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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 Koolie we have compiled 0 mandatory and 5 recommended health tests, drawn from breed-club regulations, the University of PEI (CIDD), and OMIA — weighted by severity and heritability.
What this grade means
The Koolie is considered an extremely robust working breed, but it is not immune to risks typical of herding dogs. When purchasing, it is essential to ensure that the parents have been tested for the MDR1 gene defect (drug sensitivity) and Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) to prevent blindness. An examination for hip dysplasia (HD) is also advisable despite the breed's agility, as there are often no strict mandatory health tests in place for this rare breed.
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 Koolie we track 0 mandatory tests plus 5 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 are not always predictive of severity in the puppies. Even so, they're a powerful tool used by every responsible breeder.
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 5 additional clinically recommended screenings that reduce risk in this breed.
In addition to mandatory tests:
Collie eye anomaly (CEA)(CEA)
Augen
Collie Eye Anomaly is an inherited developmental defect affecting the eye, specifically the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye) and the choroid (the underlying layer of blood vessels). This genetic condition causes these structures to develop abnormally before birth. It is primarily seen in herding breeds and is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.
Passing: Clear or Carrier
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.
Passing: Clear or Carrier
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.
Roentgen · Passing: B or better
Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome(IGS)
Hormonelles und Stoffwechsel
Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome is an inherited metabolic disorder where a dog's digestive system cannot absorb vitamin B12 from food. This inability to absorb the vitamin leads to a chronic deficiency, which impairs normal red blood cell production in the bone marrow and disrupts the nervous system.
Koerperfluessigkeiten · Passing: Clear or Carrier
Degenerative Myelopathy(DM)
Nervensystem
Degenerative Myelopathy is a progressive disease of the spinal cord where the protective sheath around the nerves slowly breaks down. This deterioration disrupts the vital communication signals between the brain and the muscles of the hind limbs. Over time, this lack of signal transmission leads to a complete loss of muscle control in the back legs.
DNA · Passing: Clear or Carrier
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 check every uploaded certificate for authenticity.
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 AI-extracted and reviewed by our team for authenticity, date, and result.
0 tests are currently mandatory under the relevant breed-club regulations. The most common are —. Every test must be completed before mating, and the result must fall within the threshold defined by the regulation.
See breeders who have already uploaded their mandatory tests for verification.
View verified breeders