Definitely ask your breeder what genetic/health screening she does. Ask if she has had both parents knees checked for luxating patellas and if they are OFA (Orthopedic Foundation of America) certified. Also ask if both parents have been screened for liver disease and make sure your puppy has a bile acids test before she comes home. Both luxating patellas and liver disease run in Yorkies and treatment is very expensive, thousands of dollars.
A good breeder will be knowledgable about genetic defects/diseases that run in her breed and will be able to tell you what she has done to insure her puppies are free from them.
It's very important to remember that just because a puppy is healthy when you first get him home, if he's poorly bred he may not stay that way. It can be years before "genetic time bombs" start going off. My Maltese Lady is a rescue and was perfectly healthy until she was nearly five. Her "bombs" started to go off then and she now has diabetes, epilepsy, hypothyroidism and allergies, all most likely inherited. She costs me over $3,000 a year in vet bills and medications. |