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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 Schillerstövare we've compiled 0 mandatory and 6 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 Schillerstövare is a very robust Swedish hunting dog breed with a gratifyingly low genetic burden. Hip dysplasia (HD) is the only major risk, but it is effectively controlled through strict breeding tests. Apart from this, there are hardly any hereditary diseases worth mentioning, at most isolated dental defects or skin issues, making the breed overall above-average healthy.
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 Schillerstövare we track 0 mandatory tests plus 6 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 6 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to mandatory tests:
Cryptorchidism
Andere
Cryptorchidism is a developmental condition of the male reproductive system where one or both testicles fail to descend normally into the scrotum. Instead, the undescended testicle remains trapped inside the abdomen or in the groin area. This failure to descend is a physical development issue rather than an active illness, but it alters how the reproductive organs develop.
Physical examination · Passing: normal
Gastric dilatation-volvulus(GDV)
Andere
Gastric dilatation-volvulus, commonly known as bloat, is a severe condition affecting the stomach and digestive system. It occurs when the stomach fills with gas and twists on itself, trapping the gas and blocking blood flow to vital organs. This twisting can rapidly lead to tissue damage and cardiovascular shock if not treated immediately.
X-ray
Elbow Dysplasia(ED)
Bewegungsapparat
Elbow dysplasia is a developmental disorder of the musculoskeletal system where the three bones forming the elbow joint do not fit together properly. This misalignment causes abnormal friction and wear on the joint cartilage, eventually leading to painful, chronic joint inflammation and arthritis. It is a complex genetic condition influenced by multiple genes.
X-ray · Passing: ED 0
Hip dysplasia(HD)
Bewegungsapparat
Hip dysplasia is an inherited skeletal disorder where the ball and socket of the hip joint do not fit together properly. Instead of sliding smoothly, the bones rub and grind against each other, wearing down the protective cartilage. Over time, this chronic friction causes joint instability, painful inflammation, and progressive arthritis, which is the gradual wear and tear of the joint.
X-ray · Passing: HD A–B
Susceptibility to otitis externa
Haut und Fell
This condition is a genetic predisposition to inflammation of the external ear canal, which is the tube running from the outer ear to the eardrum. It affects the skin lining the ear and is often worsened by physical traits like floppy ears or underlying skin allergies. This inflammation makes the ear environment highly susceptible to recurrent bacterial or yeast infections.
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)(PDA)
Herz
Patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect where a normal fetal blood vessel connecting the aorta and the pulmonary artery fails to close shortly after birth. This failure allows blood to continuously recirculate through the lungs instead of flowing to the rest of the body, putting severe, permanent strain on the heart muscle. Over time, this volume overload causes the left side of the heart to enlarge and weaken.
Ultrasound · Passing: normal
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 — Hip dysplasia (HD-FCI)
Both parents must be tested for Hip dysplasia (HD-FCI) and show a passing result.
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 Schillerstövare 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 Schillerstövare 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