Said It Here

Worrying about genetic health issues in purebred puppies

Researching specific breeds and genetic traits like the merle gene uncovers numerous health scares and warning signs. This constant worry stops prospective owners from feeling confident in their adoption choice and makes them fear potential future health complications.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Researching breed health background, checking if the parents are spayed and neutered, and relying on personal financial preparedness for potential veterinary bills.
  2. 2
    Looking for purebred litters registered with appropriate breed clubs

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/cats1 person · September 2026

im very worried about all the scares researching this breed gives me, how unhealthy deem to be.source ↗

Chongyune · r/cats · 9 upvotes
r/puppy1011 person · September 2026

I found these puppies and am very interested into getting one, but I’ve been reading that ‘The merle gene does not exist in the natural DNA of purebred Poodles or purebred Bichon Frises.’ - if true, is it an issue, does it affect the health?source ↗

anvil_0527 · r/puppy101

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised