Dachshund Breed Council Newsletter This month: Free Distichiasis Screening - Winny's Fund - Lafora Update - CPR for dogs - Risky Discs webinar - On the internet July 2013 Have you booked your Mini Long in for the Free Distichiasis Screening at Houndshow 2013? If you have been sent a copy of this, but aren't on our mailing list, please click the image link below. Free Distichiasis examinations of Miniature Longhaired Dachshunds will be available at the Houndshow (Stafford County Showground) on August 3rd, organised by the Miniature Dachshund Club. Please download and complete a Distichiasis Form for each of your dogs and bring this to the show, along with each dog s REGISTRATION DOCUMENT and two copies of its PEDIGREE. Why participate? Distichiasis is known to be more prevalent in Mini Longs than the other Dachshunds, but we don't really know how much of a health problem it is, if at all The more dogs we can examine, the better advice we'll be able to offer owners and breeders Each owner will know, with confidence, the Distichiasis status of their dog(s) Any dog(s) with a problem can be referred for further specialist advice 522 people have signed-up to receive our Newsletter For more information, please contact Dawn Norton or Judy Squires. Winny's Fund: A fund-raising record for Page 1
IVDD Research An amazing fund-raising effort by Mini Smooth owner Di Handy has collected nearly 6000 in just 3 weeks, for the Breed Council's research project looking at Back Disease in Dachshunds. Di's Miniature Dachshund, Winny, died on 15th May 2013 at 19 weeks old. Winny was born with a birth defect, a unique spinal abnormality, and fought so hard from the day she was born until the day she passed away. Through the 'Winny Mini'group on Facebook, Winny's story touched thousands from all around the globe and when she died, all those that followed her also grieved deeply. Even though Winny didn't suffer with IVDD, Di felt this was a issue close to all our hearts and set up an online donations page as something that would be beneficial to all involved in the breed. If you would like to donate towards this cause you can join in helping Winny's legacy live on and helping the future health of of the breed. On behalf of the Breed Council we would like to thank Di and everyone who has been so generous in supporting this really important cause. Lafora Screening update The latest batch of Lafora test results have been published by the WHDC on their website along with the following announcement: "The WHDC is pleased to be able to publish the latest batch of Lafora test results carried out by Dr. Minassian's lab in Canada. Once again, these show the rate of Affected dogs in the breed to be around 10% and we will continue to work with Dr. Clare Rusbridge to evaluate the progression of the disease in affected dogs. Dr. Minassian and his team has worked hard to perfect what we all know is a technically challenging test. We Page 2
are grateful to him for re-testing previous samples to ensure consistency, so that we can all be confident in the results. The Lafora Test is already a Recommendation under the Kennel Club's Assured Breeder Scheme and we are working towards getting the test 'formally'approved by the KC so it can become an ABS Requirement. We are sure all responsible breeders will wish to demonstrate their commitment to eradicating Lafora Disease by supporting the test. Stud dog owners have a particular responsibility to ensure owners of bitches (pet or show) are made aware of their dog's Lafora status. They should also be advising owners of bitches to have a Lafora test prior to mating and to follow the recommendations to avoid producing Affected puppies. Anyone who is in any doubt as to the seriousness of the health issues associated with Lafora Disease should read the Owner Survey published at www.laforadogs.org. Finally, we would like to commend the commitment of all those Mini Wire owners who have supported the screening programme so far. Thanks to their support and patience, we have an extensive online database of UK dogs and their Lafora status. Together with a reliable test, we now have the ability to prevent any more Affected puppies from being bred." We are grateful to Dr. Clare Rusbridge for this photo of Dr. Minassian and his team, which she took on her recent visit to Canada... Would you know how to give CPR to your Dachshund? We recently had an e-mail from the owner of a Wirehaired Dachshund which collapsed with heart failure. Sadly, she was unable to save the dog, but wanted us to pass on information on canine CPR to other owners in the hope that it might be helpful in an emergency. CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) preserves brain function until proper blood circulation and breathing can be restored. Page 3
Do you know what to do if your dog stops breathing? Knowing a few emergency procedures if your dog is choking, or having difficulty breathing, could save your dog's life because you may not have time to get to a vet. Read more here and watch the video of how to give a dog CPR. Risky Discs - the webinar On June 26th, Professor Simon Platt presented a webinar on Back Disease and it's available at veterinaryexpert.com Webinar topics: What actually is a slipped disc? How do I know if my dog has a slipped disc? Which breeds are particularly at risk? What is the best treatment for my dog? What does treatment involve? What if my dog is paralysed? Will my dog walk again? This webinar present the latest thinking on the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis for IVDD. On the internet Balance in the Show Dog First Aid for bloat Kennel Club welcomes study looking at health of all dogs Brindle in dogs: new information on the genetics of stripes Discover Dogs will be at the Manchester Pet Show 7-8 Sept. 2013 Page 4
www.dachshundhealth.org.uk www.dachshundbreedcouncil.org.uk E-mail: secretary@dachshundbreedcouncil.org.uk Copyright 2013 Dachshund Breed Council To unsubscribe from this Newsletter please Click here. Page 5