Elbow Dysplasia
As many of you know I suffer from Elbow Dysplasia. In my case it is not, as far as we know, a genetic thing. We think it came about from Shadow slam-dunking me across the paving when I was little. It is not a big problem in our breed, but in other breeds it can be a very big problem and can be genetic. Why am I telling you this? Well Button has been in touch to tell me about a campaign she has launched to improve the awareness of the problem. You can find out about what Button is up to HERE.
Health Testing
One of the things that Button is not happy about is that health testing is not compulsory and we completely agree with her. Most people, when they look for a puppy to adopt into their family, assume that if the puppy is registered with the Kennel Club then the parents will have done all the relevant tests. That really is not the case. As long as the puppy is from pedigree parents then he or she can be registered. Only if the breeder is part of the Kennel Club’s Assured Breeder Scheme does that mean that they will have done the recommended health tests – but even that is not as good as it sounds!
Which Health Tests?
The Kennel Club does not automatically list all the health tests which are required for a breed. Take us as an example. When we were new to the country our Club asked for all the tests that are required by the other main European Clubs to be recognised as a requirement. You would think that was fairly easy, but no. Our Club was told to apply for the tests one at a time. When we did ask for the first one to be added, despite the fact that it is recognised by every other country as essential, the Kennel Club told the Club to submit five years of data of dogs in this country!
High Standards
How are ordinary humans supposed to know what’s what? Our own Club is putting in place a special recognition scheme so that people will know what they should be looking for. Not all breeds are the same though and when you are looking for a puppy to come and live with you it really is important to ask lots of questions and do lots of research about what tests should be done. Which brings us back to Button. Button is trying to make a film to help educate people. It’s really important so we do wish you the very best of luck.
Aristotle
© 2018 Rosemary J. Kind
All site content is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without written permission.