Tail Docking
The Miniature American Shepherd breed standard dictates a preference towards natural bobbed tails or docked tail and for that reason our pups' tails are docked at 2-3 days old. It is done at a young age to minimize pain and discomfort and all precautions are taken to ensure the pups do well.
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We do respect that there are families that do not wish to have a tail docked for various reasons. If that is the case we welcome them to inquire about our upcoming litters. All homes that are interested in pups with a tail intact need to contact us well in advance of the birth of the pups so that all paperwork can be filled out and plans made. Any pups that are to be left with tails un=docked need to be paid in full by 3 days old. No exceptions will be made.
Health Testing
Health testing is an extremely important part of preparing for every Miniature American Shepherd litter. Sometimes for the average person searching for a Miniature American Shepherd puppy it can be overwhelming trying to understand the testing and what exactly we are testing for.
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OFA Hips, Elbows, and Patellas: OFA stands for the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals which is an organization that grades radiographs to look for signs of hip and elbow dysplasia. Records of patellas are maintained by OFA, but no radiographs are taken. Patellas are graded based on palpation and whether or not a dogs patellas slip out of their groove when palpated by a veterinarian.
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MDR1 Mutation: MDR1 is a mutation that is extremely common in Miniature American Shepherds and other herding breeds. It causes deadly reactions to Ivermectin (and other drugs in many cases) for dogs that carry 1 or 2 copies of the mutated genes. Ivermectin is a common dewormer used for heart worm prevention.
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CERF: CERF's are done by ophthalmologists that are board certified and are done to look for eye problems including cataracts, turning in of the eye lids (entropion), retinal health, etc.
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Degenerative Myelopathy (DM): DM causes muscle and nervous system degeneration later in life and can be found in Miniature American Shepherds
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Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA): CEA can be found in the Miniature American Shepherd Breed and can cause blindness and other eye problems
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Cone Degeneration: This disease causes day blindness in dogs.
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Hereditary Cataracts: This disease can lead to cataract in Miniature American Shepherds
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Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): PRA is a disease that leads to retinal degeneration and blindness in Miniature American Shepherds.
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More information on diseases of the Miniature American Shepherd that breeders should test for can be found at....https://www.pawprintgenetics.com/products/breeds/33/
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