Border Collie Health

     Border Collies are prone to certain health conditions that may be passed on to future generations if not bred carefully. All dogs at Soaring Borders Border Collies are health tested to rule out the passing on of any breed related health problems. If you are considering breeding your dog, please have them tested so that you are not passing these conditions down to future generations.

There are ten breed-relevant genetic health conditions that are tested for in the Border Collie. Multiple Drug Sensitivity, Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome, Collie Eye Anomaly, Goniodysgenesis and Glaucoma, Primary Lens Luxation, Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 1, NCL 5, Myotonia Congenita, Raine Syndrome, Sensory Neuropathy and Cobalamin Malabsorption. Dogs may be tested for these genetic health conditions as clear, carriers, or affected. If a dog is a carrier for one of these health conditions, they are not affected by the health condition, but may pass on the genes to their offspring. A carrier may be bred to a non-carrier and have healthy puppies, but two carriers should by no means be bred to one another because the puppies will be affected by the health condition. As well as these inherited health conditions, Border Collies are prone to hip dysplasia and it is recommended that they have x-rays of their hips evaluated by the Orthopedic Foundation of America at the age of two years or older to determine the score of their hips. These are graded on a scale from excellent, good, fair, borderline, mild, moderate, to severe. Hip dysplasia may be inherited or caused by environmental factors.