One of the things that we feel separates us from almost any poodle breeder out there is the comprehensive health screening/testing that are preformed on our adult dogs. There are two different types that are done and we want to discuss them here.

• DNA Genetic Testing for Inherited Diseases - Each breed has congenital diseases that they are more predisposed to than other breeds. In a limited number of these diseases, the medical community has been able to isolate and test for genes to see if a dog has the birth defect (and will manifest the symptoms at some point), is a carrier of the disease (will never manifest the symptoms, but if bred to another carrier could pass the disease on to its puppies, or is clear of the disease (neither has or carries the gene). In poodles the most common congenital diseases that can be tested for are Degenerative Myopathy (causes lameness in back legs), Progressive Rod Cone Degeneration (causes blindness), and Von Willebrand (bleeding disorder). All are adults are either tested for these or are clear because of tests preformed on their parents. We are so confident that your puppy will not have one of these diseases that we guarantee it for life in our health guarantee! These tests are very affordable and more and more breeders are wisely testing their adults.

• Physical exams for Inherited Diseases - These tests are much more expensive than the tests above and so you will find almost every breeder skips out on these. Although there is no gene to isolate these diseases, by having an adult dog screened and evaluated for these, it is less likely that their offspring will have these diseases, if the parents do not. After 2 years old, my adults are screened and evaluated for hip dysplasia, patella luxation (knees), hypo/hyper thyroid, cardiac, inherited eye disorders, and Legges Calves Perthes. These exams are preformed not by my personal vet, but by vet who specialize in that one field (eyes, ortho, cardiac). We have to drive almost 4 hours, out of state, to have our adults examined by several different vets. We wait until our adults are two years old since hips cant be certified until at least 2 years old.