Just so you know!

[Cathy Moon]

I've regularly considered having the main discussion part of the site as a registration only area (eg as it is now) all the time though. If anyone has opinions let me know. My leaning is to have it open access

I would rather it be open access [for reading only, not posting!]. I think it gives the breeders a bit of a reality check in regards to pet owners thoughts and concerns.

One thing I really object to, however is people who copy/paste our conversations like one ex-member did recently. That upset me, but I suppose nothing can be done to prevent it?

[tara]

Karlin -- would you recommend scanning a pet if the owner does not suspect SM, just to provide Sarah Blott's study with information? If so, what age would you recommend doing the scan?

[Devilica]

Karlin -- would you recommend scanning a pet if the owner does not suspect SM, just to provide Sarah Blott's study with information? If so, what age would you recommend doing the scan?

That would be a very costly thing as mine cost £1100 and obviously if your dog wasn't symptomatic your insurance wouldn't cover it.

[Mark]

Karlin -- would you recommend scanning a pet if the owner does not suspect SM, just to provide Sarah Blott's study with information? If so, what age would you recommend doing the scan?

It would probably be better to ask your vet this

[Karlin]

There are many low cost scanning programmes in the UK (see my SM website but there are a few additional centres doing scans as well that I haven't yet added in) and you can scan for as low as £100 as sometimes pet owners can get a spot on the club scanning programmes. Otherwise I believe you will pay around £250-300, so it isn't insignificant though not as high as £1000 plus.

If you feel a commitment to research and want to scan, there's no reason not to if you really want to, and if you have a decent pedigree as the information will be far more useful than a dog with a pedigree with lots of unknown dogs (eg like a lot of pet-bred dogs from small ads/pet shops/internet that nonetheless are KC or IKC or AKC registered...). Then the information doesn't really get calculated into anything. If someone has scanned such a dog then by all means submit it but I don't think I'd go out of the way to scan an unsymptomatic dog of fairly vague background in its pedigree.

The one caution is that a scan either involves sedating or a general anaesthetic so there is that small risk as well.

Because I was scanning one dog for medical reasons each time I have gone to Geoff Skerritt, I just did all my dogs at the time, as a donation to research because I was going anyway.