It is our goal as breeders to produce the best quality Catahoulas that we humanly can.
Just as we would not knowingly place a bad part in a car, neither would we knowingly
breed a defect into our gene pool. Though Mother Nature has a mind of her own we
do our best to ensure the health and quality of our breeding stock & offspring by
testing our dogs for various genetic defects common with this breed. When our
offspring is tested it gives us a wealth of information and helps us decide whether or
not to repeat the breeding. Through continuous self education & testing we can strive
to improve our line and the Catahoula as a breed. We keep our standards high in order
to do our part in producing quality dogs and improving the Catahoula.
Hip Testing
This is our number one requirement when we choose to breed. Both PennHip (after 4
months of age) & OFA (after 2 years of age) require a series of x-rays done through
a licensed veterinarian. They are simple procedures that usually require light
anesthesia & a days stay at the hospital. Though the there is a price to pay for the
procedure itself the knowledge is invaluable. Dysplasia is a genetic disease & can be
passed on to the offspring for generations which can be devastating to entire litters &
their futures as healthy animals. Symptoms may appear both at a very young age or
later on in life & sometimes not at all. Even if a dog has never shown any signs of
dysplasia it may still be passed on through the genes. Testing your dog is the only way to
know! We require proof of a passing hip score from either PennHip or OFA before a
breeding to one of our studs will be approved.
PennHip is a very accurate method of measuring the tightness of the hip joint in it's
socket. Dogs with tighter hips are less likely to develop degenerative joint disease (DJD)
in the future. The radiographs can also tell if there is signs of DJD as early as 4
months old. This is our preferred method of testing.
OFA is a certification program that judges the quality of the dog's hips & elbows either
as a preliminary (prior to 24 months) or as an adult. (after 24 months). Xrays are
taken and the films are then sent to OFA and is then examined by 3 board certified
veterinarians who grade the hips to the best of their knowledge. Passing results
(excellent, good & fair) are then placed into the OFA public database for future
reference.
It is our personal opinion that PennHip is a much more accurate method of hip testing
& though we do not discredit the potential value of the OFA test by any means we will
only use OFA to test dogs whose hips are borderline with PennHip as the results have a
tendency to be suggestive and fluctuate with the quality of xrays and opinions of the
veterinarians.
- More Information & a list of cooperating veterinarians:
Penn Hip (University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program)
O.F.A. (Orthopaedic Foundation of America)
Pumpkin Hill Catahoulas, located in Florida, keeps a very up-to-date & informative list
of tested dogs and their scores. To view this data please go to their website:
BAER & CERF Testing
Our dogs have been both BAER & Cerf tested. We offer incentives to new owners who
provide these tests to puppies purchased from us.
BAER also known as brain stem auditory evoked response is an electronic method of
testing the dog's hearing. By using small electrodes placed under the skin of the scalp
electrical activity in the auditory pathways of the brain can be collected and hearing
ability can be determined. Deafness is a common defect in the Catahoula.
The CERF ( Canine Eye Registration Foundation) test is a thorough eye exam done by a
certified veterinary ophthalmologist to determine whether a dog has a heritable eye
disease or other eye condition by using dilating eye drops & special scopes. A copy of
the results are then sent in to CERF for their records but may be entered into their
registry for a small fee. Catahoulas are prone to various eye disorders including but
not limited to coloboma, micropthalmos and blindness. These conditions are more
prominent in excessive white dogs (70% white or more) but can affect any dog.
More information & a list of cooperating veterinarians:
BAER (brain stem auditory evoked response)
CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation)
- DNA Testing
Beginning Spring 2009 our breeding stock will be tested for the merle gene as we feel
necessary. The merle gene is responsible for the leoparding in the Catahoula as well
as a handful of other breeds and is linked to ophthalmic and auditory abnormalities
This test determines whether or not a dog carries the merle gene and in what
capacity by identifying a single or double merle as well as cryptic merles (dogs who
show no signs of merle traits). Though it is not mandatory it is important when breeding
as it allows the breeder to avoid undesirable merle to merle breedings and also to
predict coat colors in expected offspring. It will give us as breeders a broader view of
what we are doing genetically.
More information:
GenMark DNA Testing
- Brucellosis Testing
Beginning Spring 2009 our dogs will undergo Brucellosis testing as needed.
Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that causes abortion and infertility in dogs and is
passed via the mucous membranes. The bacteria may enter the body through the
nose, mouth, conjunctiva of the eye, and vagina. The majority of bacteria in infected
dogs are secreted in semen and vaginal fluids, but bacteria may be present in milk,
urine and saliva as well. Thus any bodily fluids can infect another dog. For all intents
and purposes this is a permanent condition as it is difficult and costly to treat and dogs
may have relapses. It is a zoonotic bacteria and may be spread to humans under the
right conditions though the level of infectivity varies depending on the bacteria type.
Testing for Brucellosis is a simple blood test that your veterinarian can do for you.
More information:
Canine Brucellosis FAQ (pdf)
Contact us if you have any questions regarding our testing policies
- Policies may change at our discretion without notice.
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