Top 10 Worst Excuses Breeders Use for NOT Doing Health Testing

Here are the TOP TEN Worst Excuses which breeders of the Giant Schnauzer have actually used to explain why they do not health test their Giant Schnauzer breeding stock. Below these excuses are the real facts. The excuses are listed in reverse order, from the least offensive to the most outrageous.

#10. I refuse to have my Giant Schnauzers anesthetized to have their hips x-rayed. Veterinarians and veterinary assistants who are competent with radiography equipment can x-ray the hips of un-anesthetized Giant Schnauzer without any problems.

#9. Heath tested and cleared dogs still could be carriers for a genetic defect and produce defective puppies, so why bother? Genetic health test clearances do not guarantee that Giant Schnauzer litters will be disease-free, but the odds in favor of producing genetic disease-free Giant Schnauzer puppies are greatly increased when only tested and cleared Giant Schnauzers are bred. Therefore, it is irresponsible to the puppies and the buyers to not test and clear all Giant Schnauzer breeding stock.

#8. I can tell whether any of my Giant Schnauzers have hip or elbow dysplasia by watching how they walk, so I don’t need to have their hips and elbows x-rayed. Wrong! Even board certified veterinary orthopedists cannot accurately diagnose or eliminate the possibility of hip or elbow dysplasia by watching dogs walk and move about.

#7. Whether I health test my Giant Schnauzers and what the results may be are nobody’s business but my own. Wrong! It is irresponsible to the breed, to other breeders, and to buyers to refuse to disclose genetic health test results of Giant Schnauzer breeding stock.

#6. Current health tests are not always accurate, and I won’t health test my Giant Schnauzers until I know that the results will be totally accurate and definitive While there never are absolute guaranties in medical testing, the recommended health testing procedures are the most accurate ones available, and are updated as additional scientific information becomes available. This excuse is the last refuge of the irresponsible breeder who refuses to recognize what harm s/he is doing to the Giant Schnauzer breed by breeding only for looks and ignoring severe genetic health defects.

#5. Health testing is just a marketing tool used by some breeders. Wrong, again! This is yet another oft-used excuse for not health testing breeding stock. Claiming to health test, but not actually fully health testing and disclosing the results, is a marketing tool used by many breeders. Health testing is the best tool for reducing known health problems.

#4. Too much health testing will prevent me from producing Giant Schnauzers of proper type and temperament. So, what this breeder ends up producing is pretty Giant Schnauzers which are much more likely to suffer from long-term agonizing pain and die young.

#3. If I had to follow the GSCA Code of Ethics, I wouldn’t have any Giant Schnauzers to breed. Then, perhaps this breeder should be looking for some other breed of dog to ruin.

#2. If I feed the proper diet and supplement with vitamins, I will not have any genetic health problems because health problems are caused by improper diet and/or commercial dog food. A sure sign of ignorance about the mode of inheritance of most genetic diseases. While an improper diet can be a contributing factor in some diseases, the scientific evidence does not support the claim that diet or commercially prepared dog food causes genetic diseases.

And the Number One Worst Excuse Giant Schnauzer breeders use for not health testing:

#1. There is no [insert genetic defect here] in my Giant Schnauzers’ bloodlines. Wrong!Wrong! Wrong! Every Giant Schnauzer bloodline is infected with some severe genetic defects. It is up to you as a buyer to make sure that you understand before you buy a puppy from someone that the breeder is doing all that he or she can to reduce the incidence of serious health problems within the breed.