I wish I had better news. Truly, I do. I own two Boerboels who have enjoyed great health, but the general health of the breed overall is in the shitter. No kidding. Breeders claim on their websites that the Boerboel is one of the healthiest of the mastiff breeds, and that they don't have the health problems of the other mastiffs. Don't believe it. It's simply not true. In fact, quite the opposite is true.
OFFA, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, promotes the health and welfare of companion animals through a reduction in the incidence of genetic disease. At the end of every year, they release statistical data from each breed. The Boerboel breed is currently only ranked on hips and elbows, as there isn't a large enough sampling to be ranked on the other genetic diseases.
At the end of 2015, the Boerboel is ranked 7th worst breed in terms of hip dysplasia with The fact is that as of the end of 2015, 43.7% of Boerboels have been diagnosed with HD. That means that nearly half of the Boerboels have HD.
OFFA Hip Dysplasia Statistics and Ranking by Breed
The Boerboel is ranked 4th worst in terms of elbow dysplasia at the end of 2015. Sadly the statistical information from OFFA show that 37.2% of the Boerboels have ED.
OFFA Elbow Dysplasia Statistics and Ranking by Breed
Before you spend a lot of money buying a Boerboel puppy, ask the breeder if they can provide proof of the hip certificates and the elbow certificates. If not, why not? Don't accept excuses. If the breeder doesn't have the certificates, then walk away. Better yet, run as fast as you can.
Ask yourself if you can afford the expense of hip or elbow surgery? Ask yourself if you are prepared for the emotional turmoil of owning a dog that may get arthritis before it hits its prime. Don't get conned. Don't be a victim. Don't believe their word that the breeding parents are "healthy" or that their hips and elbows are good. Get copies of the certificates. If the breeder cannot provide the proof, then hightail it out of there. Don't be a victim of the next puppy scam.
Sure, Boerboel puppies are cute, but not if they cringe when they walk. Not if they bust your bank and credit cards to keep them sound. Not if you need to pump them with pain killers and supplements. It's not worth it. Demand the best. If the breeder makes excuses, go elsewhere.
I wish I had better news.
OFFA, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, promotes the health and welfare of companion animals through a reduction in the incidence of genetic disease. At the end of every year, they release statistical data from each breed. The Boerboel breed is currently only ranked on hips and elbows, as there isn't a large enough sampling to be ranked on the other genetic diseases.
At the end of 2015, the Boerboel is ranked 7th worst breed in terms of hip dysplasia with The fact is that as of the end of 2015, 43.7% of Boerboels have been diagnosed with HD. That means that nearly half of the Boerboels have HD.
OFFA Hip Dysplasia Statistics and Ranking by Breed
The Boerboel is ranked 4th worst in terms of elbow dysplasia at the end of 2015. Sadly the statistical information from OFFA show that 37.2% of the Boerboels have ED.
OFFA Elbow Dysplasia Statistics and Ranking by Breed
Before you spend a lot of money buying a Boerboel puppy, ask the breeder if they can provide proof of the hip certificates and the elbow certificates. If not, why not? Don't accept excuses. If the breeder doesn't have the certificates, then walk away. Better yet, run as fast as you can.
Ask yourself if you can afford the expense of hip or elbow surgery? Ask yourself if you are prepared for the emotional turmoil of owning a dog that may get arthritis before it hits its prime. Don't get conned. Don't be a victim. Don't believe their word that the breeding parents are "healthy" or that their hips and elbows are good. Get copies of the certificates. If the breeder cannot provide the proof, then hightail it out of there. Don't be a victim of the next puppy scam.
Sure, Boerboel puppies are cute, but not if they cringe when they walk. Not if they bust your bank and credit cards to keep them sound. Not if you need to pump them with pain killers and supplements. It's not worth it. Demand the best. If the breeder makes excuses, go elsewhere.
I wish I had better news.
