Breeder Mandatory Health Tests
The German Pinscher is generally a healthy and long lived breed (12 years and older) with few known hereditary diseases. The club follows guidelines published by The Kennel Club's Assured Breeder Scheme to promote good breeding practice. The club also follows guidance from the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and The Kennel Club (KC) under their Canine Health Schemes (CHS). The CHS enables breeders to screen for a range of inherited diseases so breeders can make informed decisions on whether those dogs should be included in breeding programmes.
There are four main health tests for our breed which are currently mandatory before breeding within our club which are listed below. The club also recommends that owners test their dog(s) even if they don’t intend to breed or show their dog(s), to maintain records of the health of German Pinschers within the UK. |
Eyes 1,2,3
Hereditary Cataracts - Identified as a recognised hereditary disease within the breed occurring later in dog’s life resulting in cloudiness in the crystalline lens of the eye, varying from complete to partial opacity affecting dog’s vision. Testing is carried out by a specialist ophthalmologist and results are issued and certified under the British Veterinary Association / Kennel Club / International Sheep Dog Society.
Hips 4,5
Hip dysplasia - Condition which affects hips of dog and results in instability or a loose fit (laxity) of the hip joint. Rare but not unknown in the breed, testing is carried out by a British Veterinary Association appointed scrutineer and results are issued and certified under the British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club Hip Dysplasia Scheme. A hip score is issued between 0-6 for both hips. Low score indicates less evidence of dysplasia present. An optimal score is low and the same in both hips.
Heart and Cardiovascular 6
Cardiac disorders - Cases have been recorded of heart problems within German Pinschers with a statistic from 2009 of 3.3% from a total of 61 dogs screened. Testing for cardiological abnormality is carried out by a specialist cardiologist vet via auscultation with stethoscope. Further tests including blood tests, echocardiography or ultrasound scan may be indicated. Testing is usually carried out when a dog is no less than 1 year old.
Haematology / Blood 7,8
Von Williebrand (vWD) disease - A bleeding disorder similar to haemophilia in humans caused by genetic mutation impairing synthesis, release or stability of von Willebrand Factor (vWF) resulting in deficiency. Normal platelet binding (clotting) relies on vWF which is an adhesive glycoprotein in the blood. Excessive bleeding may result from injury due to reduced or absent blood clotting in affected dogs. Severe forms (Type 2 & 3) are recessive, and milder form (Type 1) is recessive or incompletely dominant. Testing is through a one off genetic test to identify if dog is Clear, Carrier or Affected (further explanation below). Clear to Clear matings are recommended.
Screening data from VetGEN DNA swab test results in the US shows of 204 German Pinscher dogs tested, 82.8% (169) were clear, 17.2% (35) were carriers, 0% (0) were affected.
References:
1. The Kennel Club. 2016. BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health/breeding-for-health/complex-inherited-disorders/bvakc-health-schemes/bvakcisds-eye-scheme/. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
2. British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. 2016. Welcome to BrAVO. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bravo.org.uk. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
3. Pet MD. 2016. Cataracts in Dogs. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/eye/c_dg_cataract. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
4. British Veterinary Association. 2016. Hip scheme. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.bva.co.uk/Canine-Health-Schemes/Hip-scheme/. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
5. American College of Veterinary Surgeons. 2016. Canine Hip Dysplasia. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/canine-hip-dysplasia. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
6. German Pinscher Club of America. 2016.. Year of publication unknown. Cardiovascular Page. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.german-pinscher.com/Circulatoryhealth.htm. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
7. Pet MD. 2016 Bleeding Disorder in Dogs. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/cardiovascular/c_dg_von_willebrand_disease. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
8. German Pinscher Club of America. 2016. German Pinscher Circulatory Health. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.german-pinscher.com/Circulatoryhealth.htm. [Accessed 3 August 2016]
Hereditary Cataracts - Identified as a recognised hereditary disease within the breed occurring later in dog’s life resulting in cloudiness in the crystalline lens of the eye, varying from complete to partial opacity affecting dog’s vision. Testing is carried out by a specialist ophthalmologist and results are issued and certified under the British Veterinary Association / Kennel Club / International Sheep Dog Society.
Hips 4,5
Hip dysplasia - Condition which affects hips of dog and results in instability or a loose fit (laxity) of the hip joint. Rare but not unknown in the breed, testing is carried out by a British Veterinary Association appointed scrutineer and results are issued and certified under the British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club Hip Dysplasia Scheme. A hip score is issued between 0-6 for both hips. Low score indicates less evidence of dysplasia present. An optimal score is low and the same in both hips.
Heart and Cardiovascular 6
Cardiac disorders - Cases have been recorded of heart problems within German Pinschers with a statistic from 2009 of 3.3% from a total of 61 dogs screened. Testing for cardiological abnormality is carried out by a specialist cardiologist vet via auscultation with stethoscope. Further tests including blood tests, echocardiography or ultrasound scan may be indicated. Testing is usually carried out when a dog is no less than 1 year old.
Haematology / Blood 7,8
Von Williebrand (vWD) disease - A bleeding disorder similar to haemophilia in humans caused by genetic mutation impairing synthesis, release or stability of von Willebrand Factor (vWF) resulting in deficiency. Normal platelet binding (clotting) relies on vWF which is an adhesive glycoprotein in the blood. Excessive bleeding may result from injury due to reduced or absent blood clotting in affected dogs. Severe forms (Type 2 & 3) are recessive, and milder form (Type 1) is recessive or incompletely dominant. Testing is through a one off genetic test to identify if dog is Clear, Carrier or Affected (further explanation below). Clear to Clear matings are recommended.
Screening data from VetGEN DNA swab test results in the US shows of 204 German Pinscher dogs tested, 82.8% (169) were clear, 17.2% (35) were carriers, 0% (0) were affected.
References:
1. The Kennel Club. 2016. BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health/breeding-for-health/complex-inherited-disorders/bvakc-health-schemes/bvakcisds-eye-scheme/. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
2. British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. 2016. Welcome to BrAVO. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bravo.org.uk. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
3. Pet MD. 2016. Cataracts in Dogs. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/eye/c_dg_cataract. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
4. British Veterinary Association. 2016. Hip scheme. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.bva.co.uk/Canine-Health-Schemes/Hip-scheme/. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
5. American College of Veterinary Surgeons. 2016. Canine Hip Dysplasia. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/canine-hip-dysplasia. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
6. German Pinscher Club of America. 2016.. Year of publication unknown. Cardiovascular Page. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.german-pinscher.com/Circulatoryhealth.htm. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
7. Pet MD. 2016 Bleeding Disorder in Dogs. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/cardiovascular/c_dg_von_willebrand_disease. [Accessed 3 August 2016].
8. German Pinscher Club of America. 2016. German Pinscher Circulatory Health. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.german-pinscher.com/Circulatoryhealth.htm. [Accessed 3 August 2016]