Health Testing

Here at Encore I take the health of my dogs very seriously, the following is my current health testing schedule. This testing protocol is based on my interpretation of information from veterinary specialists and is modified as new information becomes available.

Every effort is made to breed healthy Boxers with sound temperaments, there is however no guarantee that a puppy from Encore will never develop a health issue at some point in its life.

  • Doppler at 2 years of age.

  • Holter at 2 years of age.

  • Holter every 2 years until 8.

  • DNA test for ARVC - Arthythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy.

  • DNA test for DM - Degenerative Myelopathy.

There is some discrepancy as to the accuaracy of these DNA tests among the experts and futher the penetrance of the genes if a dog does in fact carry it. Tests are performed and recorded in the hopes that they will at some point be a clear indicator of disease and therefore influence breeding choices.

The following tests are performed if there appears to be a medical reason for them.

  • Hips at 2 years of age.

  • Thyroid - when indicated.