From the KC website.....New DNA Testing Schemes for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

[Margaret C]

New DNA Testing Schemes for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

16-Apr-13


Following consultation with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed health coordinator, on behalf of the breed clubs, the Kennel Club has approved new official DNA testing schemes for Curly Coat-Dry Eye and Episodic Falling in the breed.

These tests are offered by the Animal Health Trust (www.aht.org.uk) and Laboklin (www.laboklin.co.uk) and further details can be obtained directly from them.

Copies of all future test certificate results issued by the laboratories will be sent directly to the Kennel Club, where the test result will be added to the dog’s registration details, which will trigger the publication of the test result in the next available Breed Records Supplement. The result will appear on any new registration certificate issued for the dog and on the registration certificates of any future progeny of the dog, and also on the Health Test Results Finder on the Kennel Club website.

If the owner includes the original registration certificate for the dog (not a copy) then a new registration certificate will be issued, with the DNA result on it, free of charge. Please send any DNA test certificates to Health & Breeder Services, The Kennel Club, 1 – 5 Clarges Street, Piccadilly, London W1J 8AB or scan and email copies of the certificates to hbs@thekennelclub.org.uk.

The Kennel Club continues to work alongside breed clubs and breed health coordinators, in a collaborative effort to improve the health of pedigree dogs. The Kennel Club is happy to accommodate a club's request to add a new DNA test to its lists and would normally need a formal request from the breed's health coordinator or a majority request from the breed clubs.

ENDS
16th April 2013

[Kate H]

I wonder whether the use of these tests will go up or down? Or am I just very cynical?! Still, a good step in the right direction.

Kate, Oliver and Aled

[Margaret C]

I wonder whether the use of these tests will go up or down? Or am I just very cynical?! Still, a good step in the right direction.

Kate, Oliver and Aled

I think we all have good reason to be cynical about breeders commitment to testing, there are those that do not test whatever the health check is for.

If test results are not published it allows breeders to pretend they are checking health issues. This is a cheap, once in a lifetime test. We will eventually see if the declared enthusiasm for this DNA test translates into real results on the KC website.

Cavalier club breeders get very angry when I say some of them are no better than puppy farmers in the way they ignore health issues, but consider this:

The official eye testing schemes have been in place for many years, but very many of the top breeders do not eye test their cavaliers, especially not their breeding bitches.

Someone I know admired an 8 month old puppy in a vet's waiting room last week. She was told that the little dog had puppy cataract. He would need an operation in one eye and the other eye would probably need operating on later. She was told who had bred 'Captain' and how the breeders were "gutted"

This litter is registered in the Breed Record Supplement. The two parents have no eye tests shown on the Kennel Club website. None of the bitches in the parent's health pedigrees had eye results recorded. This was the Dam's third litter and she is owned by a regional club chairman.

We thought we had eradicated hereditary cataract decades ago, but it is showing up again in top lines.

Buyers need to beware.

[Margaret C]

I have emailed copies of Faith's certificates over to the KC, so I hope those results will soon be on her page. One breeder has already got her results on the website, which is really fast work, so well done her. I'm sure there will be a lot more going up as many breeders were enthusiastic about broadcasting their results.

Hopefully the Kennel Club will consider making this a mandatory test for parents of all cavalier litters before they will register the puppies, but in the meantime, as member of the Assured Breeders Scheme, I have requested that this official DNA scheme is added as soon as possible as a required test to the ABS.

I hope that other Assured Breeders will do the same.

[sunshinekisses]

Okay, please explain what it means... I think it is saying when a KC registered cavalier gets tested for EF and DE/CC results will be sent automatically and entered into the pedigree info?

[Margaret C]

Okay, please explain what it means... I think it is saying when a KC registered cavalier gets tested for EF and DE/CC results will be sent automatically and entered into the pedigree info?

You are right, any cavalier being tested from now on will have the results shown under their name on the KC Health Test Results Finder. You just need to put in the cavalier's registered name. You can try with Faith if you like, her name is Wyredell Keeping Faith. I have sent copies of her certificates to the KC so I am hoping her EFS & DE/CC results will go up soon.
http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/se...t/Default.aspx

The results will also be published in the KC's Breed Record Supplement, which is a publication showing litters registered in the previous three months and other helpful information.

If a cavalier needs new registration papers at any time ( for instance when transferred to a new owner ) the results will be printed on them. Owners that would like the information shown on their cavalier's registrations can get new papers free.

All cavalier puppies will now have the parents results ( if any ) shown on their registration papers.

I understand that results from some previously tested cavaliers will also be published, depending whether the owners had signed a form giving permission. Those that are not sure whether they have given permission can email copies of their EF & CC/DE certificates to make sure the results get put on the HTRF.

There was so much enthusiasm expressed for this test, even breeders that are known not to use routine eye checks claimed to have tested all their cavaliers and have good results. It will be interesting to see if they ensure their results are made available on the KC website.

[Margaret C]

This is a cheap, once in a lifetime test. We will eventually see if the declared enthusiasm for this DNA test translates into real results on the KC website.

Cavalier club breeders get very angry when I say some of them are no better than puppy farmers..............

A lot of DNA results are up on the website although suprisingly not from some of the breeders that have publicly boasted about their clear DNA results.
Perhaps they are yet to come?

I read with amazement a comment recently posted on an internet forum. A pet owner was trying to discover details of her cavalier's litter mates.

Below are a couple of quotes posted on that thread from a well known breeder. Her last two registered litters were from homebred parents that have no screening tests whatsoever shown on the KC website. I cannot help but wonder if it smacks of hypocrisy to talk about "not breeding to the guidelines for Cavaliers" or "unknown' heath status" when exactly the same could be said of her cavaliers?

"this is your youngsters father who it seems was used for stud at just 13 months of age and produced a litter of seven puppies, including your 16 month old baby. He has sired several litters since, which I know is not what you're asking info about but it tells us that this breeder was not breeding to the guidelines for Cavaliers, which is really sad for the breed whether 'legal' or not."

"So often this happens... a well known bloodline somehow gets mixed with 'unknowns'.... and that means 'unknown' heath status.... 'unknown' temperament issues..... so many 'unknowns' which is very concerning to those of us who care about such things"