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New health programme approved for dalmations
dalmation
The Kennel Club has established an official BAER testing health programme for dalmations.

Kennel Club approves new testing programme for deafness in dalmations

A new health testing programme for Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) testing for deafness in dalmatians has been approved by The Kennel Club.

Responsible dalmation breeders have been screening their litters for some time using BAER testing to ascertain the hearing status of the puppies in a litter.  A number of specialist centres in the UK offer this screening, and each dog tested is issued with a certificate stating the dog's hearing status as: normal, unilateral hearing loss or bilateral hearing loss.

Working with the dalmation breed clubs, the Kennel Club has established an official BAER testing health programme for the breed, with the aim that individual testing centres will eventually forward the results directly to the Kennel Club.

The results will then be recorded on the tested dog's registration record, making them accessible to the public via their Health Test Results Finder.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Responsible dalmatian breeders have been testing their dogs for years, and we are pleased to be able to offer a means of centralising the data obtained through this testing. 



“The more results that are recorded, the clearer the picture will be as to the hearing status of Dalmatians in the UK.  This can help owners to identify if their dog may need special care or training requirements and could help to develop tools to enable breeders make sensible breeding decisions in the future.”

The Kennel Club say that results for dogs tested, which meet the approved the programme criteria, can be recorded now. Owners are encouraged to submit copies of the certificates directly to the Kennel Club.  For more information, email hbs@thekennelclub.org.uk.

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.