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Health Testing Guide
Which tests are mandatory, how to spot responsible breeders — and what it costs when things go wrong.
For the Irish Red and White Setter we've compiled 4 tests required by Verein für Pointer und Setter e.V. and 1 additionally recommended test, drawn from breed-club regulations, the University of PEI (CIDD), and OMIA — weighted by severity and heritability.
View verified breedersWhat this grade means
In the Irish Red and White Setter, there are breed-typical risks for hip dysplasia (HD), progressive retinal atrophy, rod-cone dysplasia 4, and the severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency type I. Responsible breeders systematically rule out these diseases through consistent testing prior to breeding use and also pay attention to von Willebrand disease. The Verein für Pointer und Setter e.V. therefore strictly mandates that parent animals must be clear of leukocyte adhesion deficiency type I and that hips must be evaluated with HD A or B. For progressive retinal atrophy, rod-cone dysplasia 4, and von Willebrand disease, the following applies: a carrier may only be mated with a clear partner. Have these breeding values and ideally an unremarkable examination for hypothyroidism presented to you completely before purchasing a puppy.
Every breed is susceptible to certain inherited conditions. Just like humans, dogs inherit predispositions from their parents. Responsible breeders screen their breeding dogs for these conditions and make informed mating decisions to reduce the risk passed on to puppies.
No — but it's the strongest tool we have. Diet, exercise, environment, and genetics all contribute to whether a dog develops a condition. When breeders use the right tests to identify risk in potential parents, the likelihood of many conditions appearing in the puppies drops significantly.
There's no one-size-fits-all here. For the Irish Red and White Setter, Verein für Pointer und Setter e.V. requires 4 tests for breeding approval, plus 1 additional recommended test. The specific tests and passing thresholds are detailed further below.
Keep in mind
Reliable screening tests still don't exist for many hereditary conditions, and tests for complex polygenic conditions don't always predict severity in the puppies. Even so, they're a powerful tool of responsible breeding.
There are two main types of health tests:
Screen the dog's DNA for known disease-causing mutations. Can be performed from puppyhood and give a binary result (clear / carrier / affected).
Clinical and imaging exams like X-ray, ultrasound, or ophthalmoscopy. They show how a predisposition actually manifests — usually only conclusive after 12–18 months.
We group breeding programs into three levels based on testing depth. Ask your breeder directly which level they meet.
A breeder at the Great level meets the Good level and performs 1 additional clinically recommended screening that reduces risk in this breed.
In addition to Good:
Hypothyroidism
Stoffwechsel
Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disorder where the thyroid gland, located in the neck, fails to produce enough thyroid hormones. These hormones are essential for regulating the body's metabolic rate, which is the speed at which cells convert nutrients into energy. When hormone levels are too low, the dog's entire metabolism slows down, affecting multiple organ systems.
Body-fluid analysis · Passing: normal
Not health tests, but required for breeding: the club asks for these results too. They don't count toward the risks or the rating.
DNA-Identitätsnachweis
Required by Verein für Pointer und Setter e.V.
Acceptable result: result on file
These levels are a comparison framework, not an official certification. They help compare breeding programs at a glance.
A complete checklist with every core-standard and additionally recommended test, plus identity and rearing questions — take it with you.
Open the full checklistFor breeders
Machine-readable mating rules, minimum ages, scoring schemes, and what's required for HonestDog verification — as a printable guide.
Example rule — Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency Type I (Irish Setter)
Both parents must be clear or better.
We take mandatory tests from official breed regulations, build the recommended health standard from veterinary databases — and cross-check every uploaded certificate against the dog's profile using AI.
L1 = core standard: the club's required tests where its rules set them, otherwise the recommended health standard for the breed. L2 = additionally recommended or clinically indicated. L3 = lower prevalence. Every assignment carries a source and confidence rating.
VDH breeding regulations, CIDD (University of PEI), OMIA (University of Sydney), curated veterinary input.
Uploaded certificates are read by AI and checked for date, result, and consistency with the dog's profile — our team reviews anything inconclusive.
The Irish Red and White Setter is not currently listed in our extreme-breeding overview. That does not mean it is free of hereditary disease: which ones are typical, and which tests the parents should have, is on this page.
Self-check
Answer 6 quick questions about your everyday life and see how well the Irish Red and White Setter fits you — including an honest cost estimate per month, per year, and across the dog's lifetime.
See breeders who have already uploaded their health test results for verification.
View verified breeders