Every breeder claims health testing. Very few will hand over the paperwork unprompted, and most buyers do not know what to ask for. Here is the list, so you can ask precisely.
The physical evaluations
| Test | What it checks | When | Acceptable result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiac evaluation | Congenital heart disease, particularly pulmonic stenosis — the most significant heart problem in the breed | After 12 months, by a cardiologist where possible | Normal, with the examiner's qualification noted |
| Patella evaluation | Loose kneecaps | After 12 months | Normal |
| Hip evaluation (OFA or PennHIP) | Hip dysplasia | After 24 months for a final OFA grade | Fair or better; bulldogs grade poorly as a breed, so context matters |
| Tracheal hypoplasia (x-ray) | An abnormally narrow windpipe — a major airway risk | After 12 months | Normal tracheal diameter ratio |
| Airway / BOAS assessment | Functional breathing under mild exercise | Adult | Grade 0 or 1 on a recognised functional grading scheme |
| Ophthalmologist eye exam | Entropion, ectropion, cherry eye, distichiasis | Annually | Clear, or noted and treated |
The DNA panel
DNA tests are one-off and inexpensive, and they tell you what a dog can pass on regardless of how it looks. A bulldog breeding pair should have results on file for:
- Hyperuricosuria (HUU) — causes urate bladder stones. Common in the breed and easily avoided by not pairing two carriers.
- Cystinuria — another stone-forming disorder.
- Degenerative myelopathy (DM) — progressive spinal cord disease.
- Canine multifocal retinopathy (CMR1) — retinal lesions; bulldogs are a documented at-risk breed.
- Juvenile hereditary cataract, where the parent lines warrant it.
- Merle allele length, on any dog in a programme producing merle — this is how cryptic merles are caught.
- Colour loci (D, B/Co, A, S) — not a health test, but it is how a breeder plans a litter honestly rather than guessing.
How to read a certificate
- Check the dog's registered name and registration number on the certificate match the parent you were told about. Mismatched paperwork is the most common form of health-testing fraud.
- Check the date. A cardiac evaluation from before the dog's first birthday is not a final result.
- Check who signed it. A general practice vet, a board-certified cardiologist and an OFA-registered examiner are not equivalent, and the certificate says which.
- Check whether the result is public. OFA results can be looked up by registered name on the OFA database — do it yourself rather than trusting a PDF.
- For DNA panels, check the laboratory and that the report lists the specific conditions, not just a logo and the word “clear”.
What testing does not promise
Health testing reduces the odds of inherited disease. It does not eliminate them, and it says nothing about accidents, infection or the effects of overfeeding — which, in this breed, does more damage than genetics. A tested pairing is a breeder doing their part. Keeping the dog lean, cool and out of the midday sun is yours.
Common questions
At minimum a cardiac evaluation, patella evaluation, hip evaluation, tracheal hypoplasia x-ray and an ophthalmologist eye exam, plus a DNA panel covering hyperuricosuria, cystinuria, degenerative myelopathy and canine multifocal retinopathy. Any programme producing merle should also have DNA confirmation of merle allele length on both parents.
Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome — the combination of narrowed nostrils, an overlong soft palate, a narrow windpipe and everted laryngeal saccules that makes breathing difficult in flat-faced dogs. It is graded functionally from 0 to 3 by exercising the dog and listening. Severe cases need surgery; moderate ones are managed with weight control and heat avoidance.
No. A carrier has one copy of a recessive gene and will never show the condition. It only matters for breeding: two carriers bred together can produce affected puppies. A carrier bred to a clear dog cannot. A responsible breeder discloses carrier status and pairs around it.
Often, yes. OFA results are published in a free, searchable public database by registered name and number. Ask for the parents' registered names, look them up, and confirm the results match what you were shown. DNA panel reports should name the testing laboratory and list each condition individually.
No, and any breeder promising that is overselling. Testing removes known inherited conditions from the pairing and dramatically lowers the risk, but it cannot rule out everything. What it does guarantee is that the breeder looked before they bred — which is the difference that matters.