Hi Everyone,

I have never posted on this forum before but I know there are a lot of people who are passionate about the health of our dogs. Please would you be kind enough to read the information below and if you own an Hungarian Vizsla check your dogs pedigree against the list. Also, if you know of anyone who owns a Vizsla please pass this message on, it is really important that we get this message out to as many people as we can.

Thank you so much for your help.

Lynn


VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ - 4 MORE NAMES ADDED TO OPEN REGISTRY OF POLYMYOSITIS AFFECTED VIZSLAS

Please can you all have another look at the "open registry" to see if your dog/bitch is connected to any of the affected dogs on the list. Four more pedigrees have been added recently in the hope that it will generate more DNA samples for the research. As many as possible are still desperately needed. Please go to

http://www.vizslahealth.net/Polymyositis%20Pedigrees.htm to view the list. Click on the name to view the full pedigree.

If your dog is connected to any of the dogs please contact Di Addicott with the pedigree name of your vizsla - phone 01576 202258 or email di.addicott@gmail.com She will be able to tell you instantly whether your dog will be needed to supply a sample. As you all know, sample kits are sent out to you at no cost to yourselves, all you have to do is take the sample and post it back in the pre paid envelope. This sample is not tested to say whether your dog has PM or not, there is no test for it yet. That is what scientists are working on. Everything is completely confidential and the sample is anonymous once it is entered in to the DNA archive.

There are a lot of affected vizslas whose names are not on the open registry - some owners do not want to share their dog's pedigree information. Also the list covers only vizslas from the UK but there are now quite a number of affected vizslas from other countries too. So wherever in the world you live please get in touch with Di to say "my vizsla's pedigree name is XXX - would his saliva sample be useful for the research" Every single sample is massively helpful.

You might also like to read this very exciting piece in Clare Rusbridge's Newsletter, 

http://clarerusbridge-news.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/ecvn-ghent-2012-abstract-and.html

As you can see an abstract was recently presented at the ECVN Congress to describe breed specific Vizsla Polymyositis. 64 affected vizslas were studied.

Please find the time to read Clare's Newsletter, it also highlights the fact that our breed seems to be predisposed to other immune mediated problems, if your dog suffers from any of the mentioned Immune mediated diseases or anything else, please let Di know, she is compiling another list of problems away from Polymyositis that may be of help to our breed in the future.

Please would you all be kind enough to cross post this to anyone you know who owns a dog. There is always the chance that they might know someone who owns a vizsla who doesn't participate in facebook.

Welcome to the forum. What a terrible condition. I note that there is also reference to German Wirehaired Pointers and Newfies with the condition too, so maybe other breeds should also be aware.

Have already contacted Di :)
Everyone with Vizslas should come forward and help this special breed.