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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 Phalene, Continental Toy Spaniel we've compiled 3 mandatory and 4 recommended health tests, drawn from breed-club regulations, the University of PEI (CIDD), and OMIA — weighted by severity and heritability.
View verified breedersWhat this grade means
The Phalene, Continental Toy Spaniel shows an average, well-manageable health burden and therefore receives a grade B. Important breed-typical risks such as patellar luxation (a knee joint instability) and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA-CNGB1), which can lead to blindness, can be effectively minimized through consistent breeding tests and veterinary examinations. Buyers should make sure that the parent animals have been thoroughly tested for these conditions.
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 Phalene, Continental Toy Spaniel we track 3 mandatory tests plus 4 additional recommended ones. 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 performs all mandatory tests plus 4 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to mandatory tests:
Degenerative Myelopathy(DM)
Nervensystem
Degenerative Myelopathy is a progressive disease of the spinal cord where the protective sheath around the nerves slowly breaks down. This deterioration disrupts the vital communication signals between the brain and the muscles of the hind limbs. Over time, this lack of signal transmission leads to a complete loss of muscle control in the back legs.
DNA test · Passing: clear or carrier
Neuroaxonal dystrophy, VPS11-related(NAD)
Nervensystem
This is an inherited neurological disorder affecting the brain and spinal cord, caused by a genetic mutation in the VPS11 gene. The mutation leads to progressive damage and swelling of nerve fibers, known as axons, which are the pathways that transmit signals throughout the nervous system. As these fibers deteriorate, the brain loses its ability to communicate properly with the rest of the body.
Passing: clear or carrier
Factor VII Deficiency(F7)
Stoffwechsel
Factor VII deficiency is an inherited blood clotting disorder affecting the circulatory system. It occurs when the body does not produce enough Factor VII, which is a specific protein essential for forming blood clots. Without enough of this protein, the normal process that stops bleeding is delayed, leading to prolonged bleeding after injuries or medical procedures.
Body-fluid analysis · Passing: clear or carrier
von Willebrand's disease(vWD)
Stoffwechsel
Von Willebrand disease is an inherited bleeding disorder that affects the blood's ability to clot properly. It is caused by a deficiency or malfunction of the von Willebrand factor, a specific protein that helps blood platelets stick together to plug damaged blood vessels. Without enough of this functional protein, the clotting process is delayed, which can lead to excessive bleeding even from minor injuries.
Passing: clear or carrier
These levels are a comparison framework, not an official certification. They help compare breeding programs at a glance.
A complete checklist with every mandatory and 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 — Eye conditions (ophthalmological eye exam)
Both parents must be clear or better.
We compile mandatory tests from official breed regulations and veterinary databases — and cross-check every uploaded certificate against the dog's profile using AI.
L1 = mandatory under breed-club regulations. L2 = 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 Phalene, Continental Toy Spaniel 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 Phalene, Continental Toy Spaniel fits you — including an honest cost estimate per month, per year, and across the dog's lifetime.
See breeders who have already uploaded their mandatory tests for verification.
View verified breeders