A Bit About Us.......
First and foremost I would like to just point out that my dogs have been to the vet more times then I've been to a doctors office in 4 years. We take our dogs health and breeding program very seriously. We do NOT cross breed, inbreed or breed back to back. All our dogs get a brucellosis test before mating and have a cardiac exam done annually, as is required for the stud or damn, Females are examined by reproductive vet prior to planned breeding. All puppies come with first set of shots and microchipped and is your responsibility to register. Pedigrees are exchanged, and a stress free environment is a necessary key to our home life as well. Our puppies are born in our bedroom, the quietest place in the house, and that's where mom and pups stay with no interaction with the other dogs or people except me and family for the first 1-2 weeks, then they are moved into our "puppy room to start training, puppy pad training, and crate training and deworming until they are ready to go to their new homes. After the puppies are gone, we take mom and our other dogs to the vet for fecal exams and nexgaurd/dewormer for the safety and precautions for everyone. Mom receives a check up, and sometimes an x ray just to be sure everything is looking healthy before we go back to living our adventurous life.
Health Testing
LUA vs HUA
BAER Testing
Other Health Tests
HUA Dalmatians are often referred to by breeders as hu/hu or HUA- meaning they have two HyperUricosuria genes. LUA Dalmatians are referred as N/hu (if they have one of the normal genes in question) or N/N (if they have two copies of the normal gene. HUA Dalmatians are prone to urinary crystals/uric acid and kidney & bladder stones. After the LUA backcross breeding project, there are now a large number of LUA Dalmatians that don't carry the genetic defects of their ancestors.
This hearing exam is a method to detect whether an animal can hear or not. Bilateral means deaf/affected in both ears. Unilateral means right/left is deaf but still make great pets, Unaffected means the dog can hear in both ears. Breeders use these results of BAER testing to help select unaffected breeding dogs and reduce risk of producing puppies with hearing loss. Dalmatian Club of America recommends that Bilaterally deaf puppies should be euthanatized by breeders, since they make poor pets, are difficult to train, can be prone to startling biting & require excessive care. Disgusting and sadly pathetic right?
All breeder programs require certain health testing which is a vital piece of a responsible breeding program when heritable conditions are present. Baer testing, Hip dysplasia Finals, Eye certification, Thyroid, Genetic health tests and Phenotypic tests done by the vet. 'Pet only'- non breeders, don't have to worry so much about these things, however you should get these exams done at your vets recommendation as your dog grows older.
Most/almost all dogs have 1 or 2 copies of ALT which is one of several enzymes produced by the liver. IMPORTANTLY, this is NOT a health problem. For further information from the experts visit this site recommended by veterinarians. (Genetic Info on ALT)