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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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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.