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Heart-test programme launched for six dog breeds
Great Danes are one of the breeds the programme will look at.
Boxers and Dobermanns among the breeds to be tested.

A new programme to improve the heart health of six pedigree dog breeds has been launched by The Kennel Club and the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society (VCS).

Over the next five years, the programme will offer discounted heart testing for boxers, Dobermanns, Irish wolfhounds, great Danes, Newfoundlands, and bull terriers. All six breeds are known to be at risk of heart problems.

There will also be a survey for owners to fill in to gather more information on overall heart health.

The research will help inform The Kennel Club’s Breed Health and Conservation Plans, which are based on a review of more than 4,000 research papers. The Kennel Club uses the plans to track the progress of bread health and make changes.

The programme could potentially lead to the development of a formal screening scheme. Such a scheme was launched by The Kennel Club and VCS in 2019 for the cavalier King Charles spaniel. By 2023, 41.5 per cent of cavalier King Charles spaniel litters had at least one parent whose heart had been screened.

In the last couple of years, The Kennel Club and VCS have also worked together to carry out exploratory heart testing sessions for whippets and chihuahuas.

Hannah Stephenson, cardiologist at VCS, said: “The VCS are delighted that further progress is being made to identify heart disease in different pedigree dog breeds. As a society, we are keen to reduce the incidence of canine heart disease and look forward to our continued collaboration with The Kennel Club.”

Charlotte McNamara, head of health at The Kennel Club, added: “The Kennel Club is committed to improving heart health and identifying and addressing breed-associated issues for these wonderful breeds and hopefully others in future.”

The Kennel Club is also planning to hold a free webinar in February 2025 about heart problems in dogs. The session will be aimed at owners and breeders of all levels of experience. More details about the event will be released nearer the time.

Image © Shutterstock

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BEVA gives RVNs right to vote

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RVN members will now be able to take part in key decision-making processes and stand for BEVA council.

Marie Rippingale, chair of BEVA's Nurse Committee, said: "I am very proud to be a part of BEVA.

"This change will help to empower nurses to speak up and contribute, but more importantly, it will give them an opportunity to collaborate with other members of the equine veterinary profession to bring about change that is positive for all." 

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Farmer survey to reveal on-farm impact of bluetongue

A nationwide survey has been launched to better understand how the bluetongue virus is affecting UK farms.

Results will inform the support that farmers receive for bluetongue, as well as preparing the livestock industry for the future.

The short online survey is open to all livestock farmers, regardless of whether they've had a confirmed case of bluetongue on their farm. It asks how many animals have been affected, the severity of their clinical signs and how it has impacted farm business.

The survey takes five minutes to complete and is fully anonymous.

It is led by Fiona Lovatt, of Flock Health Limited, and the Ruminant Health & Welfare bluetongue working group, in collaboration with AHDB and the University of Nottingham.

Dr Lovatt says: "We need to find out what level of clinical signs farmers are seeing in their animals, whether they are experiencing mortality with BTV-3 cases, and what their appetite is to vaccinate in future for bluetongue serotype 3."

The survey can be found here.