In this section I will attempt to explain the genetic and common health problems found in Mastiffs. I will also list what health test I test for, (which all breeders should do as well) and I will explain what they are and the importance for testing.

"While Mastiff breeders, no matter how much they test, cannot
guarantee that their puppies will not experience these problems,
their use of genetic testing and the breeding of only tested clear
dogs will reduce that risk. Breeders that test all of their dogs
and require that all puppy buyers do likewise are making a sincere
effort to reduce the incidence of genetic disease."  - Mike McBee

First let us talk about why it is important to health test your Mastiff. Every breed can suffer from genetic health issues which are passed down through breeding. A professional breeder knows this and will perform all the nessary test to insure that those genetic health issues are not present in there line or they will not breed. There are a lot of breeders out there that do not perform any health test other then your typical puppy shots and de-worming. From my personal experience I found that the reason many do not test is because of two reasons - Breeder's lack of education on the breed or the breeder is just trying to save a few bucks. If you ever come across a breeder as such just walk away. How can you possibly call yourself a breeder when you do not have any regard for the quality of puppies you are attempting to produce. It's true that some breeders are not educated enough to know what test to perform, so its up to you the buyer to make sure you question the breeder to find out how much they know about the breed and what health test they have performed so far and what are the results. Many breeders will say they test but make sure you see the certificates.

Most of the common health issues found in Mastiffs are genetic. Which means they pass from parents to pups. By testing for these genetic issues we can give the potential buyers a better chance at having a puppy that will live a long and healthy life. As a breeder why wouldn't you want the best for your puppies and your line. Below is a list of common genetic health problems found in Mastiffs.

Genetic Health Issue Found in Mastiffs

• Joints - Mastiff are big dogs and the most common health issues are Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Dysplasia. Dysplasia is brought about by a laxity of the muscles, connective tissue, and ligaments that should support the joint. Even dysplastic dogs are born with normal hips but the soft tissues that surround the joint start to develop abnormally as the puppy grows. This is because of genetic factors in the individual dog.
  
  
• Eyes problems / Blindness - Mastiff can suffer from eye problems that can lead to blindness, most commonly being Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) , retinal dysplaisa and glaucoma
  
  
• Hypothyroidism and immune deficiencies - Hypothyroidism can cause a wide variety of symptoms, from weight gain or obesity to hair loss and skin problems.
  
  
• Epilepsy, muscular dystrophy and myasthenia gravis - Epilepsy in Mastiffs presents subtle to severe signs of seizures. A genetic seizure condition can occur in Mastiffs called idiopathic (of unknown cause) or inherited epilepsy. Muscular Dystrophy and Myasthenia Gravis are both muscle failure health issues were the muscle cells die or become week and the Mastiff could have problems walking or in worst cases not able to feed its self.
  
  
• Cardiomyopathy - Is a serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes imflamed and doesn't work as well as it should
  

The Next are less serious/ less common Health Issues

• Skin problems [allergies] - Which can be caused by certain dog foods, rubber bowls and other pet products.
  
  
• Heat Murmurs and pulmonic stenosis - Which are issue with the heart and regulation of blood to and from the heart.
  
  
• von Willebrands Disease (vWD) - Von Willebrand Disease is a bleeding disorder caused by a defect or deficiency of a blood clotting protein, called von Willebrand Factor. The disease is estimated to occur in 1% to 2% of the population.
  
  
• Cystinuria - is an inherited autosomal recessive disorder and is characterized by the formation of cystine stones in the kidneys, ureter, and bladder.

The Next are common issues (not genetic), but are important for breeders to know

• Vaginal Brucellosis - Which is bacteria, Brucella canis. Transmission between dogs occurs via mucous membranes, so the bacteria may enter the body through the nose, mouth, conjunctiva of the eye, and vagina. The majority of bacteria in infected dogs are secreted in semen and vaginal secretions, but bacteria may be present in milk, urine and saliva as well. Thus any bodily fluids can infect another dog.
  
  
• Mastitis - This is the inflammation of the parenchyma of the mammary gland (breast in primates, udder in other mammals). You may well end up bottle feeding pups and have a bitch so sick she needs strong antibiotics and sometimes surgery to drain the infection. Very Commom in Mastiffs

As you can see the Mastiff has its share of genetic disease. The good news is that all these genetic disease can be ruled out of your line...well at least we can give the potential puppy buyers a better chance that these issue will not form in our line by testing our dogs and puppies. Nothing is guaranteed, but i would rather drive a car that has been tested with a five star crash rating then a car that has never been test or even checked out. Your chances of having genetic issues is vary low when you breed Mastiff that have passed all these test. Below is a list of what I test for and what I believe other breeders should test for as well (before they breed).

1. OFA Hips & Elbows - This test is to see if the Mastiff suffers from any form of Dysplasia. It should be conducted at 2 years of age.
   
   
2. Patellar Luxation - This is another test of the joints / knee (patellar). The patellar can jump out of the groove and cause the leg to look up.
   
   
3. Cardiac - This is a test on the heart to rule out any heart complications
4. Thyroid - This is a simple blood drawn test that checks the levels of T Cells in the blood. Help rule out any Hypothyroidism and immune deficiencies in the line.
   
   
5. Cystinuria - Which I test for stones found in kidneys and bladders which can cause blockages in Mastiffs.
   
   
6. vWD - Is another simple test which we do while they are 7 weeks old. Very rare and some breeders don't do it anymore. This test will rule out any blood clot issues found in our line.
   
   
7. CERF - Which is a clinic that performs an eye examine - purpose it to rule out any hereditary eye issues that are listed above.
   
   
8. PRA - which stands for Progressive Retinal Atrophy - It is hereditary and is an eye problem that causes dogs to go blind - There is no cure. The good news is that the gene for PRA has been identified and a simple blood test can rule it out. All my dogs are PRA through parantege DNA, which means that their parents or grandparents or great grandparents have been tested and are clear so it is not in the line. If you cross-breed make sure they have been cleared of PRA.
   
   
9. Vaginal Brucellosis - This test i perform before every breeding and recommend that a stud dog performs every 6 months. It is a bacteria that can be transmitted to the puppies during birth and even humans and other dogs - Not good.

Now some health issues such as cancer are only detect once a dog has been diagnoised with it. So remember that genetics plays an important part in this so its up to you the potential buyer to ask questions as to what test do you perform, does the line have any issues with seizures or cancer and then ask to see the certificates or test results.

Finding a breeder who takes the time to do the health test is a great place to start when looking for a new addition to the family. Remember that its only a start then you need to ask about temperaments, soundness and breed type.... Its a lot of work finding the right breeder, but its worth it epecially when it comes to Mastiffs. They are like kids and having to watch them suffer because of irresponsible breeding really hurts to see.