Decoding Health Scores & Ratings
On this page you will find all the basic diseases that we test for and the possible results you can receive. Breed Based Diseases are not included, as the list would be astronomical. Instead we rely on the AKC and Paw Print Genetics Research Facility for information on Diseases as they pertain to specific breeds. As you will also notice, not all grades of affectedness are listed here. This is because we intend to provide players with dogs of normal to excellent quality. Diseases that can be bred out are favored, and for Dominant Breed Specific Diseases (where a dog only needs to carry a copy to be affected) they can only roll as Cleared. Some things have also been simplified to work with a Sim/ARPG setting.
Basic Ratings
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Clear Dog does not have or carry a disease.
Carrier Dog has 1 copy of a gene associated with a disease that can be passed to offspring.
At-Risk Carrier Dog has 1 copy of an Incomplete Dominant gene associated with a disease. This means the dog does not have the disease, but due to the nature of inheritance, having 1 copy is enough to possibly cause issues (up to owner). These can be passed on as At-Risk Carriers, or Affected Carriers.
Affected Dog has 2 copies of the disease and is affected, genes will be passed to offspring.
Affected Carrier Dog has 1 copy of an Incomplete Dominant (through breeding), or Dominant disease. Due to the nature of inheritance, even having 1 copy is enough to give the dog this disease.
Idiopathic Idiopathic means there is no genetic cause, yet a dog has the disease. It is not passable to offspring.
Autoimmune Thyroiditis
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Also known as Hypothyroidism, this disease occurs when the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. This disease is Autosomal Recessive, meaning a dog needs 2 copies to be affected. Affected dogs can show lethargy, exercise intolerance, mental dullness, weight gain, increased shedding. Treatment involves lifetime medication for replacement of thyroid hormone. Below are the possible scores a dog can receive.
Normal Dog has no form of the disease and is genetically clear.
Idiopathic Non-Genetic Dog has Hypothyroidism, however the cause is non-genetic and cannot be passed.
Autoimmune Thyroiditis Carrier Dog has inherited 1 copy of disease. This form of the disease is genetic and can be passed onto offspring.
Hypothyroidism When two carriers are bred, they can develop Hypothyroidism which will require lifetime medication. (This outcome can only be inherited via breeding)
Congenital Deafness
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This disease refers to loss of hearing present at birth due to genetic causes. Deafness can also be acquired, however the BHRC only tests for genetic instances of Deafness. Below are the possible scores a dog can receive.
Clear Dog shows no sign of deafness nor carries the disease.
Deafness Carrier Dog shows no sign of deafness yet carries the disease and can pass it on to offspring.
Unilateral Recessive Deafness Dog is deaf in one ear and can pass the gene to offspring. (This outcome can only be inherited via breeding)
Bilateral Recessive Deafness Dog is deaf in both ears and can pass the gene to offspring. (This outcome can only be inherited via breeding)
Congenital Heart Disease
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Congenital Heart Disease covers a wide range of issues that involve heart failure and degeneration of the mitral valve. It does not always lead to complete heart failure but can cause severe discomfort and even death if not treated. Treatment often includes medication, special diets, and enzyme inhibitors. Below are the scores a dog can receive.
Normal Dog shows no sign of heart murmur or heart disease.
Stage A Dog is at risk for developing heart disease and has a low grade murmur, but currently shows no identifiable structural disorder within the heart itself.
Stage B Dog has slight murmur with some minor signs of structural heart disease.
Stage A Dog is at risk for developing heart disease and has a low grade murmur, but currently shows no identifiable structural disorder within the heart itself.
Stage B Dog has slight murmur with some minor signs of structural heart disease.
Dysplasia Scores
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Scores for determining a dogs Hip and Elbow Dysplasia (as well as other Dysplasia scores) are based off of the OFA system of rating. We do this to keep things nice and simple to understand. Below are the possible scores a dog can receive.
Excellent Joints fit perfectly together and have superior conformation.
Great Joints fit extremely well with no signs of abnormality.
Good Joints fit together well with proper coverage.
Fair Socket is not as deep as desired resulting in fair coverage of the ball joint.
Borderline The socket is shallower than normal resulting in less than desirable coverage of the ball joint. Fortunately there are no signs of arthritis or dysplasia.
Great Joints fit extremely well with no signs of abnormality.
Good Joints fit together well with proper coverage.
Fair Socket is not as deep as desired resulting in fair coverage of the ball joint.
Borderline The socket is shallower than normal resulting in less than desirable coverage of the ball joint. Fortunately there are no signs of arthritis or dysplasia.
Patella Luxation Scores
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Patella Luxation is when the kneecap moves out of its normal location. Symptoms can involve sudden lameness or a dog refusing to use the affected leg. Severity depends on the score, which you can find below.
Normal Kneecap sits well within the groove, no luxation.
Grade 1 Kneecap stays in position normally. It can be hand manipulated but returns to its normal location without assistance. Lameness is very uncommon with this grade.
Grade 2 Kneecap will luxate spontaneously, but is most often in the normal position. This can result in intermittent lameness or favoring of the affected legs.
Grade 1 Kneecap stays in position normally. It can be hand manipulated but returns to its normal location without assistance. Lameness is very uncommon with this grade.
Grade 2 Kneecap will luxate spontaneously, but is most often in the normal position. This can result in intermittent lameness or favoring of the affected legs.