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About this blog

Deep thoughts from IPFD's Veterinary Science Officer

Entries in this blog

First entry

It seems appropriate that I should start a blog to share ideas and news from IPFD and DogWellNet. I am working these days at the Swedish KC offices, where, on any given day there are easily 40 to 60 (and I am told up to 100) dogs in attendance with their owners. Incredibly, it is rare that you hear any barking or noise - from the dogs, at least. Puppy Idon, pictured here, captured my heart instantly, last week. Her brother Grim is here today and it is interesting the personality differences, eve
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

6

3rd International Dog Health Workshop - Paris - Success!

The stellar group of participants at the IPFD 3rd International Dog Health Workshop (3rd IDHW) came to collaborate and we really put them to work.  The attendees, who certainly engaged and challenged and stimulated each other, accomplished a lot and it seems they are going home extremely satisfied with the experience.  More importantly, the majority have committed to participate in specific actions, with clear objectives, goals, timelines and deliverables.  There is a clear potential for real mo
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

3

Confidentiality and Genetic Testing: more benefits and risks

The parallels between human and dog testing are many, especially in terms of the challenges (and potential) arising from the market move to Direct-to-Consumer testing in both species.  I talked about these issues in my presentation to the AVMA conference.     In the slide here, I make the point that in recent years there have been rapid changes, not only in the fantastic and ongoing developments in science and technology, but also in terms of how and why genetic testing is a
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

3

New Data on Registrations and Tests

We are receiving data from our Partners on registration statistics and screening tests. For example, Astrid Indrebö has provided a wonderful spreadsheet of Norwegian data (will be available soon in Downloads). Ann Milligan (IPFD staff) is busy integrating material from various sources into the breed pages. She is also working closely with Eddie Dzuik from OFA on getting more links to their statistics. Hopefully, as we follow developments it will give us more and creative ideas on how best t
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

2

The Brachycephalic Issue: Evidence, Emotion and Challenged Beliefs

I look forward with interest to see how the discussions and collaborations develop on this important issue.  Brachycephalic – flat-faced dogs – are a hot topic. As has been said elsewhere, there are intense emotions and strongly-held opinions on all sides.  There continue to be opposing views expressed on the internet and social media - not always in a respectful manner; some rather confrontational. In my experience, people at opposing poles (of this and other issues) often share some similarit
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

2

Engaging breed club members: Why is it such a challenge?

Why is it so hard to engage breeders in breed club health initiatives? In September I had the pleasure of making a presentation to the Breath Health Coordinators of The Kennel Club, in the UK:  I asked them to share with me their biggest challenge relative to their work on the health of their breeds and with breed clubs.  Many said their greatest difficulty was getting members of breed clubs to engage actively in health-related efforts, specifically in sharing accurate data on the occurren
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

2

COVID-19 - a novel experience for dogs and people

Sources of accurate and relevant COVID-19 information for your dog, your puppies and you. In the face of the great uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and its impact on pets and pet owners, many veterinary and regulatory organizations have been providing excellent information and advice, as have kennel and breed organizations.  It is important to remember that recommendations and restrictions vary depending on location and owners need to access and follow local recommendations, especially as t
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

2
Brenda's blog

"The Downside of Inbreeding"

The Downside of Inbreeding - It’s Time For a New Approach by C.A. Sharp First published in Double Helix Network News, Winter 1999   I am pulling together a presentation for the Embrark Canine Health Summit and came across an article I have cited before... an oldie but a goldie!  This article is by the very knowledgeable C.A. Sharp, expert and person behind ASGHI (Australian Shepherd Genetics and Health Institute) and one of our collaborating partners. Good news - she giv
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett in Brenda's blog

2
Brenda's blog

Q&A from Embark Summit

I will answer questions here Follow numbers below:     #3- As I understand it, part of the reluctance to using panel tests is the law in Sweden - e.g. if a dog tests positive (e.g. a false positive) for a condition known NOT to occur in the breed it can render the animal 'un-breedable'.  IF that is the reasoning,... I can't help. In general, use of panel tests is okay, as long as results are interpretted as appropriate for the breed - i.e. using our IPFD Breed Rele
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett in Brenda's blog

2

Interesting Animal Welfare Conference 2016

While searching out information relative to The Brachycephalic Issue I came across this conference: The First International Conference on Human Behaviour Change for Animal Welfare As they state on the conference info page: "The root cause of much animal suffering is human behaviour. However, traditional approaches to improving animal welfare have focussed on providing a service, such as accessible veterinary treatment, or campaigning for people to change their consumer habits. The understanding
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

1
Brenda's blog

International Collaboration for Dog Health - Epilepsy

2-18-2021 UPDATE: see the latest on Epilepsy at RVC's website here: https://www.rvc.ac.uk/search/news-events?q=epilepsy   The Press Office of The Royal Veterinary College has reported that: "Veterinary neurology experts collaborate for first ever global consensus on pets with epilepsy"    "Made up of 26 veterinary practitioner, neuropharmacology, neuropathology and neurology experts from around the world, the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force (IVETF
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett in Brenda's blog

1

Pets, Perception, and Personal Preference

  I recently participated in the educational and thought-provoking conference on brachycephalic breeds presented by the Swedish Kennel Club, 27 February 2016.  More on that later …   Something that arises in all discussions of problems in dogs – especially those with exaggerated physical characteristics – is the fascinating issue of personal preference and people’s attraction, devotion, and attachment to certain br
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

1

AVMA talk: Genetic Testing The Big Picture

I had the honour to be invited to give a talk at the annual American Veterinary Medical Association conference in Washington, DC on 04 August 2019. I was asked to speak on the One Health aspects of genetic testing.  Many of you will have heard of One Health.  The human medical establishment started to coin this phrase in the early 2000's to indicate an approach to health that considered humans, animals an the environment.  As a veterinarian and an epidemiologist I can tell you that we had t
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

1

Brachycephalic dogs in The Netherlands

As many of you may know, there has been a lot of focus of health and welfare issues in brachycephalics and in the spring information about Pugs in the Netherlands.  The situation of government regulations on dog breeding is a complex one, and without appropriate inclusion of all relevant stakeholders, we cannot be sure that the best interests of dogs will be served.  Our partners the Dutch Kennel Club have been working intensely with various groups and have come out with their thoughtful and evi
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

1

AKC-CHF SYMPOSIUM: Harmonization of Genetic Testing and Breed-Specific Resources

I was honoured to again be invited to speak at the 2019 AKC Canine Health Foundation National Parent Club Canine Health Conference August 9-11 in St. Louis, Missouri. This is a great event that brings together breed club health committee members, other interested breeders, stellar researchers, and others from the dog community. There was a broad coverage of CHF sponsored research topics, as well as a definite focus on genetics and genetic testing, reflecting the continued need for info
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

1

Owners' perception of 'responsible dog ownership'

Our colleagues at Human Behaviour Change for Animals (HBC) posted an interesting article today.  The original paper is: The Responsible Dog Owner: The Construction of Responsibility from Carri Westgarth and others at the University of Liverpool, UK. The research article is published here. Their key message is: While “responsible dog ownership” has considerable appeal as a concept, how it is perceived and interpreted varies so extensively that simply telling owners that they
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

1
Brenda's blog

Genetic Diversity: The Big Picture and Challenging Issues

What a great weekend of education - with the Canadian Kennel Club and about 170 participants, including breeders with a range of experience from over 40 years to novices.   Speakers Dr. Kari Ekenstedt, a geneticist from Purdue University in Indiana and IPFD CEO Dr. Brenda Bonnett covered 'everything you need to know to understand genetic testing' in a clear, concise and entertaining series of talks. Interactive discussions with the many knowledgeable, committed attendees were interesting and tho
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett in Brenda's blog

1

IPFD and DogWellNet 2019-2020: Looking Back and Moving Forward

In our final installment of the Digest for 2019, we are putting the spotlight on 2019 milestones, and looking forward to 2020 – which promises to be a pivotal year for IPFD and DogWellNet.com.   In 2019, our fifth full year of operation, we focused our efforts on several key initiatives, including: the Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs (HGTD); the 4th International Dog Health Workshop (IDHW); the continued growth of DogWellNet.com and our online community. We provided an independe
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

1

Defining Breeders - It is not just about volume

Another interesting post from our IPFD friend and collaborator and Dachshund Breed Health Council Coordinator Ian Seath. Following his insightful discussion about puppy socialization that was prompted by reports of increased numbers of mini-dachs [(see here)] he has provided a classification of breeders to help define sources of puppies (see: Breeders, the good, the bad and the future).  I think it is important emphasize his message and to add a few further comments. As was discussed i
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

1

"DOGS ARE FOR LIFE, not just for Coronavirus."

The wonderful thing about our IPFD collaborator, brilliant person, and incredibly knowledgeable dog person Ian Seath, is that, when major issues are at foot, my procrastination at commenting is rewarded by him posting an article that says almost everything I wish I would have said.  All that is left for me to do is to add a few comments and send it out. This is very true for his latest installment on his platform Dog-Ed:  COVID-19: A (dog) world of unanticipated consequences Ian
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett

1
Brenda's blog

Reframing Discussions - What is needed for progress?

Reframing Discussions - What is needed for progress? A webinar sponsored by the All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG), the UK Centre for Animal Law (A-LAW) and Our Dogs Magazine. December 1st, 2020 saw well over a hundred concerned and committed dog people joined virtually in discussions with IPFD CEO Dr. Brenda Bonnett. Organized and spearheaded by Marc Abraham, BVM&S MRCVS, and Lisa Cameron, MP. In September, IPFD published an article entitled: Re
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett in Brenda's blog

1
Brenda's blog

Linebreeding vs. Inbreeding – Let’s be perfectly clear.

Linebreeding vs. Inbreeding – Let’s be perfectly clear. Note: This topic was prompted partly by IPFD's participation in the Canine Health Summit put on by Embark Veterinary. See our Q&A article on breeding and genetics topics here. Inbreeding is the mating of related individuals – that is those who have one or more relatives in common. Linebreeding is not simply a form of inbreeding – it IS inbreeding.   How close that inbreeding is depends on the selection of individuals with
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett in Brenda's blog

1
Brenda's blog

The Relatedness of Breeds - A fun, interactive resource with some cautions

The Relatedness of Breeds - A fun, interactive resource with some cautions ...see references below... The Guardian has come out with an interactive tool for looking a the relatedness between breeds.  Based on 'clades' (genetic groupings) research and genomic work by by Heidi Parker and Elaine Ostrander's team, it is an interesting resource.  Click on your breed - see what others breeds it is related to.  Fun! But there are a couple of cautions that apply: This is great wor
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett in Brenda's blog

1
Brenda's blog

End Pet Homelessness - Mars Petcare

End Pet Homelessness - Mars Petcare   One of the projects I have been working on over the last year is with our Partner Mars Petcare.  Their ambition to "End Pet Homelessness" is a bold and innovative attempt to address the troubling problem of unwanted, uncared for, and stray pets.  I have been serving on their Advisory Panel for the State of Pet Homelessness Index with an international group of stellar individuals with varied areas of expertise ranging across dogs and cats, epidemiol
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett in Brenda's blog

1
Brenda's blog

Norwegian Lawsuit on Dog Breeding - A Step Back or Can it be a Step Forward?

Norwegian Lawsuit on Dog Breeding - A Step Back or Can it be a Step Forward?   We wrote an artilce last year - Norwegian Lawsuit on Dog Breeds and Breeding - The "First" But Not the Last? .  In that article we describe that "The Norwegian Society for Protection of Animals (NSPA) is suing selected breeders, clubs, and the Norwegian Kennel Club for not following the country's animal welfare law; the Norwegian court has agreed to hear the case. " The NSPA  issued an update to this is
Brenda Bonnett

Brenda Bonnett in Brenda's blog

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