Health testing for Bernese Mountain Dogs: an owner's guide
Health screening cannot guarantee a healthy dog, but it tells you a great deal about the risks a puppy carries and whether a breeder is taking those risks seriously. This guide explains the tests most often discussed for Bernese Mountain Dogs, where the results are published, and how to check them yourself.
Berner Guide does not issue health certificates or health cards, and this page is not veterinary advice. Ask your veterinarian which tests suit your dog.
Hips and elbows
Hip and elbow dysplasia are developmental joint problems that can cause pain and arthritis in a large, fast-growing breed. Screening is done with X-rays read by specialists. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) gives a final hip and elbow rating from 24 months of age; PennHIP measures hip laxity and can be done from 16 weeks. A breeder should be able to give you the registered names of both parents so you can look up the results, not just say the dogs were "checked".
Eyes
An eye examination by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist looks for inherited conditions such as cataracts and eyelid problems. Results can be registered with the OFA eye registry (CAER). Because some conditions appear later in life, the exam is usually repeated, often yearly, while a dog is being bred.
Heart
A cardiac exam by a veterinarian, ideally a cardiologist, checks for murmurs that may point to inherited heart disease. Some breeders add an echocardiogram. Results can also be registered with the OFA.
DNA tests
- Degenerative myelopathy (DM): a DNA test looks for SOD1 gene variants associated with this slowly progressing spinal cord disease. A dog with two copies is "at risk", but not every at-risk dog develops signs, so a result is a breeding tool rather than a diagnosis.
- von Willebrand disease type 1: a DNA test identifies carriers of a bleeding disorder that occurs in the breed. Affected dogs may bleed more after surgery or injury, which is worth telling your vet before any procedure.
Genetic testing changes quickly. Ask the laboratory what a result does and does not mean before relying on it.
Cancer
Cancer is the leading cause of death reported in the breed, and histiocytic sarcoma is the type most associated with Berners. No screening test can rule it out. Some laboratories offer genetic risk tests; treat them as one piece of information. Breeders who track the age and cause of death of related dogs, and submit that information to breed health databases, give owners a much better picture than a single test result.
Where results are published
- Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA): searchable results for hips, elbows, eyes, heart and many DNA tests. Its Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) program lists the tests recommended for each breed and gives a CHIC number to dogs that have completed them.
- Berner-Garde Foundation: an open health database for Bernese Mountain Dogs that includes lifespan and cause-of-death records as well as test results.
Questions to ask a breeder
- What are the registered names of the sire and dam, so I can look up their results?
- Which tests have both parents completed, and at what age?
- How long did the grandparents and other close relatives live, and what did they die of?
- Will you take the dog back at any age if I cannot keep it?
Everyday health topics
Some conditions need fast action rather than screening. Learn the signs of bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus: a swollen belly, unproductive retching, restlessness), heat stroke (heavy panting, weakness, collapse), and tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease. Any of these is a reason to call a vet straight away. For behaviour, see the guide to separation anxiety.