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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 Westphalian Dachsbracke we've compiled 8 recommended health tests, drawn from veterinary databases such as CIDD (University of PEI) and OMIA — weighted by severity and heritability.
View verified breedersWhat this grade means
The Westphalian Dachsbracke is considered a robust breed, but can be affected by hip dysplasia (HD), epilepsy, and congenital sensorineural deafness (CHSD). Eye problems such as ectropion / entropion or congenital blindness also occur. A responsible breeder therefore has their breeding animals carefully examined to minimize these risks. Before purchasing a puppy, ask to see proof of hip health with an HD A rating as well as veterinary confirmation that the parents have normal hearing in both ears.
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 Westphalian Dachsbracke we track 8 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 8 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to Good:
Cleft palate
Andere
A cleft palate is a congenital birth defect where the roof of the mouth fails to fuse properly during development in the womb. This failure leaves an abnormal opening between the oral cavity and the nasal passages. Because these two systems are directly connected, food, liquids, and air cannot be properly separated during swallowing.
Physical examination · Passing: clear
Dental abnormalities
Andere
Dental abnormalities refer to congenital or acquired malformations of the teeth and jaw structure. This includes malocclusions, which are misalignments where the upper and lower teeth do not meet properly, as well as missing or extra teeth. These structural issues can interfere with normal chewing and cause teeth to rub painfully against the sensitive tissues of the mouth.
Passing: no dental defects
Congenital blindness
Augen
Congenital blindness is a severe or complete loss of vision present from birth, affecting the eyes and the neural pathways connected to the brain. It is caused by developmental abnormalities in key structures like the retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, or the optic nerve. These structural defects prevent visual signals from being properly formed or transmitted.
Physical examination · Passing: clear
Ectropion / Entropion
Augen
These are structural eyelid abnormalities affecting a dog's eyes. In cases of entropion, the eyelid rolls inward, causing the eyelashes or fur to rub painfully against the surface of the eyeball. In ectropion, the eyelid sags or rolls outward, leaving the sensitive inner lining of the eye exposed and unprotected.
Passing: clear
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
Dermatosis
Haut und Fell
Dermatosis is a general term for any disease or abnormal condition affecting a dog's skin, which is the body's largest organ system. These conditions disrupt the skin's natural protective barrier, structure, or pigment, often due to a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors. Because it is an umbrella term, it covers various specific skin disorders rather than a single disease.
Passing: no skin problems
Congenital deafness(CHSD)
Nervensystem
Congenital deafness is a hereditary hearing loss present from birth that affects the inner ear's sensory cells, preventing sound signals from reaching the brain. It is usually genetic, occurs more often in certain breeds and is frequently linked to coat patterns such as merle or piebald.
Physical examination · Passing: hearing in both ears
Epilepsy(IE)
Nervensystem
Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of the brain and nervous system where abnormal electrical activity causes sudden, temporary disruptions in normal brain function. These disruptions lead to repeated seizures, which are involuntary changes in body movement, sensation, or behavior. Because the underlying cause is often complex, the brain's electrical signaling remains permanently prone to these sudden misfires.
Physical examination · Passing: no epilepsy
Not health tests, but required for breeding: the club asks for these results too. They don't count toward the risks or the rating.
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 — Ectropion / Entropion
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 Westphalian Dachsbracke 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 Westphalian Dachsbracke 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