Kennel Club urges competitors to sign up for health testing offerings at Crufts, including discounted DNA and eye testing for all breeds, and free breathing assessments for brachycephalic breeds
The Kennel Club is pleased to offer eye testing to all exhibitors, and free Respiratory Function Grading scheme assessments for Bulldog, French Bulldog and Pug exhibitors, at Crufts this year.
There will be 60 discounted eye testing appointments per day, giving a total of 240 appointments across the four days of the show from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 March, for all breeds. There is morning session (from 10am to 1pm) and an afternoon session (from 2pm to 5pm).
The eye testing is booked on a first come, first served basis, and can be booked directly through our website.
The BVA/KC/ISDS Eye scheme examination at Crufts 2025 costs £30.00 per dog, reduced from the £47.50 rate of a normal group session. Examinations will take place in the vet centre, located in Hall 2. Exhibitors must already have a Crufts dog pass to book an eye test appointment.
As part of its commitment to canine health, The Kennel Club is also pleased to offer free Respiratory Function Grading scheme (RFG) assessments for Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and Pugs at Crufts.
The free assessments will be available on Friday 7 March only and will operate on a walk-in basis, with bookings taken on the day near rings 15 and 22 in Hall 4.
To continue to ensure that dog shows remain an effective platform to monitor and improve dog health, last year The Kennel Club introduced health-related entry requirements for some brachycephalic breeds for Crufts 2025 and all eligible Pugs, Bulldogs and French Bulldogs need to have a valid Respiratory Function Grading scheme assessment result to compete. Assessments must be undertaken every two years and those assessed as ‘grade 3’ are unable to enter the competition.
The Respiratory Function Grading scheme, developed by the University of Cambridge and The Kennel Club, assesses Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and Pugs for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). The assessment, which can be carried out by specially-trained assessors located across the UK, involves listening to the dog’s airway both before and after an exercise tolerance test. Assessors then use a pre-defined protocol to grade the dog from 0 to 3. Dogs graded as 0 will be free of respiratory signs of BOAS, while dogs graded as 3 will show severe respiratory signs of BOAS, indicating that further veterinary examination is advised.
Bulldog, French Bulldog and Pug owners are encouraged to take advantage of this free assessment opportunity at Crufts to ensure their dogs have up-to-date assessments and to enable further data collection on BOAS.
Please contact The Kennel Club health team for information on how to get your dog health tested by contacting the Health team online or speaking directly to the team at Crufts.
Helen Kerfoot, Crufts Show Manager, said: "Crufts is a celebration of healthy, happy dogs, and we are committed to making essential health testing as accessible as possible. We hope exhibitors will take full advantage of these opportunities to help reduce the prevalence of eye disease and breathing issues in future generations."
The Kennel Club is also offering 25% off all DNA testing products at Crufts 2025. Details on how to redeem this exclusive offer will be announced soon. More information about The Kennel Club DNA Testing Services is available on our website.
More information about eye testing can be found on The Kennel Club website and the BVA website. More about The Kennel Club/University of Cambridge Respiratory Function Grading scheme for Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and Pugs is available here.
To find out more about Crufts 2025, which takes place at the NEC from 6-9 March, visit the Crufts website.