All breeds have health issues. Portuguese Water Dogs are no different. But as a responsible breeder we do our best to minimize the health issues within our control.
We follow the guidelines for health testing as recommended by the PWDCA. All breeding sires and dams are screened for the following:
PRA- progressive retinal atrophy: Is an inherited eye disorder that may lead to irreversible retinal degeneration and blindness.
GM-1: Is a storage disease that the affected animal lacks specific enzymes which causes toxins to build up in nerve cells of the animal. This disorder is fatal.
JDCM: Juvenile Dilated Cardio Myopathy – It is a recessive condition that is deadly to those affected by the condition.
OFA Hips: All dogs can be screened for hip dysplasia at 2 years of age when they reach skeletal maturity.
*These are recessive disorders, meaning a carrier may be safely bred to a non-carrier and the particular health issue will not affect the offspring. We are fortunate as breeders to have these tests available to us so we may make educated decisions in breeding and avoid these debilitating diseases in our beloved breed.
While there are other disorders that may plague the PWD there have not been any formal tests developed to help us identify the method of transfer to the affected puppies. The best we can do as a breeder is test for what we know and be upfront and share information for the things we cannot test for. For a complete list of health issues in the PWD please follow the link http://www.pwdca.org/health.