Tilly and Lark both took part in a heart testing clinic held at the Central & Southern GSP Society open show May Day bank holiday weekend.
This is not a required health test for German Shorthaired Pointers, but we felt that it was too good an opportunity to miss.
GSP generally have very healthy hearts, which is why the test is not a requirement. However, because they are such energetic dogs, it is very common for them to have what is known as “flow murmours”. These are also common amongst race horses and human athletes. These cause no problems for the dog and are not seen as a fault, either genetically or in breeding terms.
There is also a less common problem with heart valves. This would be of more concern.
I am pleased to report that both girls came back with excellent results.
The only required health test for German Shorthaired Pointers is hip scoring. This is done by x-ray and each hip is given a score out of 53, so a combined score of 106. The lower the score the better, although there is a school of thought that says that a dog with a hip score of 0/0 is likely to have issues with movement due to the tightness of the hip joint. A combined score up to 20 would be deemed acceptable and it is better for the hips to be equal, ie a score of 10/10 would be better than a score of 1/15, even though it is a higher combined score.
Some breeders also have an eye tests done. Again, this is not a required health test, as there are no inherited eye conditions within the breed. The tests are also only valid for a year.