Free Webinar on bloat (GDV)

Free Webinar on bloat (GDV) The Kennel Club is holding a webinar which Is freely available to anyone who would like to find out more about gastric dilation volvulus syndrome (GDV) also known as bloat,  a serious and life threatening condition in Irish setters and many other breeds. The webinar will take place via Microsoft Teams … Read more

Update on Epilepsy Research

Update on Epilepsy Research at Canine Genetics Centre at Cambridge University. The Canine Genetic Centre at Cambridge launched an epilepsy research project in March which included Irish Setters. Below is their latest call for samples from Irish setters which have been diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy OR  is over 8 years old AND unaffected by epilepsy. … Read more

KC Online Heart Survey

The survey  aims to improve our understanding of the prevalence and type of heart disease affecting different pedigree dog breeds. Hopefully, we’ll get some useful findings from this survey and the results can be used to direct new research areas that require further attention. To help boost responses, it would be really helpful if you can please share the survey with your Breed Clubs and any other relevant groups. ·        To complete the survey, please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WL3ZLP3 The survey takes up to 10 minutes to complete and is open to all dog owners – even dogs that have never been affected by heart disease. The survey will be managed and results collected by The Kennel Club. All personal information given will be kept confidential and be presented anonymously. For further information regarding this survey, please email our health team.

Epilepsy Research Study at The Canine Genetics Centre

Alongside our current genetic investigations of idiopathic epilepsy in the Border Collie and Italian Spinone, we are embarking on an exciting new study starting this year to investigate the genetics of epilepsy in five new breeds – the Beagle, English Springer Spaniel, Giant Schnauzer, Hungarian Vizsla and Irish Setter. Full article also available on Health section.

Idipathehic Epilepsy & Epilepsy of Unknown Cause in Irish Setter

This study was published in December 2022 by Marta Plonek & Dutch colleagues in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. This study focusses on phenotypic characteristics of idiopathic epilepsy and epilepsy of unknown cause in Irish Setters and looks at its mode on inheritance. To read the full study:    https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.1066094/full

KC Defra’s breeder licensing review

From The Kennel Club  We are contacting you regarding potential changes to legislation and research on welfare relevant to your club and its members. As a stakeholder organisation, we are taking this opportunity to share the Defra breeding regulation questionnaire-based consultation with those who may hold an interest. We are hoping you are able to circulate the Defra PIR survey to any licensed breeders within your breed club who may wish to respond to Defra’s breeder licensing review, and perhaps anyone who was impacted or has had to alter their breeding activities due to the 2018 regulations. Click here for the opportunity to feedback to Defra on the breeding regulations currently under review – LAIA PIR Survey (Schedule 1, parts 1 & 5, Schedule 6 – Breeding of dogs). Please note that this survey has a deadline of 11th November 2022. Many thanks for your help.

BVA/KC Eye Survey

Calling all owners and breeders who have used the BVA hip and elbow schemes. Following the hip and elbow survey (of which the results are currently going through analysis), the BVA have also developed a survey to owners and breeders who have used the scheme, to gain valuable feedback on the scheme’s performance and particular areas that need development. This survey is open to all breeds, and we would be hugely appreciative if you could share this with your communities to allow us to collect as many answers as possible. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ML2WN2S  The survey will be open one month from today, so will be closing on the 24th November 2022

KC’s CombiBreed

I am writing to let you know that there will be some changes made to the KC’s CombiBreed product. As of today the service will be placed on hold, as we will be launching our new and improved DNA Testing Services from the 1st November. During the month interim the product will be removed from The Kennel Club website and we will be unable to take orders whilst we prepare for relaunch. We wish to let you know and reaffirm to any owners who have already taken out a bundle/ test prior to today that their products will still be processed and completed, however no new orders will be taken from today until relaunch.  Please feel free to point any enquiries in our direction, through contacting the health team: health@thekennelclub.org.uk   or via phone on 01296 318540 selecting menu option 1 and entering 8501. CombiBreed will be renamed as “The Kennel Club DNA Testing Services” and we are excited to announce that profiling will be available as part of the product. A series of “coming soon” communications will also be sent out in the run-up to the launch with more detail on what the new products will entail. Any queries at all please do not hesitate to contact us.

The BVA/KC Hip & Elbow Dysplasia Scheme

Customer Experience Survey We would like to invite you to participate in a survey being undertaken by the British Veterinary Association, in collaboration with The Kennel Club, to understand the experiences of customers who have used the BVA/KC Hip & Elbow Dysplasia Scheme between 2019-2022. It is of upmost importance to both The Kennel Club … Read more