeds from her bitches on a regular basis(i hate to call her a breeder as she's only in it for money)has been breeding a number of Goldens with heart problems-Her first bitch used to collapse when stressed & a couple who bought one locally have found their's has a heart defect & is on permanent medication

I don't know how common it is as the only other "proper"breeder I know has never had any problems & all hers have the full range of health tests done & she was one of the first to have the hips scored

Thanks John!  I'm sure they'll be keen to get a Goldie that has been Elbow tested after the problems I have had with Obi..

Unfortunatly not everyone elbow tests. I've been as bad as the rest in saying that elbows were not a problem but I have fast changed my mind. In days gone by we almost never saw elbow problems but it recent years it seems (To me anyway) to have snowballed. My own pet theory is that it is at least in part linked to diet. In the old days there was no such thing as Puppy Food but with the present rush to get puppies into the ring looking reasonably mature by six months people are getting weight on their puppies. This is the reason you might have seen me taking every oppertunity to recomend that people change from puppy food possibly earlier than the food manufactorers recomend. Certainly I find that my puppies are slower growing that most I see around with my Labradors never making the full size until two years old.

There have been cases of Cardimyopathy in Goldens but this is not that common and heart testing is not carried out as a routine thing in the breed.

Regards, John

I know my friend who has the Rossbourne Goldens still feeds her dogs the way they did years ago when she & Raymond first started breeding, her dogs sometimes look immature as puppies but she rarely has any health problems, she did tell me of one kennels that had a heart problem(not a well known one)& the woman who breeds near here has the same lines & same health problems.

She did lose a young dog(well she had him PTS whilst still under the GA)bacause of an injury that he suffered even tho' there were no outward signs other than him being off colour & not being himself. The X ray showed it was life threatening I never did ask her what it was as she was so upset.

She was one of the first to have her dogs hip scored & they were all excellent the lowest being 0:1 & the highest 3:2

I know I have tortured myself over everything I did with Obi in the first few months, but he was on ND puppy from approx 8 weeks old which I was told was low in protein, we restricted his exercise and he was in fact a fairly slow developer.  He started being lame at only 3 months old - after a slip on the kitchen floor, and it wasn't until later, at diagnosis, that we are told that is the common way for ED to show itself.  Luckily the owner of both sire and dam were quick to get their dogs scanned after Obi's (and his brother's) diagnosis and the sire turned out to have a low ED score, so was presumably the carrier (and won't be used again)

You can't torturer your self Chaliepud. We all do what we think is best for our dogs but sometimes, even after taking all possible care something goes wrong. I don't doubt that the breeder of my Bethany would never willingly have bred an epileptic dog but it happens and all we can do is to make their lives as happy as possible. Bethany was my "World Beating" working gundog over by 18 months. It was heart breaking. But in spite of, or maybe because of, she still became my all time favourite dog!

Regards, John

Torturing yourself won`t change what your dogs got C/Pud.
He has it & you have to accept that, live with it, learn from it & understand it`s something no reputable breeder would ever wish for. These things happen & with the best will in the world, nature is fickle & plays to her own rules!!!!
Best we can do is work with it, try & understand & do the best we can with the most knowledge we can glean from these things.
My gorgeous Bonnie has pra & understand how hard it can be to live with dogs with hereditary??????(don`t conform to the normal expections of certain??? diseases) diseases.
Bet you love him the same tho eh??? even little bit more :) :) :)
Treat him like normal within his capabilities & he e just fine!!!! Same as you will

Christine, Spain.