Our Chihuahuas

Health Testing 

Health testing mums and dads before they enter a breeding program is one of the most important responsibilities a breeder has. It protects the dogs, the puppies, and the long‑term health of the breed.  

Why Health Testing Parents Before Breeding Is Essential

Health screening is not just a “nice to have”, it is the foundation of ethical, responsible breeding. Before any dog is considered for a breeding program, both mum and dad should undergo the full set of breed‑specific health tests recommended by organisations such as the British Veterinary Association. These tests identify inherited conditions, structural issues, and genetic risks that cannot be detected through appearance or a routine vet check.

Many health conditions in dogs are inherited. DNA tests, eye examinations, hip and elbow scoring, and other screening schemes help breeders understand what risks a dog may pass on. These tests allow breeders to avoid pairings that could produce puppies with preventable health issues.

Today people are becoming more wise when looking for a new member of the family they are asking to see evidence of health testing. Publishing results through our website builds trust and demonstrates our transparancy and professionalism. It shows that we as Chihuahua World UK prioritises welfare over profit and is committed to producing healthy, well‑bred puppies.

As we have bred our own lines for 35 years our history speaks for itself, from time to time (very rare ocassion) we will introduce a new line by bringing a new sire in but be rest assured that they will already be fully health tested for all of the below or we will carry out this testing ourselves before they are considered for a pairing. We will also test thier puppies from thier fist litter for the below health conditions, before they continue in our breeding program.  

What we Test for here at Chihuahua World UK

All of our mums are dads are tested for the following: 

CDPA - Chondrodysplasia (Canine Dwafism) Please read about this test below

prcd–PRA - Progressive Retinal Atrophy

MTC - Macrothrombocytopenia

NCL - Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis

CDPA - Chondrodysplasia (Canine Dwafism) When a positive test is meant to be present. 

Chihuahuas and other toy breeds will always test positive for CDPA because the genetic change that causes CDPA — the FGF4‑L1 retrogene insertion on chromosome 18 — is a fixed part of their breed’s DNA. This retrogene is responsible for the naturally shortened limbs and compact proportions seen in many small breeds. In other words, CDPA isn’t a “fault” in Chihuahuas; it’s a normal, defining genetic feature of how their skeleton develops. Because CDPA is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, even one copy of the gene guarantees a positive result, and nearly all toy breeds carry it as part of their standard phenotype.