Breeder Health Testing - Required?
 

Hello! I'm going to be getting my first puppy ever. A yorkie! I'm over the moon!

The breeder I'm talking to has done acid bile liver tests on her parents and they don't have eye issues down the line.

Have any of you brought from breeders who don't do health and genetic testing? Is that a no go?

This breeder is charging $1500 for a male and he is sold pet only with no akc papers but does come with a year health guarantee, all shots, dewormed and vet checked.

She is reputable and comes highly recommended.

Is this a cause for concern? Or should I only be buying from someone who does more testing?

I know that either way there are no guarantees but I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing for myself and the life of my new puppy.

Thanks in advance!

Soon to be yorkie mama! :animal-pa

Bumping Up...can someone respond?

I would not buy from a breeder who did not do genetic testing. Also, NEVER without a written guarantee. That breeder is selling puppies for that price and not giving/doing either.
I would RUN, not walk, away. You can see what tests are available for yorkies here:

www.ofa.org

I would not consider a breeder like that to be reputable at all and would not care who said she was.

Thanks!

She does offer a year health guarantee. Is that what you mean by written guarantee or is that something else?

Oh, I misread that.

I remain of the same opinion. Many of the genetic issues that occur in yorkies are not picked up in the first year; and honestly, the only ones who suffer are the pups and their owners. When a breeder isn't bothering to test her breeding dogs, he/she does not care and is only looking at money.

I would run away quickly before you fall in love with a little furball that could break your heart and the bank. Maybe you want to be a gambler? Up to you, but remember this, buying from disreputable breeders causes more irresponsible breeding. AND more suffering for the poor pups.

A reputable breeder does everything they can to insure they are bringing the healthier puppies possible into the world and giving them the best start unfortunately breeders who are not doing health testing are not doing that. I also doubt that she actually has AKC papers because you can make then where they are pet only and by her not doing that and trying to use pet only as an excuse I doubt they even are AKC and this sets you up to nt having a pure bred Yorkie. I have ha basically 6 yorkies (one was mom) none were had health testing and none came from a good breeding and although I was lucky enough to get my current 4 on pet insurance that was not the case with my first and what is worse then the money which I spend thousands upon thousands because of genetic issues she had was the fact of having to watch her suffer and go through so much because of bad breeding. I remember talking to a few veterinarians who were asked about what age to get your dog fixed and about over vaccination and such and how they played apart in keeping your dog alive longer and they all said what actually matters the most is their genetics. Here is a list of what reputable breeders should be testing for https://ofa.org/chic-programs/browse-by-breed/?breed=YT

I fostered medical cases and mill puppies for many years and have come quite disillusioned with any vet testing dogs get sold with ... Most my medical cases were from AKC breeders, some even from so called " show lines" , often people payed thousands to end up with a dog that still ended up with quite severe medical issues. Unless I know the vet who did the exam on the parents and puppy and has known the breeder and the dogs for a while - I would be very careful believing any kind of vet checks ... With any dog no matter if they are pure bred or not , check or not ...medical issues can happen... and they often go undiagnosed for the first few years. Longlivety is not guaranteed - my most long lived dogs 16.5 still alive and another lived to 17.5) were both mutts that were bred by back yard breeder who likely bred for profit rather than health ( rescues). My most medically fragile were pure bred yorkies and a Shih tzu from " show lines" that was surrendered due to her myriad of health issues) . The best thing you can do it to meet the breeder at a vet and have that vet at least look that puppy over but even that will not tell you if puppy will develop a serious illness later. Dogs - like people ... get cancer, cataracts, vascular disease, gland issues and allergies regardless of breed or quality ... get pet insurance or even better establish a little savings account for surprise medical expenses ... that is the best you can do for any dog !

Oh, I would not take the word of a breeder's vet either. I recommended genetic testing which is really the best you can do. I would never purchase a puppy from a breeder who did not do genetic tests on the dogs they breed. (The Canine Health Information Center | OFA) It DOES eliminate some conditions. Yes, dogs do get sick just like humans and with vet care being more expansive and expensive, I always recommend pet insurance. All of mine are insured. One hospitalization can set you back thousands these days.

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