A breeder's guide to Miniature Schnauzer health testing
Bearded, bold and long-lived, the Mini Schnauzer has a short official health list. However, several inherited diseases in the breed now have DNA tests, and they are cheap to run. This VerifiedStuds guide explains both, along with what we require for the Verified Health badge.
The American Miniature Schnauzer Club is the AKC parent club. Its list, as published by the AKC, has two exams:
Clearance
Who does it
Earliest final result
Eyes
Board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist
Any age; repeat yearly
Heart
Cardiac exam, registered with OFA
12 months
Eyes come first for good reason. The breed is prone to inherited cataracts, including a form present from birth, and to progressive retinal atrophy. Therefore, breeders repeat the eye exam every year.
Myotonia congenita: a muscle disorder that causes stiffness and a stilted gait.
MAC: Mycobacterium avium complex susceptibility, an immune fault that leaves young dogs open to a fatal infection.
PRA type B (HIVEP3): a form of progressive retinal atrophy found in the breed.
Persistent Mullerian duct syndrome (PMDS): a reproductive disorder of males.
Because all of these are recessive, a carrier bred to a clear dog produces no affected puppies.
Several common problems have no clearance. Bladder stones, pancreatitis and high blood fats all run in the breed. Similarly, liver shunts appear in some lines. So ask what the stud's relatives have suffered from, and what he is fed.
The heart exam looks for murmurs and rhythm faults. In addition, older Schnauzers can develop sick sinus syndrome, a pacemaker fault of the heart, which makes the heart history of his parents worth knowing.
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 eye and heart results in the public OFA database.
Request his DNA results on a lab report, with myotonia and MAC at the least.
Find out the date of his last eye exam. It should fall within the past year.
Check for bladder stones and pancreatitis in his family.
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What health tests should a Miniature Schnauzer have before breeding?
A yearly eye exam and a cardiac exam, plus a negative brucellosis test. DNA tests for myotonia congenita and MAC are widely used.
What is myotonia congenita?
It is an inherited muscle disease that makes movement stiff. A DNA test identifies clear, carrier and affected dogs.
What is MAC in Miniature Schnauzers?
It is an inherited weakness of the immune system. Affected dogs can die young from an infection that healthy dogs resist.
How often should a Mini Schnauzer's eyes be checked?
Every year while the dog is being bred, because cataracts and PRA can appear in adults.
What does VerifiedStuds require for Mini Schnauzer studs?
A current eye exam and a cardiac exam, with a negative brucellosis test, for the Verified Health badge.
Sources: American Miniature Schnauzer Club, AKC Terrier Group health testing requirements, OFA CHIC program.
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