For information about the health of the GWP visit our dedicated website – www.gwphealth.co.uk
GWP Health Survey 2012 onwards
The GWPC Committee and Health Sub Committee are currently revising the format of the health survey.
It is our intention for a completely anonymous online health survey to be launched soon – with the option to include detailed information about your dogs should you wish.
We have been very fortunate to be offered the assistance of Professor Dick White and his team to assist us with our future research on GWP breed health – for which we are very grateful. They will be able to review for us results of the previous health survey along with the new survey to be launched.
We will be launching our new health survey plan soon.
August 2011
View the results of the health survey that the Kennel Club undertook in 2004.
Help the Research into Epilepsy
Support the Canine LUPA project into genetic research into Canine Epilepsy – an eventually fatal illness that the German Wirehaired Pointer in the UK and around the world has been known to suffer from.
The research is being carried out by the Animal Health Trust and DNA samples are required from both affected and unaffected dogs. Samples can be collected in the form of a cheek swab along with the pedigree of your dog. DNA swab kits can bee requested (and are free of charge) from Bryan McLaughlin. Please support this extremely important research – all of our dogs can help in understanding more about this heartbreaking illness.
Von Willebrands (Type II) Testing in the GWP
Von Willebrands disease is a bleeding disorder which we can completely eradicate through the available DNA test. The GWP has been found to have Type II vWD which is severe form of the disease whereby the blood clotting mechanism breaks down – the affected dog can have very serious problems where bleeding cannot be stopped. In simple terms it is incorporated into a bloodline by using an animal that is a carrier, mating carrier to carrier will result in approx one quarter of the resulting puppies affected with vWD, one half carrying the gene and one quarter clear of the gene.
In Europe and the USA there have been many cases of puppies bleeding to death and there are many proven carriers of the disease on both continents. We are a relatively small breed in the UK by comparison to Europe and the US and if testing is not encouraged here we could potentially, in years to come, create a problem that could so easily be avoided. Remember mating a carrier to a carrier can result in three quarters of that litter, if bred from, passing on the disease so it could easily escalate fast if left unchecked.
If ever planning on breeding from your GWP a simple DNA test is all that is needed, assuming the DNA test results of your dog/bitch are “clear” and that it is mated to another “clear” dog/bitch this means all resulting puppies from this mating will be “clear” i.e, totally free from vWD – it is as simple as that.
We are now fortunate to have a DNA testing lab situated here in Manchester – Laboklin – check out their website, they are very fast and efficient therefore please make use of the DNA test available if you are ever thinking of breeding from your GWP.
All GWPs should be clear of vWD either by DNA test or hereditary clear by parentage before breeding.
