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Health Testing Guide
Which tests matter, how to spot responsible breeders — and what it costs when things go wrong.
For the Tibetan Spaniel we've compiled 20 tests in the recommended health standard and 2 additionally recommended tests, drawn from veterinary databases such as CIDD (University of PEI) and OMIA — weighted by severity and heritability.
View verified breedersWhat this grade means
With a grade of D, the Tibetan Spaniel shows significant breed-specific problems, focusing in particular on serious conditions such as primary lens luxation (PLL), epilepsy, and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), as well as moderate risks like patellar luxation (PL). A health-oriented breeder actively counteracts these risks by having their breeding stock comprehensively tested and only planning healthy matings. Before buying, you should definitely request the official test results of the parents, proving a status of 'clear' for primary lens luxation (PLL) and grade 0 or 1 for patellar luxation (PL). Since the threshold 'carrier' is also permissible for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), you must ensure that the other partner is proven to be completely clear to eliminate the risk for the puppies.
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. The recommended health standard for the Tibetan Spaniel covers 20 tests, plus 2 additional recommended tests. 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 2 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to Good:
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)(PRA)
Augen
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is an inherited eye disease that affects the retina, which is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. In this condition, the specialized cells responsible for detecting light, known as photoreceptors, gradually degenerate and die. Because these cells cannot recover or be replaced, the disease slowly but inevitably leads to complete blindness.
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–C
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 — Collie eye anomaly (CEA)
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.
These hereditary conditions are currently classified as most relevant for the Tibetan Spaniel: Cleft palate, Cryptorchidism, Monorchidism, Dental abnormalities, Congenital blindness, Collie eye anomaly (CEA) (CEA), Distichiasis, Ectropion / Entropion, Corneal dystrophy (CD), Cataract (HC), Lens luxation (PLL), Optic nerve hypoplasia and micropapilla (ONH), Persistent Hyperplastic Tunica Vasculosa Lentis (PHTVL) and Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (PHPV) (PHTVL/PHPL), Persistent pupillary membranes (PPM) (PPM), Retinal Dysplasia (RD), Patellar Luxation (PL), Albinism, Congenital deafness (CHSD), Epilepsy (IE), Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL). The risk for a puppy depends primarily on whether both parents have been tested for these conditions and whether the results fall within breed-specific requirements.
Self-check
Answer 6 quick questions about your everyday life and see how well the Tibetan 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 health test results for verification.
View verified breeders