Go-Ahead for New Dog Health Scheme
The BVA and Kennel Club Canine Health Schemes (CHS) management committee has given a new scheme to screen dogs for chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia (CM/SM) the green light.
The scheme, which would be particularly useful for potential breeding stock, will start in January 2012.
CM is characterised by the brain being too big for the skull, leading to the condition SM, both of which can cause a significant amount of pain. Certain breeds, such as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, are particularly affected.
To take part in the scheme, owners will need to have their dog MRI scanned at a veterinary practice. The scans will then be reviewed by two scrutineers from a BVA-appointed panel of expert neurologists and radiologists and graded for severity for both CM and SM. The practice will then send the owners the results, while the Kennel Club and Animal Health Trust will also be sent the results from KC registered dogs.
The aim of the scheme is to reduce and hopefully eliminate the incidence of inherited CM and SM in dogs. The full details of how it will work will be finalised between now and the end of the year.
The Chairman of the Kennel Club, Professor Steve Dean, urged the adoption of the scheme, saying: "We are very keen to encourage the greatest possible take up of the test by breeders of affected breeds. This is a key development in the work to tackle these debilitating conditions and we hope many breeders will use the scheme."
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
