All breeds of dogs have health concerns, whether they are heredity or caused by environsmantal factors, its important to take these into consideration when thinking about any breed.

Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA), Hip Dysplasia, and Epilepsy are considered the primary genetic diseases of concern in the breed at this time. Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (CL) occurs less frequnetly but is a serious disease that seems to currently be limited to show breed lines of Border Collies. Elbow dysplasia or osteochondritis, deafness, and hypothyroidism may also occur in the breed. Dogs homozygous for the merle gene are likely to have eye and/or hearing problems

But don't panic, DNA testing is available for both Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) and Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (CL) and testing for Hip Dysplasia and reputable breeders are doing all we can to eliminate and minimse these conditions. All dogs and bitches at Kaeanda under go DNA testing prior to their first mating to ensure that we do not produce border collie puppies with either of these conditions. So you can be confident that any puppy from us will be free of these heredity diseases.
DNA testing, is readily available and helps to help eliminate these heritable diseases. I have listed each of our dogs DNA results on their individual web pages, however if you are thinking of getting a Kaeanda Border Collie and would like copies of our dogs DNA certificates please don't hesitate to ask. Even though DNA testing is costly I strongly believe in doing all I can to produce healthy border collie puppies. No matter where your next puppy comes from, make sure you ask the breeders for copies of the parents DNA health results.

CEA is a defect in formation of the eye. It is a congenital, inherited eye disease involving the retina, choroid, and sclera that sometimes affects Border Collies. In Border Collies, it is generally a mild disease and rarely significantly impairs vision. There is now a DNA test available for CEA and, through its use, breeders can ensure that they will not produce affected pups.

Several aspects of the disease are recognized, but the crucial lesion can be seen as a pale patch at the back of the eye ophthalmoscopically. This test is done by diluting the pupil when the pup is between 6-8 weeks old, this test cannot confirm your pup to not be a carrier. it can only tell whether CEA is present at the time of the examine. This lesion is called choroidal hypoplasia (CH), and is a local defect in formation of the blood vessels and adjacent tissues  underlying  the retina. All dogs affected by CEA have choroidal hypoplasia, by definition. More severely affected dogs may have pits (colobomas) affecting the retina and adjacent tissues. In the most severely affected eyes retinal detachments and  haemorrhages may occurr, producing blindness. 

There is a DNA test available which will accuratly tell if the dog is Normal, Carrier or Affected by this heredity disease. We only mate dogs that will not pass on this disease to their offspring.
The Border Collie Health CEA/CH, CL and TNS Database Website

CL is an inherited disease, which affects the nerve cells of the body, a serious disease it appears to be limited to show bred Border Collies. CL results in
severe neurological impairment and early death, afflicted dogs rarely survive beyond two years of age. The mutation causing the form of the disease found in Border Collies was identified by Scott Melville in the laboratory of Dr. Alan Wilton of the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales. There is no treatment or cure, but a DNA test is now available to detect carriers as well as affected dogs.

From the embryonic stage there is a defect which allows a waste product called ceroid lipofuscin to accumulate. The brain cells have no room for this waste product and it begins to  destroy the healthy brain cells and then the symptoms appear.

Affected  animals appear to be normal until 15-18 months of age(approx) then they may show  all or some of the following signs.

• Fear of the familar
• Nervous or  apprensive behaviour
• Unsteadyness on feet with difficulty in movement
• Behaviour becomes demented
• Rage and hyperactivity
  

The diesaes progress  rapidly once initial sign appear and as there is no treatment or cure for an  affected animal, they must be put down.
There is a DNA test available for CL and all our dogs are DNA tested for this condition.
The Border Collie Health CEA/CH, CL, and TNS Database Website

There are different types of hip testing available including OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) and PennHip. Radiographs are taken and sent to these organisations to determine a dog's hip and elbow quality.
Our dogs are tested for Hip Dysplasia and results are read out of 51 for each hip (total 102 per dog) the lower the number the less likely hood of the dog suffering from this condition.

TNS is a hereditary disease in which the bone marrow produces neutrophils (white cells) but is unable to effectively release them into the bloodstream. Affected puppies have an impaired immune system and will eventually die from infections they cannot fight. The mutation responsible for TNS has been found in Border Collies in English working dogs, in show dogs that had originated in Australia and New Zealand, and in unrelated Australian working dogs. This indicates that the gene is widespread and probably as old as the breed itself. There is no cure.
DNA test is now available to detect carriers as well as affected dogs.

I base my breeding programme only only producing healthy border collies from from inheredited disease. The following diagram may help you understand how we miminize the effect of inheredited diseases and hopefully elimnate them entirly over a few generations. A puirst may say, dont even breed from a carrier, but this would cuase us to lose dogs who are good specimens of te breed in evry other way. So if we use a carrier we only mate it with a clear dog.