What Health Testing Should a Responsible Breeder Provide?
How parent screening, puppy examinations, genetic testing, cardiac checks, and actual records fit together—and how buyers can verify the evidence.
Ask for Results, Not a Label
“Health tested” can mean almost anything unless the breeder explains which dog was tested, which test was performed, when it was performed, and what the actual result says. No single panel guarantees a healthy puppy. Responsible screening combines information about the parents with current information about the puppy.
Parent Testing and Puppy Exams Answer Different Questions
Parent testing
Evaluates inherited risks, structure, cardiac health, eyes, patellas, or other breed-relevant concerns in the breeding dogs. It helps a breeder make informed mating decisions.
Puppy examination
Evaluates the individual puppy at a specific point in time: heart and lungs, eyes and ears, mouth, abdomen, skin, movement, development, weight, and general condition.
A normal puppy exam cannot replace appropriate parent testing, and clear parent results cannot replace an examination of the puppy.
Genetic Tests Must Be Breed-Relevant
DNA tests identify specific variants; they do not scan for every disease. Different breeds have different inherited risks, and a variant meaningful in one breed may be irrelevant or interpreted differently in another. A short, breed-appropriate panel may be more useful than a long list of unrelated tests.
Ask to see the original laboratory reports for the sire and dam. “Clear” means clear for the particular variant tested—not free of every genetic condition.
Read the DNA testing guideOFA and Physical Screening
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals maintains searchable records for many kinds of screening. Depending on breed and age, appropriate evaluations may include patellas, hips, elbows, cardiac exams, eye exams, thyroid testing, or other procedures. Use the OFA database and the relevant parent club’s CHIC recommendations to learn which tests matter for that breed.
A CHIC number means required screenings were completed and made public; it does not automatically mean every result was normal. Read each result.
Read the OFA screening guideWellness, Cardiac, Vaccination, and Care Records
Buyers should receive available documentation of the puppy’s veterinary care, including the wellness examination, vaccinations, deworming, medications, and any follow-up recommendation. A cardiac check performed during a general examination is useful, but it is not identical to specialist cardiac testing or an echocardiogram.
Confirm the puppy’s identifying information and date on each record. If something is unclear, ask the examining clinic or your own veterinarian what the finding means.
Read the puppy wellness guideYour Verification Checklist
- Identify whether each record belongs to the puppy, sire, or dam.
- Confirm that the test is appropriate for the breed and the dog’s age.
- Open the original lab, OFA, veterinary, or specialist report.
- Check names, registration numbers, microchips, dates, and examiner information.
- Ask about abnormal, preliminary, incomplete, or follow-up findings.
- Discuss anything concerning with your own veterinarian before purchasing.
The useful question is not “Were they tested?” It is “Was the right dog given the right test—and may I see the result?”
Authoritative Sources
This article provides general educational information and is not veterinary, legal, or financial advice.
