Are there any health tests for your breed of dog and if so are you aware of how your breed as a whole got the testing off the ground?

Karen

Not sure what you mean.  Do you mean how did the club committee decide which test would be appropriate to be adopted or how they go about organising something like eye testing sessions?

My breed ideally should have an annual full heart test including an echocardiogram. The puppies should all be tested for PSS. The heart testing got underway when a vet was doing some very interesting research into cardiomyopathy in deerhounds. She travelled around the country once a year, staying in breeders' homes in various central locations and everyone local (ie ~ 3 hour drive) to the location brought their hounds to be tested over a 2 -3 day period. Unfortunately Angela no longer does this and it is now left to the individual owner to arrange heart testing.

The PSS testing was all down to one breeder, Penny Redmond (Greybrows). Penny and the new owners suffered though the horrible demise of a puppy she had bred from liver shunt. Penny then found out everything to be found about PSS and went on a one woman campaign to get everyone to test their puppies. She got a lot of derision and opposition at first but she stuck to her guns and now all reputable breeders PSS test their pups.

I apologise I have not made myself clear my breed is Staffordshire Bull Terriers and there has recently been a "breakthrough" by the AHT the launch of two DNA tests for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, namely for L-2 Hydroxyglutaric Aciduria (L-2HGA) and Hereditary Juvenile Cataract (HC)
Breeders are faced with a decision either to breed or not to breed from carrier stock identified by these DNA tests. We are as a breed I think getting to grips with testing - although not everyone tests many responsible people do other seem to think "its not in my line" and ignore it.

And I wondered if other breeds have found a way to convince everyone to breed or if they stopped breeding from say a carrier and found that they have in effect thrown the baby away with the bathwater.

Staffords are a numerically strong breed.

I personaly wondered if other breeds could offer any help? as this testing has brought to light the fact lots of people want to do whats best for the breed but the way forward could be one of many paths - but which one?

Karen

In 1999 a DNA test was developed to identify CLAD (Canine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency) in Irish Setters. Breeders co-operated with the research 100%. Blood from several sufferers of the disease was used by the AHT and the University of Upsalla in Sweden and the breakthrough came very quickly. Funds were raised by breed clubs and members and also from the Kennel Club Health Foundation.

It was agreed by a joint comittee of the breed clubs, the KC and the AHT, that dogs and bitches proven to be sufferers would not be bred from, the KC would not register puppies of such breeding. Proven carriers could be mated to proven clear stock for a limited period of 5 years, that period is now expired, and only clears can have their pups registered. All pups were  DNA tested prior to going off to their new homes.

The result is, that with an almighty joint effort, a horrendous hereditary disease has been eradicated in the space of 7 years or so.

Dawn R.

Thank you very very very much Dawn, I appreciate it very much, so can I confirm you don't now have the pups registered from carrier to clear matings? Karen

Yes, although I'm not a breeder, I can still confirm that in Irish Setters, carrier to clear matings are no longer elligible to have their puppies registered. Only clear to clear. :)

Dawn R.

Hi my breed is hipscored and eye tested for glaucoma.  Unfortunately some people say that the glaucoma isn't in their lines but seeing as our original imports who had it had the same dogs in the background then they should still have them eye tested.  The same dogs 15-20 years ago were used in Spain so although they may not be in the first few generations they are there.

Hipscoring should also be done and again just because your dog moves well doesn't mean that it doesn't have a problem.  I bet most breeds would have some form of HD in their breeds but because they don't hipscore them they don't know.

I bet most breeds would have some form of HD in their breeds but because they don't hipscore them they don't know.

Deerhounds are not routinely hip scored because clinical HD is unknown in the breed. The small number that have been scored have a very low score. I can understand that people in breeds with HD feel strongly about scoring, but imo we are better concentrating on the problems that we DO have. :)

What do you class as low scores and how many have been scored?  Just being nosey :d

Our breed compared to many has fairly low scores but we have had 3 with highish scores.

I can't find it online at the moment, although I know its there somewhere. Scrabbling in my memory - which may or may not be accurate! - I think only about 120 have been tested and I think the highest result was 6.

Last published hip info is here:

http://www.bva.co.uk/public/chs/bms2006.pdf

Unless I'm going blind, which is entirely possible, Deerhounds don't seem to be listed? Have looked twice, bet they're waving at me!

M.

My vague memory must be from abroad then. Thanks for finding that Lily!

Does you club have a Health Committee?  They are generally the people putting the work into establishing the extent of a problem and what can or should be done probably liaising with the BVA for example.  If you think they are missing something you could try lobbying them to consider it at committee.

Eye tests for cea/pra, hip scores, bear hearing test,DNA tests for CEA and CL and hopefully before very long a full test for TNS which is work in progress at the moment.

Hi Karen.. interesting topic.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that L2 had been brought more the fore of late as well as HC and PHPV, it isn't stopping some breeders from breeding from affected/carrier stock.
I think a hell of a lot of responsible Stafford owners are trying and have tried to encourage testing and offered advice and information to people who are relatively new to the breed.
As I said though, sadly it doesn't stop the people who just don't care and wanna make a buck.

Dobes should ideally be tested annually for hypothyroidism and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), particularly as they get older and for breeding animals - breeding stock should also be DNA tested for von Willdebrand's (bleeding disorder) to establish if the dog is clear, carrier or affected; also hip scored (though the average is 10 so not a major issue) and eyes tested, as I'd expect regardless of the breed.  There's a sheme running at the moment to gather data on DCM in different age groups of dobes - it's unfortunately quite common in the breed.

I've no idea how the testing came about - I'd like to know though!

In red and white setters we have DNA testing for CLAD and vWD.  Breeding of carriers to clear can be done however the breeder should DNA test all puppies ASAP and therefore sell carriers to pet homes and to be neauterd when old enough.  Alhough it was wanted to only breed clear to clear the gene pool is not large enough to do this.

Pre DNA a blood count was taken to give a rough guide if the dog was possibly affected or not although nothing was certain it at least gave us some ideas.

We are also (or the AHT are) very close to DNA testing for PPC.  Whihc should be a huge help in breeding :)

All breeders are easily in the habbit of getting these tests done as the large majority want the best for the breeds health. 

Hips and eyes are also tested.