Greenwood Park Labradoodles works hard to make sure we are producing healthy dogs.  The same health issues that affect the purebred parent breeds can also affect the labradoodle.  These health issues can be famililial or genetic in nature.  These include, but are not limited to: hip dysplasia, eye disease, autoimmune thyroiditis, cardiac issues, Addison’s, elbow dysplasia, luxating patellas, allergies and more rarely, epilepsy.  Often these health disorders are unapparent to the average person but could result in misery for both the dog and their owner.

 

Mandatory health testing is required by both the Australian Labradoodle Club of America as well as the International Labradoodle Association and the Australian Labradoodle Association of America.  This is exciting news for the Australian Labradoodle breed!  With advanced technology in genetic testing, this will be one of the first breeds to emerge and continue to develop with genetic health soundness.  

 

All of our breeding males and females must undergo rigorous health testing before breeding.  You are free to request and view any and all health testing of our parent dogs before purchasing your puppy.

 

Below is the information on the required Australian Labradoodle health testing:

 

OFA

This is a hip and elbow test used prior to breeding designed to detect hip and elbow dysplasia, patella luxation, along with many other disorders involving the skeletal system.  We only breed dogs that achieve  OFA normal hips and elbows.

 

Pennhip

This is another form of hip testing used to detect hip dysplasia and also hip laxity.  There is recent evidence to support that there is a direct relationship between hip laxity and future development of hip dysplasia.  There is much hope that with this new method incidence of hip dysplasia will be reduced even further.

 

CERF Eye Exam

This is an eye exam performed by a Veterinary Specialist used to identify 20 possibly eye disorders including progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), cataracts, and glaucoma.

We only breed dogs that pass this test with a result of normal.

 

Complete Blood Chemistry (CBC) and Thyroid

These tests are used to screen for many potential health problems including but not limited to: Addison’s disease, diabetes, Cushings disease, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, and von Willebrand’s disease.

 

OFA Cardiac Heart 

Canine congenital heart diseases are malformations of the heart or greater vessels.  The lesions characterizing congenital heart defects are present at birth and may develop more fully over time.  Many congenital heart defects are thought to be genetically transmitted so all our breeding dogs must be free of congenital heart defects to participate in our breeding program.