THE Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Great Britain has advised that it encourages health testing of adults and puppies in the following testing schemes in order to achieve optimum puppy health from breeders in the club. By being very discerning about stock used for breeding and only breeding with healthy, low hip score animals, breeders can do their part in keeping the wheaten terrier breed a strong and healthy one:
Hip dysplasia (HD)
The HD X-ray scheme is open to all breeds. Results on over three hundred Wheatens show that whilst HD is present to a small degree, so far there are only a few cases of clinically affected dogs.
One year old is the optimum time for X-raying, when the hip joint has properly formed and before any changes from wear and tear occur. It is important to screen as many dogs as possible throughout the breed, even if they are neutered and never likely to have any influence on the breed. Owners of pet animals may find it difficult to see the necessity of having their animals X-rayed for a trouble which is not apparent now, but may be when their animals are middle-aged or old. Offspring tell a tale about their parents and this is the aspect breeders are most interested in. A dog or bitch with a low hip score may throw puppies consistently better or worse than themselves... only scoring the offspring will show which are the right animals to be breeding from.
It is thought that badly fitting hip joints are acquired by a combination of hereditary genes plus or minus environmental stress. A really well-fitting hip joint should not be affected by over feeding or too much exercise in puppyhood, but one that is prone to deformity may be. Hip dysplasia does not always show in poor movement, in fact bilateral dysplasia can provide a particularly smooth, flowing gait since there may be hardly any connection between femur and pelvic bone.
Most vets anaesthetise the animal in order to take this X-ray, or some just use sedation. The HD X-rays go to the British Veterinary Assn (BVA) for scoring. The score of 0 means a perfect fit: the score of 6 is indicative of high deformity. The maximum (worst) score is 53 for each hip or 106 for both. Currently the breed mean for the Wheaten is 13. The BVA recommend not using stock with hip scores significantly higher than the breed mean as puppies bred from a dog or bitch with hip dysplasia may be at risk themselves from HD.
For the future, continued X-raying of as many Wheatens as possible (particularly breeding stock) together with selective and sensible breeding should keep the incidence of hip dysplasia in the breed to a minimum.
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
PRA is an inherited condition which is present in many breeds. It is a progressive blindness which can develop at any age and thus is not necessarily evident in young dogs. Testing of Wheatens began in 1978 and the Club holds testing sessions periodically at fun days. So far in this country, there has only been one suspected case in an elderly dog in 1985, but PRA is reportedly present in Wheatens in other countries.
The test is completely painless and does not affect the dog in any way. The registration certificate of any dog tested is signed by the examiner and the owner given a results sheet.
Retinal dysplasia (retinal folds)
Retinal folds were first identified in the breed in 1994. These minute folds will not at any time impair the sight of the dog. However in some breeds, folds have led to further problems including detached retinas, etc. In other breeds folds are present but have apparently not developed into additional problems.
Puppies should be tested around the age of five weeks. If the puppies are clear at this stage they will not go on to develop folds. Where puppies are affected by folds, these may have disappeared if they were to be tested again some months later. Once the folds have disappeared, they do not recur. So if a pup is tested for the first time at or after, four months of age for example, whilst it may test clear, it is not necessarily the case that the pup had always been so.
The retinal dysplasia lesions currently manifesting in wheatens have not led to blindness. However as a precaution, it is advisable that any puppy found to have folds should not be bred from.
Renal dysplasia
In the 1960s a number of puppies and adult Wheatens died from kidney problems. Research into the problem at both Liverpool and Glasgow University Veterinary Schools established that this was a specific inherited kidney disease (renal dysplasia).
Over succeeding years occasional deaths have been reported from kidney failure and since 1976 progeny from at least a dozen different litters have been identified as dying from RD. We had a period of six clear years with no reported problems in the '90s, but in 1999 there was notification of two possible and one probable cases. The defective gene is still present in the background of many pedigrees and it can be introduced through an imported dog as RD is present in soft-coated wheatens in other countries.
Most breeders are aware of the problem and the majority co-operate with the Club's health schemes. RD is treated as a recessive gene and thus if affected progeny are produced, BOTH parent must be carriers and should not be used for breeding again. (Note: Carriers are not affected and will appear perfectly healthy.) It has been impossible so far to eliminate any one line as in the past all have been closely linked. New bloodlines have widened the genetic pool and hopefully, with careful selective breeding now and in the future, we appear to be taking steps in the right direction.
A monitoring scheme was established in 1984. initially run at Glasgow, but now that so many veterinary surgeries have a Vet Test machine, testing for kidney function can be done locally. Many breeders still blood test their puppies just before these go to their new homes to ensure kidneys are working properly at that time. Blood testing of breeding stock to check for normal kidney function is recommended by the Club.
Protein losing nephropathy (PLN) and protein losing enteropathy (PLE)
PLN and PLE are serious health problems that are being increasingly seen in wheatens around the world. There is a tendency to refer to these diseases together but they are in fact two separate problems, although occasionally they do occur in the same dog. PLN is a disease of the kidney and PLE of the gut. Early diagnosis of either of the problems means that, in some cases, the disease can be managed by diet and medication to give the dog a reasonable quality of life and hopefully a longer one.
These protein losing diseases, unlike renal dysplasia (RD), are not identifiable from birth, but are problems that develop later in a dog's life. What triggers the onset is not yet understood,but there are several theories.
The protein losing diseases to date have affected less than one percent of the UK Wheaten population. Anyone concerned about the health of their dog, particularly if the dog is lethargic or has chronic gastrointestinal problems or repeated bouts of diarrhoea (unrelated to something he's eaten!), is encouraged to ask their vet to do blood and urine tests for a range of factors.
Hearing impairment
A small number of wheatens in the mid `90s were identified with varying degrees of deafness. The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Great Britain established contact with specialists in the field and details of affected dogs were published. It appears to be an inherited problem traced back to one particular stud dog. Anyone producing a litter of puppies where affected lines are doubled up on both sides of the pedigree (checked to at least its generations) is recommended to have the litter screened at four to five weeks of age. To date there have been no further problems.
Anaesthetics
It is recommended 'that Wheatens are treated like sight hounds with regard to anaesthetics. Anyone whose wheatens require an anaesthetic for any reason should refer to the club's leaflet and provide a copy for the veterinary surgeon.
The wheaten is essentially a healthy dog in this country. All of the above is advocated to ensure that it stays this way. The national club recommends health testing of all breeding stock as outlined above. However it is up to the breeder to ensure this is done and good test results are not a guarantee of a perfect puppy. It is the obligation of the purchaser to check the health of the puppy.
Breeders should have certificates/reports to show the results of any heath tests done on their bitch. Many will have photocopies of tests done on the sire as well. Buyers should ask to see these.
