Royal Puppy Love Knowledge Center

Understanding Puppy Health Testing

What each kind of test can tell you, what it cannot prove, and how to use the results when choosing a puppy.

What Buyers Need to Know Right Now

Health testing is useful only when you know who was tested, what was tested, and what the result actually means. No single test guarantees lifelong health. DNA testing, OFA screening, a puppy wellness exam, and specialist diagnostics answer different questions. Some evaluate the parents; others evaluate the individual puppy.

1. DNA and Genetic Testing

DNA testing looks for specific genetic variants associated with inherited conditions. A result may identify a dog as clear, a carrier, or genetically at risk for a particular tested variant.

DNA tests are not universal. A test must be relevant to the dog’s breed and the condition being evaluated. Different breeds have different inherited risks, and a variant associated with disease in one breed may not occur—or may not have the same meaning—in another.

A carefully selected group of breed-relevant tests is more meaningful than a long panel containing tests that do not apply to the dog. The OFA and participating parent breed clubs publish breed-specific screening recommendations, and the OFA requires an applicable DNA test to be breed-specific and performed by an approved laboratory before it can be registered in its database.

It can help show

Whether a specific tested variant was detected
Whether the dog is clear, a carrier, or genetically at risk under that test’s inheritance model
Whether a mating could produce affected puppies for that variant

It cannot prove

That the dog is free from every inherited disease
That every breed-relevant condition was tested
That an at-risk dog will definitely develop symptoms
That a clear dog will never develop a similar illness from another cause

A “clear” result means clear for the specific variant tested—not cleared of every possible health problem.

Ask: Which conditions were tested, why are they relevant to this breed, and may I see the original laboratory reports?

Read the Complete DNA Testing Research Guide

2. OFA and Physical Health Screening

OFA is not a single test. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals maintains databases that may include hip and elbow evaluations, patellar evaluations, cardiac and eye examinations, thyroid testing, DNA results, and other breed-relevant screenings.

Some records are based on imaging or laboratory testing. Others come from examinations performed by a veterinarian or veterinary specialist.

A CHIC number means the dog completed the screenings required by its participating parent breed club and the results were made public. It does not necessarily mean every result was normal. Buyers should review the individual results.

It can help show

Which documented screenings were performed
The dog’s reported results
The examiner’s qualifications for certain evaluations
Whether breed-club screening requirements were completed

It cannot guarantee

That the dog will never develop the screened condition
That every possible inherited disease was evaluated
That puppies from screened parents will be free from all disease

Ask: What screenings were recommended for this breed, which were completed, and where can I verify the results?

Read the Complete OFA and Physical Screening Research Guide

3. Puppy Wellness Exams and In-Office Testing

A puppy wellness examination evaluates the puppy’s health at the time of the appointment. A veterinarian may assess the heart, lungs, eyes, ears, mouth, abdomen, skin, joints, movement, weight, development, and overall condition. Depending on the puppy’s age and history, additional testing may include fecal testing, blood glucose, bloodwork, urinalysis, infectious-disease testing, or other diagnostics.

A normal wellness examination is valuable, but it is a snapshot in time. It cannot predict every future illness and does not replace appropriate testing of the parents.

It can help show

Whether the veterinarian found an apparent concern during that examination
Whether growth and development appeared appropriate at that time
Whether additional testing or follow-up was recommended
What vaccinations, deworming, and care were documented

It cannot guarantee

That the puppy has no inherited risk
That an early or intermittent condition will never appear
That every internal condition is detectable during a routine exam
That the puppy will remain healthy after leaving the breeder

Ask: When was the puppy examined, what did the veterinarian evaluate, and may I review the actual documentation?

Read the Complete Puppy Wellness and In-Office Testing Research Guide

4. Specialist and Advanced Diagnostic Testing

Advanced testing is generally used when a screening result, physical finding, symptom, or family history calls for a closer look. It may include a cardiologist’s examination or echocardiogram, an ophthalmologist’s examination, orthopedic imaging, ultrasound, specialized blood testing, neurological evaluation, biopsy, culture, or other targeted diagnostics.

Screening and diagnosis are not the same. Screening looks for evidence that a problem may be present. Advanced diagnostic testing investigates a particular concern in greater detail.

It can help show

Whether a suspected abnormality can be confirmed or characterized
How serious a finding appears to be
Whether treatment, monitoring, or additional testing is recommended
Whether a screening result needs more definitive evaluation

It cannot always

Predict exactly how a condition will progress
Rule out every possible disease
Guarantee that a currently normal dog will never develop a problem

Ask: Was advanced testing performed routinely or because a concern was found, and may I see the complete specialist report?

Read the Complete Specialists and Advanced Testing Research Guide

How to Use Testing When Choosing a Puppy

Confirm whether each result belongs to the puppy, its mother, or its father.
Ask why each test is appropriate for that breed.
Review the original laboratory, veterinary, OFA, or specialist report.
Look beyond the word “clear” and identify exactly what was tested.
Ask whether any abnormal, preliminary, incomplete, or follow-up results exist.
Remember that parent testing and puppy examinations answer different questions.
Discuss concerning findings with your own veterinarian before purchasing.

Where to Find a Puppy’s Results

Research explains what a test means. The puppy’s individual profile shows the available documentation for that puppy and its parents.

When considering an available Royal Puppy Love puppy, open that puppy’s profile page and review the linked health and genetic documents. The original results—not a general statement that the parents were “health tested”—allow you to evaluate the evidence for yourself.

The right question is not simply, “Was health testing done?” It is: “Was the right testing done, on the right dog, for the right reason—and may I see the actual results?”

Authoritative Sources

This article provides general educational information and is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from your veterinarian.