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Welcome

Welcome to BCOA Health. The borzoi is a wonderful breed with a low incidence of health problems.  No population of living organisms is free of disease, genetic or otherwise, so it is important to realize, as you scan through these pages, that the fact health problems are discussed does not mean the borzoi is an unhealthy breed. In fact, as of 2016, based on the Borzoi OFA health survey (linked below), the most common health issue in the breed impacts only 7.2% of males and 6.2% of females. No other specific health concern of borzoi approaches that frequency. Despite the excellent overall health of our breed, you will read about a number of health problems seen in borzoi as you go through this website. This information is more a direct result of breeder focus on maintaining the good health of Borzois than an indication of poor breed health. Breeders and borzoi lovers have donated a substantial amount of money over the years allowing Borzoi Health the opportunity to work with the Canine Health Foundation toward securing a breed specific heart study. In addition, borzoi breeders and lovers donate enough money annually directly or through  Borzoi Health Fund Calendar purchases for Borzoi Health to support research overseen by Morris Animal Foundation and Canine Health Foundation in various areas of concern for borzoi breeders and owners.

So far from a sign of a sick and ailing breed, the information on this website is an expression of the dedication and hard work of breeders as they work to make these relatively rare health issues even less frequent in our beloved breed. Another way to see the dedication borzoi breeders have to the improvement of breed health is the number of borzoi who have undergone health testing listed on the OFA website ( www.offa.org ). Borzois are a relatively rare breed yet you will find many, many borzoi who have been tested for health issues. The number of borzois tested who have undergone various OFA screening tests rivals those of far more populous breeds.  These screening tests are expensive, especially when one realizes that most of the tests must be repeated over the lifetime of the dog. Breeders use the information gained from the screening tests, researching pedigrees, and information shared from pet owners and with each other in order to reduce the risk of producing borzoi puppies who will develop health problems over the course of their life time.

How can you help support the health of borzoi into the future? First, you can donate money either to the Canine Health Foundation BCOA Donor Advised Fund, directly to BCOA Health, or by purchasing  one of the beautiful Borzoi Health Fund Calendars. Your donations will be used to support research, and provide low-cost screening tests.  Second, share information. Information can be shared by participating in OFA screening clinics and requesting the information be placed into the open database. Without any cost to you, information about your borzoi’s health can be shared through the OFA Borzoi Health Survey. This survey has been considered by OFA as the Gold Standard for their breed specific health surveys. Further, information must be shared with your borzoi’s breeder so that he or she can make informed decisions in the future. You can also participate in Borzoi related research whenever possible. And, if you utilize the BCOA Holter Rental Program, you will appreciate significant savings if you share the Holter report with BCOA Health and provide updates on your participating dog’s future heart health.

We all value the overall great health enjoyed by borzois. It is only with your help and support that we can assure that the borzoi of the future continues to remain one of great health and vitality.

BORZOI BREED HEALTH SURVEY

There is a borzoi breed health survey available on line courtesy of the OFA and completely confidential. I encourage all borzoi owners to take the survey on as many of their dogs as possible. The survey is broken down into categories and if your dog has an ailment in any of the categories, a drop down menu containing a comprehensive listing of diseases within the category can then be completed. If you make a
mistake, you can make corrections prior to submitting the survey. The
response is real time, so you can immediately pull up the results list and your responses will be included in the total counts. Since I am currently in the process of submitting the top 5 areas of health related research interest for our breed to the Canine Health Foundation, the survey will provide background statistics for the request. Please take a few moments of your time - it only takes a minute per dog, no stamps necessary, submission is free and confidential. How much more convenient can anything be?! The survey is open to all borzoi owners including our friends over seas! Thanks much for your participation and your time!! The survey can be reached directly at:

http://www.offa.org/surveys/survey_borzoi.html

Regards,
Ginger Jones
BCOA Health Chairman

Borzoi Club of America Health Committee © 2002-2007
Email: vjones1@ford.com

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Disclaimer: While the Health Committee has no authority to endorse any information provided here, we try to include reliable materials from a broad background of viewpoints. Please remember your first priority in treating your animal for illness or injury should always be to contact your veterinarian or your local animal emergency facility