Our Services
Health Screening Tests
Von Willebrand’s Disease
Knowing if your dog has this condition before an emergency situation arises can mean the difference between life and death. Similar to hemophilia in humans, von Willebrand’s disease can cause life-threatening bleeding. Many dogs carry this disease genetically but go undetected until a minor surgery or small, superficial injury causes significant blood loss.
We offer testing for this disease, which some breeds inherit at high rates. As many as 50% of Dobermans have it. Other commonly affected breeds include German Shepherds, German Shorthaired and Wire-Haired Pointers, Golden and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Poodles, Scottish and Manchester Terriers, and Shetland Sheepdogs. If your dog belongs to an at-risk breed, we recommend testing.
Some animals show no signs of the disease but carry this genetic problem. If these dogs reproduce, they can pass the disease to their offspring. If you are a breeder, we strongly recommend testing your dogs for von Willebrand’s disease before breeding. Please call us to schedule the test.
Renal Dysplasia
Renal dysplasia is a disorder where the kidneys do not develop normally. It most commonly affects Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, and Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers. Dogs usually show clinical signs before one year of age.
This genetic disease has no cure, and many affected dogs develop kidney failure. Management options remain limited and often expensive. Some dogs carry the disorder but maintain normal kidney function; however, they can still pass the trait to their offspring.
If you’re a breeder, testing for renal dysplasia can significantly reduce your chances of breeding this inherited problem in your dogs. Please call us to schedule this test.
Hip Dysplasia
Canine hip dysplasia (abnormal development of the hip joint) begins when a young dog’s hip joint becomes loose or unstable. If you leave this instability undiagnosed and untreated, abnormal wear of the hip cartilage will occur, eventually leading to osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease. Signs include pain, reluctance to get up or exercise, difficulty climbing stairs, a “bunny-hopping” gait, limping, and lameness—especially after rest or activity.
Hip dysplasia most often affects large- and giant-breed dogs, but smaller dogs can also develop it. Genetics often play a role, but young dogs that grow or gain weight too quickly or do too much high-impact exercise also face risk. Excess weight can worsen hip dysplasia.
We can help prevent or slow this condition by monitoring food intake and ensuring that your dog gets proper exercise as he or she ages. We can also screen your dog for hip dysplasia, using one of two methods. The earlier we can diagnose hip dysplasia, the better the possible outcome for your dog.
We can x-ray your dog’s hips for hip dysplasia at 2 years of age. We will forward these radiographs to the OFA, where board-certified radiologists will evaluate and grade your dog’s hips for OFA certification. Correct positioning of your dog is essential for proper radiographic evaluation, so a general anaesthetic is required to make the procedure less stressful for him or her.
We can x-ray your dog’s hips using the PennHIP method for evaluating hip dysplasia in dogs, which can be performed much earlier (at 16 weeks of age) than OFA certification. Requiring a general anaesthetic, it involves x-raying your dog’s hips in three different positions to measure how loose the joints are and determine the presence or likelihood of osteoarthritis. If you are a breeder, consider using this test to help you select good breeding candidates at a younger age. If your dog competes athletically, consider using this technique to evaluate the future soundness of your dogs or puppies.
