The majority of the dogs used for breeding by the Olde Cape Mastiff registered breeders are genetically tested either with www.mydogdna.com, or with Unistel in South Africa.
The aim is to have all dogs tested in the next 5 years.
If you want to see some of our dogs results please reach out.
It is important to purchase dogs from tested parents, as quite a lot of diseases affecting dogs today are inherited.
For example, let’s say that a male has tested positive as a carrier for Von Willebrand’s disease (vWD) . By testing you will know that the dog is a carrier, and this will ensure that one can then make informed decisions regarding who to pair it with. If the female to pair it with has been cleared of being a carrier of vWD then you have decreased the chances of the offspring being carriers also. If the female is a carrier, then the offspring will be suffering from vWD.
Von Willebrand’s disease (vWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder that affect dogs. It is caused by a deficiency in the amount of a specific protein needed to help platelets (the blood cells used in clotting) stick together and form clots to seal broken blood vessels. A dog that suffers from vWD will not stop bleeding.
That is just one of the hundreds of diseases that Genetic Testing can cover.
For more information regarding the genetic tests done have a look at the following urls: