16th February 2012

Vol 01 Edition 03

Happy New Year 2012 to Everyone!!

After our 2nd Newsletter we now have just over 200 Subscribers. We appreciate your support and please continue to let us know what you want to see on the website. Contact us if you would like to share your experiences with your Danes. The feedback is that this approach is very much appreciated by many Dane owners.

I would like to take this opportunity to make it quite clear that though we are staunch supporters of the LUPA Project we have NEVER received or asked for any information relating to the Great Danes who have contributed to the research program. The Veterinary Surgeons on this project adhere strictly to client confidentiality as you would expect coming from the professionals that they are.

This month we have added a section on Eye Problems. Great Danes are currently on the Breed Watch at the Kennel Club for “loose eyelids”. Glaucoma is on the Watch List for Great Danes at the British Veterinary Association (BVA). Daneline has reported a significant increase in the number of eye operations they have had to fund regarding Danes coming in for rehoming.

There is also a new section under Welfare on the Assured Breeders Scheme. The first Assured Breeder in Great Danes joined in March 2004 and she gives us her view on the Scheme to date. We welcome your views and comments. At the time of writing this Newsletter we have 36 Assured Breeders in the scheme.

Helen Seddon , Tenaya Great Danes

Breed Watch

The Kennel Club has currently put the Great Dane Breed on their Breed Watch for “loose eyelids”. Read how this has come about and why we should aim for breeding Danes with tighter eyes.

Addisons Disease

Theresa Bailey has written a piece on Addisons Disease and brought our attention to a study being carried out between Manchester and Liverpool Universities. If your Dane has been diagnosed with Addisons Disease you can help with the research by sending a saliva sample.

Focus on Eye Problems

In this section on eye problems we have covered Glaucoma, Entropion, Ectropion, Cherry Eye and Cataracts with some personal experiences from Dane owners. As loose eyelids is in the spotlight we also have an article on Eye Lids by Steve Dean who is a veterinary surgeon and current Chairman of the Kennel Club. He has very kindly consented to us reproducing it on our website.

Welfare

There’s always something going on. Fancy a micro Dane??

You told us what you thought.

Read the results of the Breeding Bitch Survey and some additional comments.

Confusion!!!

Want to be part of a heart testing clinic? Well there’s 2. The one mentioned in the last newsletter is for Danes UPTO 4 years old and costs approximately £57 per Dane. The other is the DCM Lupa project for Danes 4 and over and is free.

They compliment each other and data collect at the heart testing clinic is also provided to the Lupa project. As mentioned above they are confidential unless you don’t want them to be!!

8 Danes were tested on the 28th Jan at a cost of £57 per Dane. If you are interested in attending a clinic or even arranging your own clinic get in touch.

The Assured Breeder Scheme

The Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme – what does it mean to Great Dane Breeders? Read what our first member in Great Danes has to say nearly eight years on.