Screening And Responsible Breeding Are Improving Dog Health, New Statistics Show
An article by the Canine Chronicle
The British Veterinary Association and Kennel Club Canine Health Schemes are improving the overall health and well-being of dogs. Fifty years of hip dysplasia screening and seventeen years of elbow dysplasia screening have resulted in improved median scores for disease frequency and severity. Responsible breeders that incorporate hip and elbow evaluations in their breeding decisions have increased the overall breed health for 20 out of 21 of the UK's most frequently tested breeds. (The 21st breed, Tibetan Terriers, had low median scores to begin with.)
“Breeders who health test their dogs should be tremendously proud that they are having such a sustained positive impact on dog health, and we would encourage any breeder who does not currently use the schemes to do so, to enable the positive results to continue,” says Kennel Club secretary, Caroline Kisko.
