Changes to the eye test scheme for petit basset griffon vendeens have been agreed following requests by breeders.

Reclassification for petit basset griffon vendeens

Primary open angle glaucoma test results in petit basset griffon vendeens are to be published by the Kennel Club after requests by pedigree breeders.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA), the Kennel Club, and the International Sheepdog Society currently run and Canine Heath Scheme which includes eye tests.

On Monday it was announced that following a meeting of the Canine Heath Scheme's Eye Panel Working Party, a decision has been made to reclassify primary open angle glaucoma in petit basset griffon vendeens, as schedule a instead of schedule b.

That in turn, means the results of conditions will be published by the Kennel Club.  Results including a ‘G’ notation, in the same manner as other glaucoma conditions, will appear alongside the date of testing on registration certificates and in the Kennel Club Breed Records Supplement.


Aimee Llewellyn, Kennel Club health information manager, said: “The Kennel Club would normally insist on a minimum of three months warning to breeders before agreeing to such a change, but as the request for the move has been made by the breed club this was not considered necessary in this case.

“The Kennel Club continues to work alongside breed clubs and breed health coordinators in a collaborative effort to improve the health of pedigree dogs, as well as working jointly with the BVA on health schemes for hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and inherited eye diseases.

"These programmes help conscientious breeders to identify those dogs that are clinically free of such diseases so that the best possible choices for breeding programmes may be made.”


For further information regarding this change, please contact either the Canine Health Schemes at the BVA via chs@bva.co.uk or the Kennel Club Health and Breeders Services department via hbs@thekennelclub.org.uk.


Further information on the BVA/KC health schemes can be found here.

Image by Małgorzata Miłaszewska