08/17/2026
What does “health screening/testing” mean? Why is it important to ask for these things before breeding or purchasing a pure bred Chow Chow?
Just because they are “registered with AKC”, are they automatically assumed healthy?
For the last question, the simple answer is sadly, NO.
To answer the first two questions, having your veterinarian examine your dog is one thing. But for ethical and preservation breeders, we have a responsibility to assure healthy dogs in order to preserve the future of our breed.
In the United States, we generally look to the organization- OFA. The Orthopedic Foundation For Animals. Per breed, there are health certification tests that have identified physical areas where certain breeds have historically been vulnerable. Passing these test give greater assurances of a healthy life of the dog that is tested and projects the probability of passing healthy genes to the next generation if part of a breeding program.
For the Chow Chow, most preservation and ethical breeders will follow the guidelines set by the OFA, and test their dogs accordingly.
For more information on these tests and what we will discuss in this series, please see:
Browse through breed-specific health screenings. Contact us if you have any questions or need additional information.
