Mustard & Pepper Fall 2022

SAC: Confirmed — Dandie Dinmont Terriers are a Healthy Breed

and do not correlate with occurrences of other dis- eases. (The other 17% spreads across 12 eye issues, 8 of which have a diagnosis frequency of 1% or less.) The good news is that only 6% reported Dandies diagnosed with glaucoma. This minimal occurrence is a tribute to Dandie breeders who have worked so hard to control it in our breed. Cancer 15%: 5% reported Dandies with lymphoma. Other cancers reported at even lower frequencies included mammary cancer, liver, squamous cell, lung, and leukemia. Ears 12%: 7% reported Dandies were diagnosed with chronic ear infections. (The other 5% spreads across 5 ear issues.) Endocrine System 12%: 6% reported Dandies as hypo- thyroid, and another 4% with pancreatitis. Orthopedic 12%: 4% reported Dandies with arthritis and another 4% reported vertebral anoma-

by Jody Moxham We ’ ve always believed Dandies to be hardy and healthy. Now we have the proof. The Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) ran a Global Health Survey from July 15 to August 26, 2022. The survey investigated the 17 broad Health Categories that have caused problems in a wide range of breeds. Within those 17 categories, we tracked 84 specific health issues, plus “ other. ” Some of the specific health issues are ge- netic and others are simply general health issues. In this article we are providing the tip of the iceberg and still have much to learn from the data. So far, what we are learning is encouraging. To start with, most of the health categories are irrelevant to Dan- dies with only minor reports of occurrence. The chart below shows the Health Categories which have the greatest occurrences in Dandies. Even more enlightening is what we learn when we dive into what drives the num- bers in these Health Categories.

We have a complete health profile on 281 individual Dandies. 216 profiles of living Dandies – 77% of the total 65 profiles of deceased Dandies – 23% of the total  

We are still mining a humungous database.

lies. 2% reported patellar luxation. Allergies 12%: 6% of Dandies were diagnosed with food allergies. Other allergies reported on included flea, topical, seasonal and drug allergies. It is interesting that the top issue in each of the top two categories (dental and eye) are preventable, or at least have relatively non - invasive resolutions. A complete report will be released in a few months and made availa- ble globally. Also, within the next few months we will upload the raw data to the OFA database so it can be used by breeders and all who are interested in the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. You can see the data for other breeds by going to ofa.org and searching by breed name. We will let you know when we add our data to the site. We will run this survey twice a year, giving you the op-

Relevant Insights: Dental 26%: 15% of the Dandies were diagnosed with excess tartar and plaque, accounting for the high in- cidence of dental issues. (The other 11% spreads across 9 issues in Dental Health.) Excess tartar and plaque are the most frequently diagnosed Dandie health issue overall. This is significant because the data suggests there is a correlation between dental health and overall health. Dandies with excess tartar and plaque showed greater incidence of more serious diseases. Excess tartar and plaque are a maintenance issue that can be managed by regular teeth cleaning at home or annual teeth cleaning at the vet. Eyes 23%: 6% of Dandies were diagnosed with corneal ulcers. These usually occur as the result of trauma

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Fall 2022