PROJECT. BLOAT HERIDITARY IN IRISH SETTERS

[wilko jansen]

last two weeks i have sent out many mails, letters asking for help. IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED A BLOAT, TORSION OF YOUR (OR BRED BY YOU) IRISH SETTER mail me. thanks a lot.

 

WILKO JANSEN

Hildebrandstraat 24

5242 GE  Rosmalen

Netherlands

 

Email: [e-mail]

 

Rosmalen, 11-10-2014

 

Dear Irish Setter lover,

 

This summer I started my project "Bloat is hereditary in Irish Setter". I write regularly since three years about the Irish Setter in the English weekly Our Dogs in the breed notes. If you are interested what I recently wrote about bloat, I can mail you a copy. Furthermore, I publish the magazine Jansen & Jansen with photos and articles about the Irish Setter. On Facebook, we have the Jansen & Jansen group with many photos and news, also from the past.

The reason I started my research. 1) In 2012 announced the AHT to do a survey about bloat in our breed. The aim was to find out whether it is hereditary or not and then trying to develop a DNA test for this killing disease. I thought that was a great initiative and after reading the proposal, I funded the total amount needed for step 1 of Phase A. And then the Animal Health Trust knew me no more. And then in 2013, the survey of the approximately 12,000 Kennel Club registered Irish Setters was finally started. Slower than planned. But asking more things and measuring the dogs. Then we would hear more in the summer months of this year. 2) This year I came into possession of the card index of the now 90-year-old Nel van der Sijde. And there was a lot of information of bloating Irish. 3) After looking in my large archive I decided to start my research.

As a result, in 2011 I was still of the opinion that bloat, as epilepsy, was not always hereditary. But now I'm of the opinion that it is hereditary. I have been looking at the internet for even more bloat messages. I did contact owners, breeders and have now already several hundred pedigrees over a period of 100 years from all over the world. Daily there are still coming in more. I get a lot of help from owners and yes also breeders. I'm still looking for additions to my pedigrees confirming my idea how it is inherited. Not only recent cases but especially cases in the past. Those old bloats every time confirm my idea.

Therefore, I contact you with my kind request for your kind collaboration.
I only need pedigree name. Operated on bloat yes / no. Died after bloat yes / no. And if yes, at what age. 

i am not only interested in bloat of you owned dogs but also if you had bad luck producing one or more in your breeding.
You can tell this confidential. But I'm a great believer in openness. That eases my publication in due course I look forward with great interest at your response, preferably by email. [e-mail]

 

Yours sincerely, best wishes

 

Wilko Jansen

 

For those who don’t know me, I am in this breed since 1968. And started in 1973 in the Dutch Ierse Setter Club a yearly questionnaire amongst Irish setter owners about their health. The 1^st club who did that and still does. I was then member of the Breeders Advice Committee and together with Wim van Gemert we have done quite a job (not appreciated by every “breeder”) to get less defects in a very popular breed. My experience will be published in a Jansen & Jansen special.

[Eva]

Hi, my bitch Thendara Donnatella bloated ( had gastric torsion and was operated) at the age of 4- survived and is now 11.5.

[wilko jansen]

thanks Eva. was already in my file of hundreds of pedigrees.had found on internet. and happy that she is still with you. thanks for your honest reply. many are honest and open and have informed me the last weeks. but still some are very quiet.

 

[wilko jansen]

i have published an update of my bloat project. 16 pages. this has been sent by email and post this weekend to about 500 breeders, owners. if you are interested, mail me [e-mail]

and to reassure you, i have got many more reactions than this only one, replies here.

[Eva]

Hi Wilko-I just sent you a private mail- of course I am very keen to read your update! Thanks für your work and compassion!

Kind regards Eva

[James Doran]

Wilko, as you know, despite the membership numbers, very few are active on here now and even fewer post. It is disappointing that you did not have more input considering the number of views to your discussion. That is no reflection on your dedication to the breed. I too will contact you as I am interested to find out what your research has produced.

[wilko jansen]

there is not much replied here. but i do get mutch, very mutch information by email! [e-mail]

 

[Finding_Beau]

I have been an ES member since 2007. If you look at my Page it is obvious I have not been an active member over these last 7 years, but I’m still here. My ES Page will always be special to me because this shows some photos, videos, blogs and forum topics about my English Setters and their family members. 

I believe that each one of us is entitled to our own opinion and our own way of responding to forum topics. As I have previously written, I prefer to see minimal comments than disrespect shown to members.

I am not in a position to comment on this forum topic because I do not own an Irish Setter. Over the last 24 years none of my English Setters has ever suffered “Bloat” or “GDV”, except for Hobson. This only occurred because of the gross incompetence of a vet. 

[julie madin]

Hi, my Boy Cataluna Lovin Spoonful  dob 2/05/2002 bloated age 5 (had gastric torsion and was operated on to tie stomach to chest wall) He bloated again 8 months later 4 times in two weeks.It always seemed to happen late evening or during the night, the vets were ready to throw in the towel and we had to push them to help him further. He then had surgery again to check all ok. He also had food allergy test and results showed he had antibodies to all proteins except Turkey and fish. We changed diet accordingly and only ever one protein source in any one day (vets advice). We also only gave dry food "soaked", fed smaller meals (6 meals a day at first) , introduced daily probiotic tablet. He now never exercises 1 and half hours either side of eating. Before all this started he was very skinny and had constant Borborygmi. Once the diet changed he started gaining weight and the borboygmi stopped. He survived and is now coming up 13 but still sleeps at the side of my bed to ensure. (you never forget the experience)  I hope this helps.

[wilko jansen]

thanks julie. your boy was already in my file. you wrote on ES about him 3 years ago.

 

[Dee Rance]

so sorry to hear about your boy, but so glad you persevered with the 'treatment' all of my dogs have bloated either in the middle of the night or late on in the evening. And although I lost my last ''bloater'' in the '80's I still have my dogs sleep with me, just in case.......glad to hear he has reached such a lovely old age.....haven't got one of mine past 10 years old yet....still hoping...

[wilko jansen]

i have spent another hour, looking for bloat cases. because a friend mentioned a case written on this site. a case from a (for me suspected) combination i enquired. and yes my idea was confirmed. it is amazing how much is written the last 5 years about this health issue on this site. and how many members are not giving comments nowadays.not active here anymore? a pity dogs are named by their petname. most of them i have found. some are rescue irish. but found some new cases here today to find the pedigree name. i can always use your bloat information. please mail me [e-mail] in the breed notes of OUR DOGS i wrote an update of my bloat projects on March 6. at the moment i have more than 800 pedigrees and that gives me a good view. i am now checking the family. breeding with parents, littermates and offspring. your cooperation is appreciated. 

[Garrech and Canagan]

Hi,

I despair when breeders continue to produce puppies from an animal directly related to a dog that had severe bloat. And to do so after the start of the AHT study is unforgiveable! And to make matters worse the COI of the litter I'm referring to was nigh on 20%. If the KC don't get their act together and start to clamp down on such unethical breeding decisions then the situation will only get worse.

I will email you separately with more detail.