2011 Health Clinic Information

The Whippet Health Foundation will be conducting health clinics in conjunction with the 2012 AWC National Specialty. CERF, BAER and cardiac echocardiogram clinics will be held as well as AKC DNA Profile and Myostatin deficiency testing. The Whippet Health Foundation will be subsidizing a portion of the per dog cost for BAER, cardiac, and myostatin testing for those dogs participating in the WHF database.

All test results subsidized by and released to the WHF Database will be public record.

HEALTH CLINIC SCHEDULE AT THE 2012 AWC NATIONAL

Eye Clinic: Wednesday, April 18th. This clinic will be conducted by Dr. Terah Webb, DVM, ACVO. The cost is $30 per dog. The CERF (Canine Registration Foundation) exam is a yearly test that examines your dog’s eyes for inherited eye disease. The exam will require pupil dilation and takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes. This test is required for all sires and dams of futurity nominated litters. The clinic will run from 9AM until finished.

BAER Hearing Clinic: Time to be determined. This clinic will be conducted by Dr. Susanne Hughes. The cost is $45 per dog. The BAER (Brain stem Auditory Evoked Response) test is a once per lifetime test to definitively determine if your dog can hear from both ears. The test usually takes 10-15 minutes and sedation is not necessary. If you are willing to enter both your dog and the BAER result into the WHF database, we will subsidize $20 of your cost, so you will only pay $25. These results will be acquired the day of the test. Dr. Hughes will be scheduling all BAER appointments.

Cardiac Echocardiogram Clinic: Monday April 16th through Friday, April 20th. This clinic will be conducted by Dr. Rebecca Stepien and the cardiology team from University of Wisconsin, Madison. There will be two clinics … the first for dogs already enrolled in the cardiac study and the second for dogs not enrolled in the study where the owners want heart clearances. All exams will take 30 minutes. Please read the following carefully so you know which clinic to sign up for and what the cost is:

1. Cardiac Study Recheck Clinic: This exam is for those dogs already enrolled previously in the cardiac study. The cost of the recheck exam to you is $50 (the WHF will subsidize the additional $50 for the full $100 fee). All dogs over 7 are FREE. When you send in your sign up form, be sure to mark the RECHECK box. All rechecks will be given priority in the cardiac clinic.

2. Cardiac Clearance Clinic: This exam is for anyone wanting a pre-breeding or health clearance check on a dog not in the above study. The cost of the exam is $225. If you are willing to enter both your dog and the echocardiogram result into the WHF database, we will subsidize $50 of your cost, so you will only pay $175. These results will be acquired the day of the test. Only one whippet will be allowed per owner to pre-register but more will be accommodated if time and space allow.

AKC DNA Profile test: (DNA cheek swab test): $30/sample, mailed in with all samples following the national. Swabs will be available during the national from Dr. Lisa Costello or you can mail them to her no later than May 1st for submission to AKC as a group. All swabs must be mailed in TOGETHER to qualify for this special rate ... do not send to AKC on your own!

Myostatin Deficiency test: (DNA test for the double muscle gene): $48/sample ($28 for database participants), mailed in with all samples following the national. Swabs will be available during the national from Dr. Lisa Costello. If you will not be attending the national, the swabs from DDC and payment can be mailed directly to Dr. Costello and will be submitted with all samples following the national specialty (they must be submitted together). These samples must reach her at the address on the health clinic sign up form no later than May 1st, 2012. If you will not be attending the AWC national and need to order sample collection kits directly, call 1-800-625-0874, or email contact@vetdnacenter.com.