Last call... Irish Setter Health - Online Survey closes Sept 30 2011

[Susan Stone]

Irish Setter Health Survey

last call for your dog's data...

Survey closes on September 30 2011!

 

This survey is being conducted amongst the world of Irish Setters, and is not purely for dogs living in the UK. If you have not yet done so, please join in now!

D: Bitte nehmen Sie teil an der Online-Umfrage zur Gesundheit Ihres Irish Setters! Deadline 30.9.11

F: Veuillez svp participer à cette enquête au sujet de la santé de votre setter irlandais. Dernier Délai: 30.9.11

 

This vital information will tell the breed clubs health coordinators where to target research.

The survey can be accessed on www.isbc.org.uk or via the links given in the text below.

 

Irish Setter On-line Health Survey:

 

The Health Coordinators of all Irish Setter Associations and Clubs agree that it is important we obtain a snapshot of the state of Irish setter health with respect to known and suspected inherited disease. They also wish to identify those conditions that setter owners believe have the most serious impact on the health and welfare of their dogs, so that future initiatives can be targeted at the most important conditions.

 

To gather this information, two parallel online surveys have been set up; one for breeding bitches and one for all other setters. The surveys ask about any conditions that arose during the period from January 2005 to December 2010 in dogs that you either reared or owned.

The more data we collect the better, but please do not enter information about other dogs that may have been reported anecdotally to you; instead encourage the dog’s owner to complete the survey.

 

The survey should not take too long to complete; you only have to enter data about setters if you have had one or more affected by a listed specific conditions. To help there is brief description of each condition listed that can be viewed by clicking on the “More Info” button.

 

Entries are completely anonymous and cannot be traced, in order to encourage complete and honest reporting. The results will be analysed by the Chair of the Health Coordinators Committee, Professor Ed Hall, and publicised in due course.

 

To access the surveys follow these links:

 

For stud dogs and non-breeding bitches (pet dogs) <www.survey.bris.ac.uk/smvsfa/irishsetter-dog>

 

For breeding bitches - <www.survey.bris.ac.uk/smvsfa/irishsetter-breeding>

 

 

The survey will close on September 30 2011.

 

By participating you will be aiding efforts to improve the health of our breed.

 

Thank you in anticipation

Ed Hall

 

Breed Health Coordinator

Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine

University of Bristol, UK

 

June 2011

 

Please feel free to crosspost. Susan  / updated 22. Sept. 2011

[Maggie Smith]

Thank you - I was not aware of this and have contributed

[Pat Aldridge]

Done!

[Susan Stone]

Brilliant, spread the word in New Zealand, Pat!

[Pat Aldridge]

Sent the link to the SISC Newsletter Editor - waiting for a reply.

[Susan Stone]

Thanks, Maggie. This is very new.

[Pat Aldridge]

Did the survey - now I'm wondering how come all these problems are listed for our breed - & I could only answer 2 of the questions.  Did I misunderstand the questions & what is wanted, or am I blind, or what??

[Myra Thomas-Rhodes]

Survey completed! I am with you, Pat, but also worrying, I have a book called "Control of Canine Genetic Diseases," written by George A.Padgett, DVM, with a list of problems in Irish Setters, which we have never even heard of!! The book, by the way, is American!

[Pat Aldridge]

Yes, Myra - I've read that - the list of "problems" supposed to afflict the Irish Setter is a bit mind boggling...makes you wonder...

[Susan Stone]

Hi Pat and Myra,

I do not know who decided which ailments were to be included in this questionnaire but I assume that the intention is to include any health problem that has been encountered in a certain number of Irish Setters with the intention of trying to assess - via this survey - if the condition is actually widespread in the breed.

I would assume that just because a problem is listed this does not necessarily mean it is actually a breed relevant problem. But by getting responses by as many Irish Setter owners as possible it should enable the health committee to establish if a condition is actually more widespread within the breed than would normally be suspected.

In my opinion this kind of data collection could possibly help react to a 'new' condition before it becomes widespread in the breed.

Problems encountered within the breed will differ depending on breeding lines and breed history in your country. This makes the survey so interesting in that the breed is being assessed not just within the UK but hopefully worldwide...

[Pat Aldridge]

Susan, what I meant in my post was - that I either have super-healthy dogs, or I am singularly unobservant when there is a problem - & I don't think it's the latter LOL!!

[Jo Ottinger]

worries me as I have only had two Irish boys and both have health issues

[Susan Stone]

You are a very fortunate lady, Pat!