Chesapeake Bay Retriever — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Hip dysplasiacan shorten life or cause chronic pain
Malformation of the hip joint that can progress to osteoarthritis. Freedom from it is named in the breed parent club's official, board-approved health statement.
Ask to see: Hip evaluation from OFA or a BVA/KC hip score on both parents
American Chesapeake Club — Breed Health Statement (Board Motion 16:39, 11 Sept 2016) (https://amchessieclub.org/health/)
Elbow dysplasiacan shorten life or cause chronic pain
Developmental abnormalities of the elbow joint causing pain, lameness and a predisposition to arthritis. Freedom from it is named in the breed parent club's official health statement.
Ask to see: Elbow evaluation from OFA on both parents
American Chesapeake Club — Breed Health Statement (Board Motion 16:39, 11 Sept 2016) (https://amchessieclub.org/health/)
Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA) and hereditary eye diseasecan shorten life or cause chronic pain
Progressive, incurable degeneration of the retina leading to blindness, occasionally seen in this breed alongside other inherited eye conditions screened for on annual exam.
Ask to see: DNA test for prcd-PRA plus an annual ACVO ophthalmologist eye exam, on both parents
American Chesapeake Club — Breed Health Statement (Board Motion 16:39, 11 Sept 2016) (https://amchessieclub.org/health/)
Exercise-induced collapse (EIC)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
Affected dogs develop wobbly hindquarters or partial hind-limb paralysis after intense, excited exercise. A breed-specific carrier rate of around 17%, with roughly 3% affected, has been reported.
Ask to see: DNA test for the DNM1 gene mutation on both parents
American Chesapeake Club — Breed Health Statement (Board Motion 16:39, 11 Sept 2016) (https://amchessieclub.org/health/) · Presence and impact of the exercise-induced collapse associated DNM1 mutation in Labrador Retrievers and other breeds, PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21782486/)
Degenerative myelopathy (DM)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
A slow, progressive disease of the spinal cord causing weakness and eventual paralysis of the hind legs, typically in older dogs. There is no cure, only management.
Ask to see: DNA test for the SOD1 gene mutation on both parents
American Chesapeake Club — Breed Health Statement (Board Motion 16:39, 11 Sept 2016) (https://amchessieclub.org/health/)
Ectodermal dysplasia / skin fragility syndromecan shorten life or cause chronic pain
A rare inherited skin disorder causing extremely fragile skin that blisters or tears from birth, especially around the ears, mouth and feet. The causative mutation was identified specifically in this breed.
Ask to see: DNA test for the PKP1 gene mutation on both parents
Deficient plakophilin-1 expression due to a mutation in PKP1 causes ectodermal dysplasia-skin fragility syndrome in Chesapeake Bay Retriever dogs, PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22384142/)