A breeder's guide to Cane Corso health testing
Demand for this Italian guardian has grown faster than the number of careful breeders. As a result, untested dogs are everywhere. This VerifiedStuds guide explains the tests the parent club lists, the two DNA tests added in recent years, and what we require for the Verified Health badge.
The Cane Corso Association of America is the AKC parent club. Its list, as published by the AKC, has six items:
Clearance
Who does it
Earliest final result
Hips
X-rays sent to OFA, or PennHIP
24 months (OFA)
Elbows
X-rays sent to OFA
24 months
Heart
Cardiac exam, registered with OFA
12 months
Patellas
Veterinary exam, registered with OFA
12 months
DSRA
DNA test
Any age
NCL1
DNA test
Any age
Hip dysplasia is the breed's most common inherited problem. Therefore, hips deserve the closest look, and the results of parents and siblings matter as much as the stud's own.
DSRA: dental-skeletal-retinal anomaly. Affected dogs have brittle teeth, short stature and progressive blindness.
NCL1: neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, a fatal nerve disease that appears in young adults.
Both are recessive. So a carrier bred to a clear dog produces no affected puppies, and one lab report on each parent is enough.
Eyelid problems are common in the breed. Entropion rolls the lid inward, ectropion rolls it outward, and cherry eye is a prolapsed gland. Although eyes are not on the core list, an exam by an ophthalmologist is a sensible extra.
In addition, demodectic mange and bloat both run in families, and neither has a screening test. Ask what the stud's relatives have suffered from.
Brucellosis spreads through mating and has no reliable cure. Therefore, the AKC advises testing stud dogs every six months and females before each breeding. In addition, VerifiedStuds asks for a negative test before every booking. Read brucellosis in dogs for the details.
Ask for his registered name, then look up his results in the public OFA database.
Request the DSRA and NCL1 results on a lab report, and compare them with your female's.
Find out his real age. Final hip and elbow results need a dog of at least 24 months.
Check his temperament in person. A Corso should be confident and stable, never fearful.
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What health tests should a Cane Corso have before breeding?
Hips, elbows, a cardiac exam and patellas, with DNA tests for DSRA and NCL1, plus a negative brucellosis test.
What is DSRA in the Cane Corso?
It is an inherited disorder of the teeth, bones and eyes. A DNA test identifies clear, carrier and affected dogs.
At what age can a Cane Corso get hip clearances?
OFA gives final hip and elbow ratings at 24 months. PennHIP can be done earlier.
Are eye exams required for the Cane Corso?
They are not on the parent club's core list. However, eyelid problems are common, so many breeders add an eye exam.
What does VerifiedStuds require for Cane Corso studs?
Hips, elbows, heart and patellas, with a negative brucellosis test, for the Verified Health badge. DNA results can be uploaded too.
Sources: Cane Corso Association of America, AKC Working Group health testing requirements, OFA CHIC program.
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