Health Research in the Breed
Flatcoated Retriever Society AGM Health Report 2021
Please click here for the latest Health report
Tumour Survey
The tumour survey is winding down, Jane Dobson will now liaise directly with the Flatcoated Retriever Society Health Sub Committee regarding her future work. Jane is keen to stress that despite the winding down of the survey she and her team will maintain a strong interest in the health of the Flatcoated Retriever via their Cause of Death register. They are especially interested in Histiocytic Sarcomas and would still like to hear of affected dogs, and will offer advice on diagnosis and management to vets treating these cases if required. We would still appreciate owners taking the time to report incidences of cancer directly to the Society via the “Health Form”
Cause of Death Register:
A cause of death register for the Flatcoated Retriever has been set up by Dr Jane Dobson, Cambridge School of Veterinary Medicine. Data should be entered as dogs die from now, rather than historically, as the results will be more robust this way. Please note that this Register is for ALL causes of death not just cancer, and the only person able to see the data entered is Dr Jane Dobson. Please follow the link here
A statement from Dr Jane Dobson:
This is a link to a statement issued by Dr Jane Dobson with regards to the "Cause of death register". Please read the document, as it offers some interesting information, and future reference for our breed and what we can do for it. Follow the Iink here
Banking of Flatcoat DNA with the AHT:
The Flatcoated Retriever Society Health Sub Committee are encouraging owners who have Flatcoats with certain conditions to submit their DNA to the Animal Health Trust (AHT) to be banked for future research. For full information please follow the link here. Due to the closure of the AHT this study will resume at Cambridge University for more information please contact Liz Branscombe.
Kennel Club Population Analysis for the Flatcoated Retriever
The report comprises of an analysis of pedigree information held by the Kennel Club over the period 1980-2014 for each breed to determine the rate of loss of genetic diversity within each breed. The reports aim to be a useful resource in the management of the genetic diversity of breeds in order to maintain a good balance between inbreeding and genetic selection. Please find the report here
Give a dog a Genome Project
The Animal Health Trust (AHT) / Kennel Club (KC) Give a Dog a Genome Project
The AHT and the KC genetics centre have recently launched a research project called ‘Give a Dog a Genome’ (GDG) the aim is to sequence the entire genome (2.4 billion letters of DNA) of 50 dog breeds. The resulting information will increase the ability to identify mutations which cause inherited diseases.
It costs approximately £2000 to sequence a genome however the 50 breed clubs who agree to join the project will be asked to contribute £1000 as the GDG work will be part funded by the KC Charitable trust. The Flatcoated Retriever Society’s General Committee has agreed to support the participation of our breed in this initiative by making a donation to the research project.
Further information about the project can be found by following the link below. Alternatively contact Liz Branscombe (KC Breed Health Co-ordinator for the Flatcoated Retriever) at lizzie@torinmill.plus.com
October 2017 Update
AHT Research Project
Please see a statement issued by the Flatcoated Retriever Society with regards to the Animal Health Trusts Histiocytic Sarcoma research project. This project will be contuining at Cambridge University as a result of the AHT Closure. Find the statement here
FREE WEBINARS ABOUT COMMON JOINT & EYE PROBLEMS IN DOGS AND THE AVAILABLE SCREENING SCHEMES
In partnership with the British Veterinary Association’s (BVA) Canine Health Schemes, The Kennel Club’s (KC) health team is hosting a series of free webinars for anyone wishing to find out more about the following health screening schemes:
A webinar about the BVA/KC Hip & Elbow Dysplasia Schemes will take place on Tuesday 14 November (from 7:00pm to 8:15pm), and will be joined by specialists, Dr Jerry Davies and Mrs Elizabeth Baines. Those interested in attending this webinar can register here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b959dac9-ce5d-484d-9218-8390a3a34bc3@39b82a55-e5f2-48c9-8e13-feb1a568f5ec
The second webinar about the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme will take place on Tuesday 28 November (from 7:00pm to 8:15pm). Those interested in attending this webinar can register here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4992b09b-e105-4dcf-84fa-55e9f577509e@39b82a55-e5f2-48c9-8e13-feb1a568f5ec
Hip and elbow dysplasia are complex inherited conditions where the hip/elbow joint does not develop correctly. As a dog gets older, the joint undergoes wear and tear and deteriorates, leading to a loss of function. This can cause varying degrees of pain, discomfort, stiffness and lameness. Although hip and elbow dysplasia are controlled by a number of different genes and influenced by several environmental factors some breeds have a higher risk of developing these conditions. The BVA/KC Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Schemes were established to reduce the incidence of severity of these conditions. They use X-rays to identify abnormalities in the joints and help breeders to make informed breeding decisions to lower the risk of producing affected puppies.
Several known hereditary eye diseases, whether present at birth or emerging later in life, can seriously impact your dog’s health and welfare, causing pain, blindness and/or the need for lifelong medication. The BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme is a physical eye examination carried out by expert veterinary ophthalmologists to identify inherited and non-inherited eye conditions in dogs. This screening scheme allows breeders to better understand the genes a dog may pass on to its puppies and reduce the risk of inherited diseases appearing in future generations.
Join our webinars to learn more about what research has told us to date including causes, symptoms, available screening schemes, and best practice in breeding. Both webinars will include a 45-minute presentation from the specialists. This will be followed by a 30-minute question and answer session, giving attendees a chance to put forward their queries and experiences for discussion (questions can also be pre-submitted at the time of registration).
Please click here for the latest Health report
Tumour Survey
The tumour survey is winding down, Jane Dobson will now liaise directly with the Flatcoated Retriever Society Health Sub Committee regarding her future work. Jane is keen to stress that despite the winding down of the survey she and her team will maintain a strong interest in the health of the Flatcoated Retriever via their Cause of Death register. They are especially interested in Histiocytic Sarcomas and would still like to hear of affected dogs, and will offer advice on diagnosis and management to vets treating these cases if required. We would still appreciate owners taking the time to report incidences of cancer directly to the Society via the “Health Form”
Cause of Death Register:
A cause of death register for the Flatcoated Retriever has been set up by Dr Jane Dobson, Cambridge School of Veterinary Medicine. Data should be entered as dogs die from now, rather than historically, as the results will be more robust this way. Please note that this Register is for ALL causes of death not just cancer, and the only person able to see the data entered is Dr Jane Dobson. Please follow the link here
A statement from Dr Jane Dobson:
This is a link to a statement issued by Dr Jane Dobson with regards to the "Cause of death register". Please read the document, as it offers some interesting information, and future reference for our breed and what we can do for it. Follow the Iink here
Banking of Flatcoat DNA with the AHT:
The Flatcoated Retriever Society Health Sub Committee are encouraging owners who have Flatcoats with certain conditions to submit their DNA to the Animal Health Trust (AHT) to be banked for future research. For full information please follow the link here. Due to the closure of the AHT this study will resume at Cambridge University for more information please contact Liz Branscombe.
Kennel Club Population Analysis for the Flatcoated Retriever
The report comprises of an analysis of pedigree information held by the Kennel Club over the period 1980-2014 for each breed to determine the rate of loss of genetic diversity within each breed. The reports aim to be a useful resource in the management of the genetic diversity of breeds in order to maintain a good balance between inbreeding and genetic selection. Please find the report here
Give a dog a Genome Project
The Animal Health Trust (AHT) / Kennel Club (KC) Give a Dog a Genome Project
The AHT and the KC genetics centre have recently launched a research project called ‘Give a Dog a Genome’ (GDG) the aim is to sequence the entire genome (2.4 billion letters of DNA) of 50 dog breeds. The resulting information will increase the ability to identify mutations which cause inherited diseases.
It costs approximately £2000 to sequence a genome however the 50 breed clubs who agree to join the project will be asked to contribute £1000 as the GDG work will be part funded by the KC Charitable trust. The Flatcoated Retriever Society’s General Committee has agreed to support the participation of our breed in this initiative by making a donation to the research project.
Further information about the project can be found by following the link below. Alternatively contact Liz Branscombe (KC Breed Health Co-ordinator for the Flatcoated Retriever) at lizzie@torinmill.plus.com
October 2017 Update
AHT Research Project
Please see a statement issued by the Flatcoated Retriever Society with regards to the Animal Health Trusts Histiocytic Sarcoma research project. This project will be contuining at Cambridge University as a result of the AHT Closure. Find the statement here
FREE WEBINARS ABOUT COMMON JOINT & EYE PROBLEMS IN DOGS AND THE AVAILABLE SCREENING SCHEMES
In partnership with the British Veterinary Association’s (BVA) Canine Health Schemes, The Kennel Club’s (KC) health team is hosting a series of free webinars for anyone wishing to find out more about the following health screening schemes:
- BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme
- BVA/KC Elbow Dysplasia Scheme
- BVA/KC/ISDS (International Sheep Dog Society) Eye Scheme
A webinar about the BVA/KC Hip & Elbow Dysplasia Schemes will take place on Tuesday 14 November (from 7:00pm to 8:15pm), and will be joined by specialists, Dr Jerry Davies and Mrs Elizabeth Baines. Those interested in attending this webinar can register here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b959dac9-ce5d-484d-9218-8390a3a34bc3@39b82a55-e5f2-48c9-8e13-feb1a568f5ec
The second webinar about the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme will take place on Tuesday 28 November (from 7:00pm to 8:15pm). Those interested in attending this webinar can register here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4992b09b-e105-4dcf-84fa-55e9f577509e@39b82a55-e5f2-48c9-8e13-feb1a568f5ec
Hip and elbow dysplasia are complex inherited conditions where the hip/elbow joint does not develop correctly. As a dog gets older, the joint undergoes wear and tear and deteriorates, leading to a loss of function. This can cause varying degrees of pain, discomfort, stiffness and lameness. Although hip and elbow dysplasia are controlled by a number of different genes and influenced by several environmental factors some breeds have a higher risk of developing these conditions. The BVA/KC Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Schemes were established to reduce the incidence of severity of these conditions. They use X-rays to identify abnormalities in the joints and help breeders to make informed breeding decisions to lower the risk of producing affected puppies.
Several known hereditary eye diseases, whether present at birth or emerging later in life, can seriously impact your dog’s health and welfare, causing pain, blindness and/or the need for lifelong medication. The BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme is a physical eye examination carried out by expert veterinary ophthalmologists to identify inherited and non-inherited eye conditions in dogs. This screening scheme allows breeders to better understand the genes a dog may pass on to its puppies and reduce the risk of inherited diseases appearing in future generations.
Join our webinars to learn more about what research has told us to date including causes, symptoms, available screening schemes, and best practice in breeding. Both webinars will include a 45-minute presentation from the specialists. This will be followed by a 30-minute question and answer session, giving attendees a chance to put forward their queries and experiences for discussion (questions can also be pre-submitted at the time of registration).