Health and Temperament
Health problems and Genetic Testing in Miniature Bull Terriers
Parastone’S
Miniature Bull Terriers wishes to thank our vet, Dr. Dre Koolen of
Many people who call us looking for a puppy are concerned with how long the dogs live. We tell them that there is no way to know ahead of time, but that by doing a comprehensive battery of tests for genetically linked health problems we can hedge our bets and hopefully help our dogs live longer and happier lives.
Here at Parastone’S we test for a number of items:
Temperament:
At three, five and seven weeks of age, we temperament our babies, using a mix of numerous methods. This involves putting the puppies through a series of exercises to determine their reaction to various stimuli. The exercises are done in a certain order and are performed in a strange place by a person never before encountered by the puppies. A second person records and grades the puppies' reactions to the stimuli. By the time our puppies reach seven weeks old, we are very familiar with their temperaments, but we are always interested to see how they do with the temperament testing. You can always catch a tendency that you might not have picked up before because of the puppy's mental development. We use these results when matching our puppies to their prospective homes.
After all you have read on this site already, we're sure you're more than aware of how important we believe temperament is. We just thought we'd say - one more time - that a dog who cannot live loose in the house and socialize with the family is of no use to anyone.
Our goal is to breed a sweet, happy temperament - one without aggressive tendencies - so that our dogs can be loose with children, cats, other dogs and the odd ferret that might come along. A stable temperament is one that will stand a dog in good stead through any situation, be it a child screaming and running by or a broken leg with the accompanying pain.
Stable temperaments come from breeding for them. They do not come from environment, although certainly we recognize that the way in which an animal is raised plays a large part in the way they are conditioned to react to certain stimuli. We strive to achieve a lovely, sweet temperament in every puppy we breed. No exceptions. A dog with a great head that wins in the show ring, but is miserable to live with is not something with which we want to be involved.
Deafness:
At seven weeks of age, we test our puppies for deafness by BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response) test, an electronic device which uses graphite needles placed in the skin below the ear flaps to record the reaction of the animal's nerves. Each ear is tested separately. Off course we do the same with all our breeding animals. The results of this BAER test will be registered and certificated by the Dutch Kennel Club (Raad van Beheer).
Eyes:
We test all
our mini’s once a year for eye defects, or in case a planned breeding in between
a half year before this breeding by ophthalmologist. This ECVO-examination will
be done by a specialist who is recognized by the Dutch Kennel Club (Raad van
Beheer) and the National Breed Club (M.B.T.V.). The following defects will be
tested: (Prim.) Lensluxation (PLL), Entropy, Ectropium/Macroblepharon,
Distichiasis/Ectopic Cillia, Retina degeneration (PRA), Retinadystrofia (PED),
Membrana Pupillaris Persistens (MPP), Persisting Hyperpl.TunicaVasculosa Lentis/Premier
Vitreum (PHTVL/PHPV), Cataract, Retina Dysplasia (RD), N-Hyperplasia/Micropapil,
Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA). The results of this eye test will be registered and
certificated by the Dutch Kennel Club (Raad van Beheer).
Heart Defects:
We test all our breeding animals for heart defects by echocardiogram. This is costly and time consuming, as echoes are not readily available from most veterinary facilities. We have been fortunate to find a Board Certified Cardiologist who we can work with. The "accepted standard" of testing is that listening (auscultation) to the heart is enough. We go one step further and do echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound of the heart. This way, we can be absolutely certain that there are no defects of the heart chambers, valves, vessels, etc.
Kidney Function Defects:
Our dogs have a urine protein/creatinine ratio done every year. This shows whether or not their kidneys are functioning properly.
Patella Luxation:
Our regular veterinarian checks all the dog's patella’s once a year when they have their check-ups. However, we have started using a Board Certified Orthopaedic Veterinarian to palpate our patella’s. There seem to be a wide range of techniques employed by the various vets we have seen check patella’s, so since we would rather be safe than sorry, we are using an orthopaedic vet. This affords a consistent testing program and a uniformity of data.
Paul Marks.