Introduction
From our Breed Health Co-ordinator, Linda Coleman
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Just before Christmas the A.H.T. notified me that the D.N.A. from both chosen Briards had now been sent for sequencing i.e. we were in the second batch. It takes approximately 8 weeks to sequence and then about 3/4 days to download the data back at the A.H.T.
The analysis of this data then takes, as you can appreciate, far longer. I will only be notified if this analysis discovers anything of concern to the breed, otherwise it will be banked for any future research requirements. [22/01/2017]
The analysis of this data then takes, as you can appreciate, far longer. I will only be notified if this analysis discovers anything of concern to the breed, otherwise it will be banked for any future research requirements. [22/01/2017]
The latest from the A.H.T. is that they have asked me to organise submission of D.N.A. samples from several apparently healthy Briards over the age of 8; who have had a full eye examination including gonioscopy, which they will fund. They will then choose one to sequence which will remain confidential to them.
As you may know it was passed at the 2016 A.G.M. that if the members raised £1000 it would be matched by the club in order to fund the sequencing of a second Briard. This sum has now been achieved largely due to the sale of the wonderful Briard calendar and the A.H.T. will now sequence a second dog at the same time.
They now have all the necessary paperwork and samples to begin the next phase and hopefully by the end of the year our breeds D.N.A. will have been sequenced and be sitting in the databank ready for any future developments or research. [2016]
As you may know it was passed at the 2016 A.G.M. that if the members raised £1000 it would be matched by the club in order to fund the sequencing of a second Briard. This sum has now been achieved largely due to the sale of the wonderful Briard calendar and the A.H.T. will now sequence a second dog at the same time.
They now have all the necessary paperwork and samples to begin the next phase and hopefully by the end of the year our breeds D.N.A. will have been sequenced and be sitting in the databank ready for any future developments or research. [2016]
Recently the Kennel Club announced a new project named above. The K.C. Genetics centre based at the A.H.T. Newmarket has contributed £50,000 towards sequencing the entire genomes of 50 different breeds of dog, the total cost of which will be £100,000 ie.£2000 per breed. They have asked via Breed Health Co-ordinators for an equal amount of £1000 if you wish your breed to be analysed and make a significant contribution to the future of canine genetics research.
I am pleased and proud to say that the Briard has been accepted as one of the first breeds to be sequenced and the British Briard Club has contributed the necessary funds for this.
The entire project is explained very well via the following link: www.aht.org.uk/gdg [2016]
I am pleased and proud to say that the Briard has been accepted as one of the first breeds to be sequenced and the British Briard Club has contributed the necessary funds for this.
The entire project is explained very well via the following link: www.aht.org.uk/gdg [2016]
Briard Health Survey Part 1
As Briard breed health co-ordinator may I say a massive thank you to all the Briard owners who took the time to fill in the above, resulting in a wonderful 353 responses with no one choosing to remain completely anonymous!
As the survey has only recently closed, in depth analysis will be published later in the year, however the following may be of interest:
1. The results involved 190 bitches and 163 dogs of whom 341 had had at least their puppy vaccinations.
2. As you might expect with so many different foods on the market no one food or brand stood out above the others.
3. Of the 353 Briards in the survey sadly 66 of these were pets who had passed away in the last 2 years. This will require further analysis.
4. I am pleased to say that all respondents answered the health questions and results of these versus type of food fed, cause of death and any other concerns or links will be elaborated on in the future.
As the survey has only recently closed, in depth analysis will be published later in the year, however the following may be of interest:
1. The results involved 190 bitches and 163 dogs of whom 341 had had at least their puppy vaccinations.
2. As you might expect with so many different foods on the market no one food or brand stood out above the others.
3. Of the 353 Briards in the survey sadly 66 of these were pets who had passed away in the last 2 years. This will require further analysis.
4. I am pleased to say that all respondents answered the health questions and results of these versus type of food fed, cause of death and any other concerns or links will be elaborated on in the future.
Briard Health Survey Part 2
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The youngest Briard in the survey was just 3 months old and the oldest was 15.
61 males were castrated, the oldest at 10 and the youngest at 6 months. The majority, 34 were between 1 and 2 years. 63 bitches were spayed, the oldest at 9 years and more worrying 11 were under 1 year and in our breed. I’m sure this means that at least some were done before they had had a season which can affect their future physical development. The next highest number of 25 were between 1 and 2 years. 228 Briards were vaccinated annually. The vast majority of Briards were fed twice a day which is in keeping with current advice certainly for a large breed such as ours. |
The most common flea treatment used was Frontline coming in at almost three times its nearest rival Advocate.
The 66 reported deaths for the last 2 years came in as fairly evenly split between dogs and bitches. However there were no reported deaths under 2 years in males but this jumped to none reported under 6 years in bitches. The good news [if you can call it that] is that the majority in both sexes were aged between 10 and 13 years. 26 of the deaths were from cancer of some sort with cancer of the spleen accounting for 7 of these. Several toe cancers were reported but happily most of these dogs have been operated on successfully and continue to enjoy life. |
Under the general health questions most people reported that their visits to the vet were for common things that most dog owners visit their vet for and therefore not breed specific which is good. One thing I would like to mention is that 26 of you, 7.28% reported recurrent ear problems as a reason for your visit. Please check your dogs ears as regularly as you groom them. Your breeder can explain how to keep your dogs ears free from hair inside the ear, it is easy to pluck out when grooming and in a drop eared breed it does help to keep the air circulating. Generally if started when young your dog won’t mind. Also a knot free coat will enable you to spot any skin problems more easily and any nasty little visitors sooner!
Once again thank you all for your participation and remember you can always contact me by phone or e-mail or talk to me at a show and I will do my best to help and feedback is always welcome.
Linda Coleman
K.C. Breed Health Co-ordinator
Once again thank you all for your participation and remember you can always contact me by phone or e-mail or talk to me at a show and I will do my best to help and feedback is always welcome.
Linda Coleman
K.C. Breed Health Co-ordinator
The Kennel Club Dog Health Group Annual Report 2014
| CSNB (Congenital Stationary Night Blindness) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. Tested | Clear | Carrier | Affected | Hereditary Clear | Hereditary Carrier | Hereditary Affected | ||||||||
| 15 Years | 2014 | 15 Years | 2014 | 15 Years | 2014 | 15 Years | 2014 | 15 Years | 2014 | 15 Years | 2014 | 15 Years | 2014 | |
| 240 | 17 | 187 | 13 | 52 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 881 | 91 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hip Dysplasia | ||||||||||||||
Tested in the last 15 years |
Tested in 2014 |
Mean |
Range |
Median |
Mean |
Median |
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479 |
23 |
13.27 |
0-71 |
10 |
14.04 |
11 |
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| R.P.E.D (formerly known as C.P.R.A) tested in the last 15 years | ||||||||||||||
| Breed | Clear | Affected | ||||||||||||
| Briard | 213 | 0 | ||||||||||||
BLOAT
Bloat poses one of the most serious health risks for many dogs, yet many dog owners know very little about it. According to studies, bloat is the second leading killer of dogs, after cancer. The information below will tell you about some of the possible symptoms and the action required if you should experience any of these. Please consult with your veterinarian for medical information.
If you experience a combination of the following:
CONTACT YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY.
Bloat is a true emergency - be prepared to drive to the surgery straightaway. The chance of survival decreases alarmingly if you delay getting the dog to the surgery more than 60-90 minutes after the first signs. So whether you’re about to catch a plane, serve a meal to your family or go to bed - DON’T. Instead take your dog to the vet.
It could save your dog’s life.
If you experience a combination of the following:
- Your dog retches from the throat but nothing is produced, other than a small amount of frothy mucus
- Your dog tries to defaecate unsuccessfully
- Your dog adopts the ‘Sphinx’ position
- Your dog’s tummy goes hard and / or swells up like a balloon and is as taut as drumskin
- Your dog is trying to bite, or worry, the abdomen
- Your dog is very unsettled
CONTACT YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY.
Bloat is a true emergency - be prepared to drive to the surgery straightaway. The chance of survival decreases alarmingly if you delay getting the dog to the surgery more than 60-90 minutes after the first signs. So whether you’re about to catch a plane, serve a meal to your family or go to bed - DON’T. Instead take your dog to the vet.
It could save your dog’s life.
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This is an inherited eye problem discovered in British Briards a few years ago although it is well documented in North America and Europe. We are fortunate to have a D.N.A. test available in this country from the Kennel Club Genetics Centre at the University of Cambridge www.cagt.co.uk
Click here to read our C.S.N.B information
Article also available here to download in Adobe pdf format, download here Another in-depth article explaining C.S.N.B can be found here; (extensive specialised terminology)
A written report from; K Narfström, A Wrigstad, and S E Nilsson Department of Ophthalmology, University of Linköping, Sweden. |
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H.D.
Hip Dysplasia
Again it is a requirement of the Club that breeding stock is x-rayed, and scored BEFORE a mating takes place. It may interest you to know that Briards were the second breed, after the G.S.D., to be scored so we have been doing this for over 30 years!
The maximum possible score under the KC/BVA scheme is 106. Nearly 1000 Briards have been hip scored with a range over the last 5 years of 0-71. However in that time the breed mean score has increased from 13.27 to 14.04 and the B.V.A. strongly recommends that we only breed from dogs that score below the breed mean average.
In depth information regarding H.D. can be found here
The maximum possible score under the KC/BVA scheme is 106. Nearly 1000 Briards have been hip scored with a range over the last 5 years of 0-71. However in that time the breed mean score has increased from 13.27 to 14.04 and the B.V.A. strongly recommends that we only breed from dogs that score below the breed mean average.
In depth information regarding H.D. can be found here
C.P.R.A.
renamed R.P.E.D. in 1999.
(although still referred to as the former by the B.V.A.)
The Club organised a free eye test for Briards on 7th December 2008, in conjunction with the Championship Show, to hopefully re-establish that our breed is no longer affected by this problem.
Thank you to all those who participated. 62 Briards ranging in age from young puppies to veterans were tested and all were found to be clear of CPRA/RPED.
The Club organised a free eye test for Briards on 7th December 2008, in conjunction with the Championship Show, to hopefully re-establish that our breed is no longer affected by this problem.
Thank you to all those who participated. 62 Briards ranging in age from young puppies to veterans were tested and all were found to be clear of CPRA/RPED.
Other Health Issues
Currently I am receiving enquiries mainly regarding skin conditions and cancer. I have also been informed of several cases of Ectopic Ureter which have occurred over the last few years.
I will gladly give advice or receive information on the above or any other health issues connected with the breed. All information will be treated in confidence if requested, although feedback is always appreciated and can be helpful to other Briard owners.
I will gladly give advice or receive information on the above or any other health issues connected with the breed. All information will be treated in confidence if requested, although feedback is always appreciated and can be helpful to other Briard owners.
Please contact;
Linda Coleman, Breed Health Co-ordinator,
Email; [email protected] Telephone; 01526 268612.
Linda Coleman, Breed Health Co-ordinator,
Email; [email protected] Telephone; 01526 268612.
P.S. Be sure to check out The Kennel Clubs Official Health Pages to find out more information:
Kennel Club Breed Information Centre:
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z
Kennel Club Dog Health Homepage:
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health-and-dog-care/
Kennel Club Breed Information Centre:
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z
Kennel Club Dog Health Homepage:
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health-and-dog-care/
