Puppy First, Health First
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The big picture
Mini Aussies typically live 12–13 years.
Most Mini Aussies screened for hip problems have normal hips. Like every breed, they have a few health problems that run in the family, and most are easier to manage when caught early.
A few everyday habits do a lot of the work.
This page covers the conditions the breed is known to be prone to, DNA tests, checkups, typical eye treatment costs and a care plan by life stage.
Worth knowing
Each entry starts with a condition the breed is known to be prone to, then what you might notice and what helps.
This list is not exhaustive or official. Keep asking your veterinarian as your puppy grows.
Many Mini Aussies carry an inherited gene change that makes some common drugs risky.
In a dog with the gene change, some sedatives, an anti-diarrhea medicine or high doses of certain parasite drugs can cause a serious reaction.
A cheek-swab test shows your dog's status. Share the result with every vet before sedation or new medicines.
Several inherited eye problems run in the breed. Two of them are cloudy lenses (hereditary cataract) and a slow loss of sight (progressive retinal atrophy).
Cataracts can start in young dogs. The slow loss of sight usually starts with poor vision at night.
A yearly exam by a vet eye specialist catches changes early. DNA tests cover both.
In hip dysplasia, the hip joint forms poorly as a puppy grows.
Your vet can check the hips with X-rays as your dog grows.
Keep your puppy lean, with controlled exercise while its joints are still growing.
Neuroaxonal dystrophy (NAD) is an inherited nerve condition that slowly weakens the back legs.
Watch for weak or wobbly back legs, or dragging back feet, usually from about 2 years.
A cheek-swab DNA test shows whether a dog is at risk. Tell your vet early if the back legs seem weak or clumsy.
Missing teeth and bite problems run in the breed.
Gaps where teeth are missing, or teeth that don't meet in a scissor bite, are the usual signs.
Your vet checks the bite at puppy visits, and the adult teeth once they are in.
Less common
Bits of tissue left in the eye from before birth (persistent pupillary membranes) are common, and an eye exam finds them.
Collie eye anomaly is a flaw in the back of the eye from birth, and a DNA test can find it.
Merle puppies, most of all double merles, are more likely to be deaf or have eye defects, so a hearing test helps.
A few dogs checked have loose kneecaps (patellar luxation) or elbows that formed badly (elbow dysplasia).
Some eye exams find extra eyelashes (distichiasis) or a gap in the colored part of the eye (iris coloboma).
DNA tests
A cheek-swab DNA test checks for several inherited conditions in Mini Aussies. These include the drug sensitivity, PRA, hereditary cataract and NAD.
Each result is clear (no copies of the gene change), carrier (one copy) or at risk (two copies).
For most of these, a carrier is healthy. At risk means a higher chance, not a diagnosis, and some at-risk dogs never show signs. Two tests work a little differently. With the drug sensitivity, one copy can already cause a reaction. With the cataract test, one copy raises the risk. Among Mini Aussies tested through OFA for the drug sensitivity, about 14 in 100 had one copy. Owners choose which results to send in, so this is about tested dogs, not every Mini Aussie. Since one copy is enough to cause a reaction, keep your dog's result in its vet records and share it with each new vet. Of 285 dogs tested through OFA for NAD, 23 were carriers and 1 was affected. NAD is recessive, so carriers are healthy. The NAD test is not on the common panels, so it is ordered on its own. Tests also cover collie eye anomaly, bladder stones (hyperuricosuria) and disc disease risk. Others check for a spinal cord disease called degenerative myelopathy and a retina disease called multifocal retinopathy.
Checkups your dog will get
Care plan by life stage
Planning for Miniature Australian Shepherd vet costs
These are typical published costs for treating what a Miniature Australian Shepherd vet exam looks at and the conditions the breed is known to be prone to. Each range shows where it comes from and when, and your own vet's estimate will differ.
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | per visit | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee) | 2023–2026 |
| Eye tests before cataract surgery (ERG and eye ultrasound) | $500–$1,300 | per workup | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Missouri, Tennessee) | 2025–2026 |
| Cataract surgery, one eye | $3,800–$5,500 | per eye | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023–2025 |
| Cataract surgery, both eyes under one anesthetic | $5,600–$6,700 | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2025 |
Planning for pet insurance
When you are ready to compare plans, here is one option for Pawrade buyers.
Only with Pawrade, you receive a pet insurance policy with no waiting period included for immediate accident or illness coverage, 1 month, with every puppy.† You activate it by calling MetLife; instructions arrive with your travel details. Continuing MetLife coverage after the first month is strongly recommended.
View the MetLife 30-day offer →†NH, NY, RI, SC and TN residents excluded. Activated by calling MetLife; coverage begins immediately following policy activation. See the offer for full terms.
Whichever plan you look at, read the policy before you buy. Check the waiting periods, how it defines a pre-existing condition, and its deductible, reimbursement percentage and annual limit.
A waiting period is how long after you buy a pet insurance policy before a claim counts.
| Policy | Accidents | Illness | Joints |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife policy included with your Pawrade puppy† | None | None | None |
| MetLife, bought directly | None | 14 days | Not listed |
| Industry standard | 0–14 days | 14–30 days | 6–12 months |
| Nationwide | 14 days | 14 days | Not listed |
| Trupanion | 5 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Embrace | 2 days | 14 days | 6 months |
| Figo | 1 day | 14 days | Not listed |
What the Veterinary Health Report checks
The breeder's licensed vet checks your puppy before it goes home. The vet follows PetPay's exam standards, and the results go in your puppy's Veterinary Health Report.
Focus
Heart
Heart murmur, and how loud it is (grade)
02
Breathing
How open the nostrils are · Coughing or congestion
03
Temperature, pulse and breathing rate
Temperature · Pulse · Breathing rate
04 Focus
Eyes
Discharge · Vision problems · Eyelash problems · Cherry eye
05 Focus
Ears and hearing
Debris or discharge · Ear mites · Signs of infection · Hearing
06 Focus
Mouth and bite
Teeth and jaw alignment · Bite (overbite or underbite)
07
Skin and coat
Fleas and ticks · Hair loss · Signs of infection
08
Kneecaps
Kneecaps that slip, and how much (grade)
09
Hips
Hip pain
10
Hernias
Belly-button (umbilical) hernia · Groin (inguinal) hernia
11
Soft spot on the skull
An open soft spot, and its size
12
Body condition and weight
Body condition score · Weight
13 Focus
Reproductive organs
Both testicles in place (males) · Extra skin folds around the vulva (females)
14
History of vomiting or diarrhea
Any history of vomiting or diarrhea (reported, not examined)
15
Stool test for parasites
Fecal flotation test, with any treatment given
16
Past surgery and notes
Any past surgery · The vet's explanation of anything abnormal
The vet listens to the heart with a stethoscope for a murmur.
With a light and a hand-held scope, the vet checks both eyes for any sign of a vision problem.
Defects present from birth, such as leftover strands of tissue across the pupil or a gap in the iris, are best confirmed by a veterinary eye specialist. Collie eye anomaly is one of them in this breed, so an early look at the eyes is worth having on record.
In merle or mostly white puppies, the vet checks how the puppy responds to sound.
Merle puppies carry a higher risk of deafness, and a BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response) hearing test gives a definite answer.
The vet checks that the teeth meet in a scissor bite.
Missing teeth and bite problems run in the breed, so your own vet looks at the adult teeth again once they are in.
In male puppies, the vet checks that both testicles have come down.
The vet listens to the heart with a stethoscope for a murmur.
With a light and a hand-held scope, the vet checks both eyes for any sign of a vision problem.
Defects present from birth, such as leftover strands of tissue across the pupil or a gap in the iris, are best confirmed by a veterinary eye specialist. Collie eye anomaly is one of them in this breed, so an early look at the eyes is worth having on record.
In merle or mostly white puppies, the vet checks how the puppy responds to sound.
Merle puppies carry a higher risk of deafness, and a BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response) hearing test gives a definite answer.
The vet checks that the teeth meet in a scissor bite.
Missing teeth and bite problems run in the breed, so your own vet looks at the adult teeth again once they are in.
In male puppies, the vet checks that both testicles have come down.
Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no single exam can find everything. The exam is a strong early indicator and a documented starting point that your own vet builds on.
Health guarantee
Every Pawrade puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.
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Frequently asked questions
Mini Aussies are known to be prone to a drug sensitivity, an inherited nerve condition called neuroaxonal dystrophy (NAD), hip dysplasia, and missing teeth or bite problems. They are also prone to several inherited eye problems: hereditary cataract, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), collie eye anomaly and persistent pupillary membranes. DNA tests, a yearly eye exam, a lean weight and sharing your dog's drug-sensitivity result with every vet help you stay ahead of them.
Hip dysplasia, where the hip joint forms poorly as a puppy grows, runs in the breed. Of Mini Aussie hip X-rays graded by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), about 7 in 100 were rated dysplastic, most of them mild. Owners choose which X-rays to send in, so this describes screened dogs, not every Mini Aussie. Keep your puppy lean, with controlled exercise while its joints are still growing.
Merle puppies, and especially double merles that get the merle gene from both parents, have a higher risk of deafness and eye defects. For a merle puppy, a hearing test called a BAER test and an eye exam are worth doing.
Many Mini Aussies carry an inherited gene change that makes some common drugs risky. In a dog with the gene change, some sedatives, an anti-diarrhea medicine and high doses of certain parasite drugs can cause serious reactions in the brain and nerves. A cheek-swab test shows your dog's status, and even one copy of the gene change can cause a reaction. Share the result with every vet before sedation, anti-diarrhea medicine or parasite products.
Cheek-swab tests cover the drug sensitivity, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), hereditary cataract and neuroaxonal dystrophy (NAD). Tests also exist for collie eye anomaly, a retina disease called multifocal retinopathy, degenerative myelopathy, bladder stones (hyperuricosuria) and disc disease risk. The NAD test is not on the common panels, so it is ordered on its own. A carrier of a recessive condition is healthy, and an at-risk result means a higher chance, not a diagnosis.
A yearly exam by a veterinary eye specialist is a good habit, because hereditary cataract and PRA can appear after puppyhood. Some eye defects, such as collie eye anomaly, are present from birth, so an early puppy eye exam is worth having.
Mini Aussies typically live 12–13 years. Eye exams, weight control and dental care continue into the senior years.
Keep up eye exams, because the slow loss of sight called PRA starts in middle to later life in dogs at risk. Support the joints with weight control, keep up dental care, and adjust exercise while keeping the mind busy.
Keep your Mini Aussie lean and busy, book a yearly eye exam and look after its teeth. Keep its drug-sensitivity result in every vet record.
Feed a quality food for its life stage in measured meals, and keep treats under 10% of its daily calories. A lean body helps protect the hips, especially while the joints are still growing.
