Originally Posted by
maplevizsla
Hungarian Vizslas:
Basic:
-Hips
-Eyes
Additional:
-Elbows (more so currently now as Vizslas are cropping up with this issue)
-Heart
-Thyroid (seeing more of this, some breeders won't breed unless sire/dam is tested)
(I don't know if there is a test for these:
-Epilepsy
-Von Willebrand's (bleeding disorder)
-Cranial muscular atrophy
Optional:
-Brucellosis before breeding
I believe the testing is necessary and important. Vizslas are still experiencing hip dysplasia and eye problems such as entropion are existent and these dogs should NOT be in a breeding program. Our breed is seeing elbow issues coming into the light now (or just more breeders/owners are admitting their dog has it). I haven't heard of prevelant heart issues in our breed, so I would forgo that test. As far as thyroid goes, it is just a snapshot of that moment of testing. My biitch could have been bred at the time when her test came back for normal thyroid....tests later on indicated thyroid problem. So that one is iffy.
We don't hear as much about epilepsy or Von Willebrand's now as I recall doing 16 years ago when I first came onto the Vizsla scene. What our breed is seeing in Vizslas in the UK is cranial muscular atrophy - very very sad suffering fate for the dog.
The 2 issues in our breed that SO MANY breeders and owners are hiding is allergies and cancers. I hear rumours all the time that various puppies down certain lines are repeatedly being struck by allergies or cancers and those dams and sires are still being used, as are their offspring and their offspring and so forth. This is a touchy subject from various folks I've discussed it with. No one wants to admit their dog has it, no one wants to admit they breed dogs with it and no one seems to care to correct it.