Wide World of Whippets: Hunt Country Hosts...
BY DAN SAYERS continued
is a nonprofit charitable Corporation formed to provide financial and other support for individuals and organiza- tions focusing their charitable, educa- tional and research efforts on dogs in general and the Whippet in particular.” The Foundation’s objective is to further understanding and support research of diseases, genetic anomalies, inju- ries and other ailments. The database has been established for the benefit of the general public as well as for Whip- pet fanciers worldwide. At this year’s AWC National, the Foundation con- ducted several health clinics includ- ing BAER testing and cardiac echocar- diograms. OFA Eye Certification was also available as was AKC DNA testing and microchipping. The final presentation given at the sixth International Whippet Congress was a return appearance by Bo Bengt- son whose presentation titled, “More Than a Century of Whippets,” provid- ed a visual delight for both art lovers and Whippet fanciers. Bo’s extensive work included 163 images that kept the audience spellbound. Beginning with medieval tapestries and 18th and 19th–century paintings, Bo took every- one on a journey through time to meet the dogs and people who’ve played sig- nificant roles in the breed’s promotion and preservation. He presented images of early racing Whippets, Zuber (the breed’s first UK champion), and his influential son, Enterprise. From Eng- land to America—and back–and–forth again—Bo introduced images of the most acclaimed Whippets from both sides of the Atlantic. There were dogs from the Tiptree Kennels in England and the Dondelayo dogs in America. Bo mentioned that taller British dogs were frequently sent to the US where their size did not impede show ring success. The dogs of Meander, Stoney Meadows, Flornell, Mardormere and Pennyworth also made an appearance. Bo’s compre- hensive presentation demonstrated that although British and American breeders dominated the Whippet world during the 20th century, this is not necessar- ily the case today. Breeders in Sweden, Australia, South Africa, France, Canada, Finland, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Ireland, Argentina and throughout Asia are pro- ducing an international collective of Whippets today. The next time fanciers from these and other parts around the globe gather together for an International Whippet Congress will be in 2022 at Garda Lake in the Northern Italian province of Bres- cia, in Lombardy. Non vediamo l’ora di vedervi là. Ciao!
“...ALTHOUGH BRITISH AND AMERICAN BREEDERS DOMINATED THE WHIPPET WORLD DURING THE 20TH CENTURY, THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE TODAY.”
age-related or hereditary. Dr. Hughes said that late–onset deafness may be caused by infection, tumors or polyps, among other causes. However, it can also be congenital in specific breeds. Dr. Hughes’ work with Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) Testing has proved reliable in identifying deafness in Whippets as young as 3–4 weeks of age. She reviewed several types of deafness including Cochleosaccular Degeneration (associated with the recessive alleles of the spotting pattern gene) and Neural Epithelial which is not pigment associ- ated. Dr. Hughes noted that at this time, the inheritability of deafness is not fully understood. Breeder Phoebe Booth next presented photos of her family of dogs to point out that when it comes to deaf- ness in Whippets, color alone cannot be used to reliably determine a predilection for hearing loss. She encouraged breed- ers who suspect deafness in their lines to test entire litters at seven weeks of age. Phoebe said that BAER testing her litters has proven to be a reliable tool toward understanding the inheritability of hearing loss in the breed. The Whippet Cardiac Health Project has been gathering data for more than a decade and Rebecca Stepien, DVM, ACVIM presented her team’s findings to the rapt audience. Dr. Stepien’s pre- sentation consisted of both audio and
videos of echocardiograms to elucidate various heart murmurs, Mitral Valve Dis- ease (MVD) and Dilated Cardiomyopa- thy (DCM). She said that moderate to severe heart disease may be identified by auscultation with a stethoscope, but mild to moderate conditions are deter- mined through echocardiogram. Dr. Stepien spoke about heart murmurs due to valve disease and said that murmurs are defined as either innocent, athletic or ejection. MVD and DCM, she indicat- ed, are progressive diseases with clinical signs that include coughing and fatigue. Her study’s findings indicate that heart disease is not at all uncommon in Whip- pets. Only seven percent of animals test- ed were free and clear of heart murmers. This figure may seem surprising given the breed’s longevity and athleticism. However, Dr. Stepien spoke about the role diet may play in the prevalence of heart disease. She said that if DCM is sus- pected, a whole blood taurine test should be conducted since decreased taurine levels are suspected of playing a role in the disease. Lisa Costello DVM MS gave a pre- sentation next on the Whippet Health Foundation Database that, unfortu- nately, I could not attend. However, the foundation’s website provides a concise introduction to its mission: “The Whippet Health Foundation, Inc.
152 • S how S ight M agazine , M ay 2018
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