Each condition is categorised, each category identified with a different coloured icon that has hover text indicating the nature of the condition.  Clicking on the icon will take you to an information page about that particular condition.

 

There has been a lot of talk about owners and breeders being open and honest about health issues to safeguard the development of our lovely breed.  Our gene pool is rapidly shrinking and if we do nothing to address this, the future is at risk.  

 

We believe the lack of publicly available information on health issues is detrimental for a number of reasons.  

 

Firstly, people may focus too much on one high profile condition when there are others which are equally concerning.  By expanding the number of conditions identified in the database, we wish to show that there is more to consider when planning a litter than the current hot health topic.  

 

Secondly, rumour and speculation can give a false picture with individual dogs or kennels being unfairly marked as having a problem or to be avoided.   The way the health database displays information helps put it into context allowing easy viewing of a dog’s offspring.  

 

Thirdly, we wish to help people look at extended family data when researching any condition so that the status of siblings and half siblings can be taken into account.  

 

Lastly, our colleagues at the AHT advise that it is equally important to look at pedigrees of unaffected dogs and not focus entirely on pedigrees of affected dogs.  This is easily done in the health database.

 

To obtain maximum benefit for all, it is important to have as complete a picture as possible.  

 

Please submit a report to the ISCGB Health Committee if you are unfortunate enough to experience a health issue and let us know if you are willing to share this in our online health database. Additionally we welcome reports from breeders directly about any dogs they have bred.

 

If you have already sent in a report of a health issue and would be happy for this to be included in the database, please let us know by downloading a consent form either in PDF or WORD formats, or emailing the Health Co-ordinator at health@italianspinone.co.uk, or in writing to Elaine Kirkham, 217 May Lane, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 4AW. 

 

Please complete one form for each dog you own or have bred that has experienced any of the conditions listed above. We would appreciate this information for any Spinone, regardless of when they were born or where they live.