Health Report Final - Flipbook - Page 41
Spine and IVDD
Of those that had experienced spinal issues in their dogs 3.6% reported their dog had
suffered from arthri s (or spondylosis) of the spine.
4% (10) had dogs that had experienced bulging discs. 4.3% (12 dogs) had experienced a
ruptured disc.
Of the 22 dogs with bulging or ruptured discs 6 of them (27%) required surgery to resolve
the issue.
Weight and size of the dogs can impact their risk for showing clinical signs of IVDD.
The fact that the majority of dogs weight was within the ideal range reported by their
owners could have a significant impact on the spinal health of the breed.
Recommenda ons
1)
Monitor for signs of slipped discs or back pain – if IVDD is confirmed please
contact the WCSS Health advisory panel to request a DNA swab kit to
submit to the Kennel Club who are inves ga ng this further.
2)
Keep all dogs slim and fit ideally body condi on score 2.5-3/5.
3)
Ideally avoid stairs and excessive jumping where possible.
4)
The Kennel Club genetics team would like DNA to be submitted from dogs
over the age of 8 who have NOT slipped discs and those of any age which
HAVE shown signs of back pain to investigate the genetic components that
may be at work in dogs that have clinical signs.
35
