Health Testing
Before any dog joins our program, we run a full DNA panel and have their heart, knees, and hips checked. We use those results to choose pairings, and we share them with every family.
What We Test
We follow the testing the Dachshund Club of America recommends for the breed. Heart, knee, hip, and eye results are recorded with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), where anyone can look them up.
- DNA panelEmbark or Wisdom Panel
- A cheek swab that screens for inherited diseases and tells us exactly which color and coat genes each dog carries.
- HeartOFA cardiac exam
- A veterinarian listens for murmurs and other signs of heart disease.
- KneesOFA patellas
- A hands-on exam for kneecaps that slip out of place, which is common in small breeds.
- HipsOFA hip x-rays
- X-rays are graded by OFA specialists for hip dysplasia.
- EyesCAER exam
- A yearly exam by a veterinary eye specialist for inherited eye disease.
What the DNA Panel Screens For
Most of these are rare. Testing is how we keep it that way, because two carriers are never bred together.
- PRA-cord1
- An eye disease that causes vision loss over time.
- Lafora disease
- A seizure disorder that shows up later in life, mostly in wirehaired dachshunds.
- Degenerative myelopathy
- A slow weakening of the back legs in older dogs.
- Osteogenesis imperfecta
- Brittle bones and teeth that break easily.
- NCL
- A rare disease that affects the brain and nervous system.
- MPS IIIA
- A rare disease that affects balance and coordination.
- Narcolepsy
- Sudden episodes of sleep.
- IVDD risk (CDDY)
- Almost every dachshund carries this back disc risk gene. It cannot be bred out, so we focus on fit, lean parents and teach every family back-safe habits.
A Note on Dapples
Dapples are beautiful, but a puppy with two copies of the dapple gene (a double dapple) can be born blind, deaf, or with eye defects. That is why we never breed two dapples together.
Because every dog is DNA tested, we also catch the faint or hidden dapples you cannot see by looking at the coat.
Want to see a parent's results? Just ask and we will send them.