Health & Fundraising
SECBTC would like to say a huge thank you to Dinu Catilina - our resident breed vet for kindly carrying out the PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) & Patella Luxation screening which took place at our March 2017 show. This was well received with a total of 22 dogs being tested. The club offered both of these tests free of charge to its members, this would not be possible without the continued efforts and support from our Feb 2017 'Bullie Walk'.
PKD - Polycystic Kidney Disease
PKD is a hereditary disease and is diagnosed by way of a scan. The scan will detect whether the kidneys are normal or if there are cysts present. PKD is often associated with Mitral Valve Disease. Only one scan is required in a dogs life to clear them of PKD. Scans are usually done once the dog is at least 1 year old. This sometimes involves a light sedation if the kidneys are difficult to see on the scan.
Urine Protein Creatinine Ratio
UPC ratio identify's how much protein is in the urine, too much could suggest kidney problems. Any result below 0.5 is considered normal and any result below 0.3 is considered ok for breeding stock. UPC is different to PKD and one test does not clear the dog, tests should be carried out yearly throughout the dogs life to monitor kidney function.
Heart Disease
The are various heart diseases in Bull Terriers in. The most common is:
- Mitral Valve Displasia
Tests should be carried out by qualified cardiologists to detect any murmurs. These tests are done either by Auscultation or by Doppler Ultrasound scan.
BAER Testing
Deafness is more common in white Bull Terriers, however, coloured Bull Terriers can also be affected. Deafness can be detected in puppies as young as 4 weeks, and the test is usually carried out between 5-6 weeks. Puppies can be deaf in one ear so it is important to carry out the BAER testing, as the occurrence of deafness will only increase if these dogs are bred from. The method of testing is called Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER).
Patella Luxation
Patella lunation happens when the Patella moves from the normal position in the groove of the thigh bone. Depending on what degree, in some dogs the patella dislocates completely out of this normal groove and some it will only move very slightly. Your vet can normally determined how serve the lunation is and whether or not hydrotherapy or an operation is necessary.
Skin Issues
Unfortunately allergies and skin problems are common within the Bull Terrier. Some skin problems are worse than others and some are easily managed with medicated dog shampoo. Allergies can be caused by a range of things including dust, grass/pollen, shampoos and diet. Lots of Bull Terriers are prone to wheat and grain allergies. Commercial diets are renowned for these ingredients, so grain free diets or cooked/raw diets are the best when trying to help with food allergies. There are various skin allergy tests that your vet can advise you with, if you notice your dog licking/chewing or scratching himself excessively speak to your vet.
Fundraising 'Bullie Walks'
SECBTC continue to organise 'Bullie Walks', to help raise funds for health projects related to our beloved breed. Our walks are open to all dogs and are held at various locations in the South East. Previous walks have been in Epping Forest, Merry Hill (Herts), Brighton Seafront and Staffhurst Woods to name but a few.
We ask for a donation of £2.50 per dog, which goes towards future breed health testing clinics held at our shows throughout that year. If it wasn't for these walks the club wouldn't be able to continue to offer health testing at greatly reduced rates.
Thank you to those who continue to make it a success! Future walks will be featured on our homepage, we hope to see you on one of the next walks.
(Pictures from some of our previous walks)
WWW.ONLINESHOWENTRY.COM
Email: secbtc1949@gmail.com
