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Health in other breeds

The programme Pedigree Dogs Exposed was broadcast in August 2008 and lifted the lid on what the programme makers believed to be the true extent of health and welfare problems in pedigree dogs in the UK. There was much debate about this and the Kennel Club has since made a concerted effort to recognise key issues which needed to be addressed. One of the outcomes was to identify 15 breeds and label them as High Profile Breeds which may have health or welfare concerns. Various experts were brought together from within the Kennel Club to form the current Dog Health Group though it had been established under another name since 2002. There was more input into Breed Clubs, the Assured Breeder Schemes, Breed Standards and Confirmation, Genetics and Health Screening.

The show ring came under scrutiny too and so did the Judges in an effort to ensure only healthy dogs were winning. Breeders are being encouraged to stop breeding dogs with exaggerations that may have been acceptable in the show ring in the past but could be dangerous to the dog’s health. Various monitoring is ongoing. In order to help the genetic diversity of all breeds the Kennel Club has banned close matings. They have also developed a dog health database which gives breeders coefficients of inbreeding to enable breeders to select mating pairs which will produce healthy puppies.

How Many?

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The Karlton Index, www.thekarltonindex.com, has collected information on breed health for the period February – September 2011 in 180 breeds. It is designed to be constructive and points are awarded on tangible information and data. It is a ‘snapshot’ of breed health as at September 2011.

The breed that scored the most points is Dachshunds. Here is why:

• Breed Council had its inaugural meeting on 18/09/08 and established an inspiring website
• Website is innovative, informative and stylish
• Chairman of the Health and Welfare Sub-committee is a Vet
• Further 11 items have been added to the General Code of Ethics
• Dachshund Breed Council publishes Minutes of Meetings on the website
• Established a Health Strategy for prioritising health issues
• Communicates regularly with press releases, up to date websites and social media
• Sets objectives and measures to gauge progress
• Organises regular health events and campaigns
• Carries out regular ongoing health surveillance
• Involves everyone in the breed including pet owners
• Builds strong relationships between breed clubs, KC and the veterinary/scientific profession
• Generous in sharing information and practice by publishing it on their website

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Look at what the Karlton Index has achieved in bringing together health information on 180 breeds to September 2011. It’s very interesting to see what other breeds are up to and what they have achieved. We have Philipa Robinson to thank for putting this worthwhile project together.

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Together we can make a difference....

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