Borzoi Club of America, Inc.
Links of Interest
2010 Health Committee Report
Download the 2010 annual report to the membership.
PURINA PARENT CLUB PROGRAM
BCOA is a participant in the Purina Parent Club Partnership Program. BCOA members who are also members of the Purina Pro Club may earn funding for canine health studies, education and/or rescue efforts that will benefit Borzoi.
Learn more HERE.
CHF Annual Health Award
The AKC Canine Health Foundation has designated
an annual health award in the name of Dr. Asa Mays.
Read the press
release regarding its inaugural recipient
Welcome
The purpose of BCOA Health Committee's website is to provide a library of health information resources to our membership. We hope you will find this website both helpful and educational.
The purpose of the BCOA Health Committee is to provide health-related information to our membership and encourage the pursuit of breeding healthier Borzoi.
Study - Samples Needed - Laryngeal Paralysis
The GOLPP Study Group at MSU is accepting blood samples, pedigrees (if available), history questionnaire and neurological exams if possible for the purpose of studying geriatric onset laryngeal paralysis. Forms can be downloaded at http://cvm.msu.edu/hospital/clinical-research/golpp-study-group/study-forms/referring-veterinarians/. The protocol for DNA form will give instructions on how to collect and ship the blood samples and what forms are required. If pictures of the dogs before and after they were affected with laryngeal paralysis can be provided that would be great.
AKC CHF - Osteosarcoma Report and Call for More Samples
[Tuesday, August 10, 2010]
Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common malignant bone cancer in dogs and is an important health concern, accounting for five to six percent of all canine cancers. In the United States, 8,000 – 10,000 cases are reported annually. It is a very aggressive cancer and in the majority of cases, metastasis and death follow within a few months or years. The median survival time for dogs treated with amputation plus chemotherapy is 12 months, with only 20% surviving two years.
While osteosarcoma can occur in dogs of any size, some large and giant dog breeds have a much higher risk of developing OSA within their lifetime than other breeds (three to fifteen fold increased risk compared to the average in dogs) including the long-limbed hounds (Greyhounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes, Scottish Deerhounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Great Pyrenees and Borzoi) and Mastiff-type breeds (Rottweiler, Labrador Retriever, Flat-Coated Retriever, Golden Retriever, Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Saint Bernard, Irish Setter and Newfoundland). The average age at diagnosis is seven to eight years old.
AKC Canine Health Foundation Podcast
Podcast About Canine Cruciate Ligament Rupture and Hip Dysplasia With Dr. Karl Kraus Released [Thursday, August 26, 2010]
The AKC Canine Health Foundation is pleased to release the next podcast in the Genome Barks series. This week on Genome Barks, we welcome Dr. Karl Kraus, Chief of Small Animal Surgery and Professor of Orthopedic and Neurosurgery at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. His research interests include stem call and bone regeneration as well as orthopedic device development. In this podcast, we discuss Cruciate Ligament Rupture and Hip Dysplasia. Dr. Kraus goes into detail about symptoms, treatments and prevention of these common orthopedic diseases.
The Genome Barks podcast series features lectures from the highly successful AKC and CHF Breeders Symposia and provides responsible breeders and pet owners an inside look at the work being done by the Canine Health Foundation.
Click here to listen to the podcast.
New podcasts are released every two weeks and can be accessed from the AKC Canine Health Foundation website at www.CanineHealthFoundation.org - click on "Podcasts." They are also available on Apple's iTunes® or directly at www.genomebarks.com.
Clubs are encouraged to add the Genome Barks Podcast link to their home pages. Contact the AKC Canine Health Foundation to obtain graphics and links.
The AKC Canine Health Foundation will be providing additional educational opportunities: the Breeders Symposium at the University of Georgia September 11. For more information or to register, click here.
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
