Madrona Chesapeake Bay Retrievers

 

Puppy Information

A Madrona Chesapeake Puppy will be with you for a lifetime of love and retrieving.   

Giving your future puppy the best start possible is very important to me.  As a Veterinary Technician, my goal is to go above and beyond what is expected.  Your new puppy will be ready to take on the world when they leave.  Expect a healthy, confident and outgoing puppy that is ready to learn!

This is what you can expect...

Dewclaws will be removed at this point, but this could change.  Many breeders leave them on and have no issues.  l left the dewclaws on the last Jade and Macy litters.  I will track how the puppies are doing with keeping them on and see if there are any issues reported.  It is rare that front dewclaws are injured.  There is some research on this and the role front dewclaws have, plus some increased Pastern problems when they are removed.

Vaccinations and Deworming:  All puppies will have 2 distemper/parvo vaccinations, a Kennel Cough vaccination and receive de-worming treatments before leaving for their new homes.  Each puppy will have a flea preventative applied before going to homes.

Microchip:  All puppies will be microchipped and registered.

AKC Registration:  All puppies will be registered with the AKC and must carrier the "Madrona" name at the beginning of their registered name.  Puppies will carry limited registrations unless special arrangements have been made.

Socialization:  All puppies will go through "Early Neurological Stimulation" and "Early Scent Introduction" the first 2 weeks of their life, then "Puppy Culture" exercises daily.  Then continued exposure to new sights, sounds, obstacles and stimulations as much as possible until they are ready to go to their new homes at 9 weeks old.   Puppies will be socialized with children, cats, birds, gun shots and water (weather permitting).  They go on several car trips around town and

Introduction to: Water, Live pigeons, Gun Shots and Dead Ducks

Guarantee:  All puppies will NOT be affected by the hereditary diseases of PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), DM (degenerative myelopathy), or EIC (exercise induced collapse).  All 3 diseases have a DNA based test to determines the parents status and we breed for unaffected puppies yet use the largest gene pool and keep genetic diversity within the breed.

Go Home Bag:  Each puppy will have a bag of goodies to go home with them.  It will include AKC information, a leash, a toy, a puppy health record,  training information, tub of Dr. Kruger's Puppy & Pregnancy supplement, and food samples just to name a few things.

Supplements:  I am using Dr. Kruger supplements for my dogs.  Pregnancy and Puppy for mom and pups when weaned.   Pups can be on this until they are 6 months old.   After that my dogs are on Dr. Kruger's Skin and Coat formula.   I also use Freeze Dried Raw (there are several good brands to choose from) and Salmon oil.

 

What is AKC Limited Registration?

Limited Registration means that the dog is registered but no litters produced by that dog are eligible for registration.    Each registration certificate for such dog shall carry notice of the limitation, and the limitation shall continue, regardless of any change of ownership, unless and until the owner(s) of the litter at birth shall apply to AKC for removal of the limitation."

 A dog registered with an AKC Limited Registration shall be ineligible to be entered in a breed competition in a licensed or member dog show.  It is eligible, however, to be entered in any other licensed or member event.  These events include: Obedience, Tracking, Field Trials, Hunting Tests, Herding, Lure Coursing, Agility and Earthdog.  

Limited Registration can be changed to Full Registration only by the litter owner(s).

What are Health Clearances?

OFA Hips and Elbows -  OFA is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals - www.offa.org :  X-rays are taken of the hips and elbows and sent to OFA for evaluation by board certified veterinarians.  These Veterinarians score the conformation of the Hips as Excellent, Good, Fair or Dysplastic.  Genetics and Environment can play a role in Hip Dysplasia. It is recommended to keep your dog lean and not fat, no heavy exercise for young dogs and limit jumping.  Extended time laying in a crate can also play a role in excessive hip flexion. Swimming is the BEST exercise for young dogs and dogs of all age, I highly recommend a TON of swimming!

OFA eye exam

Orthopedic Foundation For Animals has taken over the database for the eye exam.  The same principles apply as for the former CERF exam.

The purpose of the OFA Eye Certification Registry (CAER) is to provide breeders with information regarding canine eye diseases so that they may make informed decisions in an effort to produce healthier dogs.  CAER certifications will be performed by board certified (ACVO) veterinary ophthalmologists.

HOW DOES CAER WORK?

After the painless examination of the dogs eyes, the A.C.V.O. Diplomate will complete the CAER form and indicate any specific disease(s) found. Breeding advice will be offered based on guidelines established for that particular breed by the genetics Committee of the A.C.V.O. Bear in mind that CAER and the A.C.V.O. are separate, but cooperating entities. The A.C.V.O only provides their professional services and expertise to ensure that uniform standards are upheld for the certification of dog's eyes with the CAER organization.

If your dog is certified to be free of heritable eye disease, you can then send in the completed owner's copy of the CAER form with the appropriate fee

Certification is good for 12 months from the date of the eye exam. Annual re-examination is recommended.

PRA - Progressive Retinal Atrophy:  An eye disease in dogs which causes blindness.  Chesapeake Bay Retrievers have a form called prcd-PRA.  It has a late onset and initially causes "night blindness" and then progresses to full blindness.    Although prcd-PRA is inherited, it can be avoided in future generations by testing dogs before breeding.  Identification of dogs that do not carry disease genes is the key.  These "clear" dogs can be bred to any mate - even to a prcd-affected dog which may be a desirable breeding prospect for other reasons.
DM - Degenerative Myelopathy:  This is a progressive disease of the spinal cord in older dogs. The disease has an insidious onset typically between 8 and 14 years of age. It begins with a loss of coordination (ataxia) in the hind limbs. The affected dog will wobble when walking, knuckle over or drag the feet. This can first occur in one hind limb and then affect the other. As the disease progresses, the limbs become weak and the dog begins to buckle and has difficulty standing. The weakness gets progressively worse until the dog is unable to walk. The clinical course can range from 6 months to 1 year before dogs become paraplegic. If signs progress for a longer period of time, loss of urinary and fecal continence may occur and eventually weakness will develop in the front limbs. Another key feature of DM is that it is not a painful disease.  There is a DNA based test for one gene involved with this disease, by using this test we can breed away from having at risk animals but still use the entire gene pool to keep genetic diversity in the breed.  
EIC - Exercised Induced Collapse:  Exercise-induced collapse, which has been seen in Labrador retrievers, does also occur in Chesapeake Bay retrievers.  Affected dogs will lose control of their hind limbs following intense physical activity such as hunting.  The dynamin gene 1, which is involved in exercise-induced collapse, is an important part of synaptic nerve transmission.  When this particular gene has a mutation it may result in diminished communication between nerves, which in turn results in the synaptic interruption of information during intense exercise.  The muscles actually go limp because they are receiving inadequate information as to when to contract.  The gene is seen clinically, or symptomatically, in dogs that are homozygous recessive (have two genes for the defect).  There also is a DNA based test for EIC.

The other test that are being done more are:

Long Coat:  Chessies have a recessive Long Hair gene, that makes the coat longer and softer. It is a disqualification.

Ectodermal Dysplasia:  This is rare and also called "Fragile Skin" disease.

Chondrodystrophy, Chondrodysplasia, IVDS: This is also rare, but has been seen in some recent dogs. You will see shortened limb length also known as "dwarfism". The Chondrodysplasia can cause cartilage issues with the spine that plays a role in Intervertebral disk disease.

Contact:  Michelle Voss

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