The Importance of Health
What are Health Clearances?
Health clearances can involve various methods of testing including physical exams, blood samples, echocardiograms, and x-rays to determine if the dog has any hereditary disease(s). This allows a breeder to be aware of any health issue in their line. Health clearances enable pet owners to have a complete understanding of their dog's health and any needs their pet may have. Lastly, health clearances allow the breeders the opportunity to identify, monitor, and come together to develop plans to minimize a disease that may be common in their breed. For example, we know the Dalmation should be tested for congenital deafness. The Welsh Corgi should be evaluated for retinal atrophy. Through testing and reporting the results to the OFA we are able to build a health profile for the breed allowing us to make more informed pairings. The German Spitz is rare therefore the OFA does not have a large enough population to develop an accurate profile for the breed. As of 2024 there are less than 100 German Spitz reported on the OFA website. In comparison, the Dalmation has nearly 14,000 individual entries. The Golden Retriever has over 160,000.
Genetic Profiling
Genetic profiling is improving every year and allows us to authenticate purity of breed, measure inbreeding coefficients, attempt to understand coat colors, and screen for several life threatening diseases based on specific breeds. Each Legacy puppy will be DNA profiled before leaving to their forever home.
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The Legacy Kennels Difference
The best defense is a good offense and that is the approach we take with our litters. Each Legacy puppy is required to obtain testing for eyes, patellas, elbows, hips, and heart via echocardiogram by OFA certified veterinarians. This helps preserve not only our lines, but ensures we are actively monitoring for issues that can creep into any line if not responsibly managed. While this sounds intimidating, it is not an all at once endeavor and can be completed over the span of several years. Of course we will be there every step of the way to answer questions and guide in finding affordable and effective testing opportunities.
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Search the German Spitz at OFA