Health

In general the Wire Fox is a very healthy breed. They are strong and robust. They love to play and they have a bigger than life personality. They are fun dogs. That being said, there are some things that a prospective Wire owner should be aware of regarding health.

Allergies

One concern is allergies. Wires can develop allergies. Generally, these allergies manifest in the skin. Our experience is that we have been able to drastically reduce allergenic outbreaks by advising our customers to avoid feeding products containing corn in any form. This is what we do at our own facility and we do not have a single dog who suffers from allergies. Keep in mind, no one here went to vet school. I am a high school Physics teacher and I try to leave the diagnosing up to the vets. Avoiding corn works for us. I believe it will work for you.

DNA Testing

We have recently (2018) begun a DNA screening protocol. While this process is costly, the benefits are many. Every dog in our breeding program has now been DNA screened for over 160 inheritable diseases. Three of these aliments are common in our breed . Those that are common in our breed include Degenerative Myelopathy (Neurological), Van den Ende-Gupta Syndrome (Muscular/Skeletal) , and Primary Lens Luxation (Ocular). Many Wires who do not actually have these disorders are carriers for the recessive gene. By DNA screening all of our dogs, we are able to avoid inadvertently passing these traits down to future generations of Wires. Knowledge is power. We are so happy to be able to use this tool to continue to improve breed health.

GUARANTEEs

We want all of our new Birchhurst IN family members to feel confident that we stand behind our dogs well after they leave our Indiana home. We guarantee that the pups are healthy when they leave. We ask that you make a well- puppy appointment with your vet no more than 2 weeks after taking your new pup home. Have your vet look over your new pup and give him/her a full screening. If there are any issues at all, give us a call. If they are minor; we will pay your vet bill. If they are major; we will take the puppy back for a full refund. All claims must be substantiated by documentation provided by a licensed veterinarian.

Beyond that initial well puppy visit we also offer a 1 year guarantee against any congenital defects. Again, these claims must be substantiated by your vet.

We want all of our customers to know that we stand by our pups 100%. If you need to return your Birchhurst dog at any time for non-health related issues, we will take him/her back. We will work hard to find your dog a new forever home. Please don't ever take one of our babies to a shelter because you can no longer care for them.