Listening to the heart and lungs Looking in the mouth Checking the eyes for glaucoma, lens changes, cataracts, or other genetic issues Examining the fur and skin Testing the range of motion in the joints Elbow grading Performing a vaginal exam to check for vaginal abnormalities (for female dogs only) Performing vaginal cytology to look at the cells in the vagina (for female dogs only)
If your dog does have heartworms, you can typically treat it with a round of medication. You can usually treat brucellosis with antibiotics. [3] X Research source
Internal parasites can make your dog sick and/or unable to carry a pregnancy. The parasites could also get passed on to the puppies. Fortunately, you can treat intestinal worms in your dog. If your dog has intestinal worms, your vet will prescribe a medication called a dewormer that will kill the worms.
Vaccines for canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis, and rabies are common for most dogs. [6] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source If you aren’t sure if your dog is up to date or not, ask your vet to check their records.
Others may need a hip certification, either through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) or University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Plan (PennHip).
After the exam, you can send the owner’s copy of the form to the OFA Eye Certification Registry. If your dog passed the CERF exam, meaning it’s free of genetic eye diseases, you will receive an official Eye Certification Registry certificate number. Because the CERF exam is a yearly exam, your dog’s eyes will need to be certified each year, even after it stops breeding. CERF exams are useful for most dogs, but some breed clubs do not endorse or value CERF exams, so it may be unnecessary.
A hip evaluation involves taking multiple x-rays of the hips. To do this, your dog may be sedated. The PennHip test, which can be performed in dogs as young as 4 months old, is performed by a PennHip-certified vet. A dog must be at least 2 years old for the OFA hip evaluation. The hip x-rays will be sent to the OFA, which will evaluate the x-rays and determine the health of your dog’s hips. Typically, hip evaluations are done in larger dog breeds that are predisposed to hip issues. The vet will perform “hip scoring,” and give their hips a number on a scale from 0 to 106. [10] X Research source
To find out more information about your dog’s genetic testing recommendations, search for their breed on The Kennel Club’s website.
Will your dog contribute to the improvement of the breed? Do you have money set aside for emergency veterinary care? Are you knowledgeable about what’s involved in a dog pregnancy, including whelping (giving birth) and raising newborn puppies? Do you know about your dog breed’s genetic diseases? Would you be willing to take the puppies back if an owner decides it doesn’t want them? Can you make yourself or another adult available 24 hours a day after the mother dog gives birth?
Ideally, a female dog should not be bred until it’s at least 2 years old and has had 2 or 3 menstrual cycles. [14] X Research source Breeding your dog too soon can lead to problems, especially if they aren’t physically able to breed yet. Breeding a female dog too early could mean they aren’t ready to handle pregnancy, which can cause health issues.
Feeding your dog a healthy diet. Exercising your dog every day. Taking your dog to your vet for regular wellness exams.
