responsible, experienced show breeder...call me for info
Breed: Dachshund | Member Since 12/4/2007
I have always health tested my dogs and have increased the depth of health clearances in the past few years. I not only do annual CERF (eye clearances by board certified opthamology specialist) or OFA eye exams with my dogs, but I also test thyroids and do OFA patella. I also do OFA cardiac exams. Because I do all of the required testing suggested by Dachshund Club of America, my AKC champions show up in the CHIC registry. Check the OFA and CHIC registry web sites to verify which breeders actually do comprehensive health testing on their dogs. There are sadly very few in this country that do what is recommended by our national breed club (Dachshund Club of America). You can verify that any breeder is doing health clearances on eyes, patellas, hearts, and thyroid by going to www.offa.org and putting in registered names.
Dachshunds are extremely prone to thyroid problems. Some bloodlines have more problems than others. Thyroid profiles on my dogs have been run through both my regular vet and Dr Jean Dodds over the years. I do not have any dogs with thyroid problems and have never bred a dog with thyroid problems. I do the complete thyroid panel that picks up the presence of autoimmune thyroiditis. This is an important question to ask of any breeder. I do not breed dogs that need to be on thyroid meds. I also periodically check thyroids on older dogs in my breeding program...in 2012, CH Kinderteckel's Klaus von Fleming and CH Kinderteckel's Uther Pendragon, both nearly seven years old, passed their Thyroid 5 panel with Dr Jean Dodds with flying colors. In 2013, I did a final OFA thyroid panel on my 9 year old retired brood bitch, to make sure she continues to stay problem free, even though she has long been retired from my breeding program. I have also done complete OFA Expanded Thyroid panels in 2013 on 6 of my champions currently being shown and potentially bred in the future.
I do CERF/OFA eye certifications every year on every dog we are currently showing and will be eventually breeding/have bred. CERF numbers on file with Canine Eye Registration Foundation and OFA registry numbers on file with OFA.
I have more OFA exams on file with the OFA registry than any other standard smooth dachshund breeder in the country. I do OFA eyes, OFA patellas, OFA cardiac exams, and complete OFA thyroid panels. That is why my dogs have CHIC (Canine Health Information Center) registry numbers. I am the only breeder of smooth standard dachshunds in California, to my knowledge, that does OFA health clearances on all dogs we breed and show.
It is also VERY important to know one's pedigrees. This is why I only outcross when necessary.