The UK Kennel Club health team have decided that our breed now sits within category 2 for Hip Dysplasia testing
This means that although Hip scoring is not yet mandatory, it should be considered best practice to test all breeding stock and have the results submitted using the KC / BVA Hip Dysplasia scheme
Your health coordinator has asked for a comprehensive list of approved vets but that has not been provided.
Any BVA registered Vet is able to submit X-Rays as part of the scheme, however it might be a good idea to check they have experience with the positioning of similar dwarf breeds as your Health coordinator understands that correct breed-specific positioning for Corgis is of utmost importance.
Your health coordinator has also asked what scores might be considered acceptable in breeding stock (bearing in mind scoring is recommended but not mandatory as yet) but has not as yet received a reply.
The new health standard for Pembrokes will be published by the year end.
Those of us who grew up with the breed might define the Pembroke Corgi as a tough, hardy, healthy and long-lived cattle dog but just how accurate is that description in the 21st century?
The answer is that, whilst we might have a good idea about our own dogs, we just don’t know about the state of the breed overall across the UK.
As the parent breed club, The Welsh Corgi League is pleased to be able to partner with the Kennel Club and this initiative is a good opportunity to assess breed health and longevity. The idea of course is to identify any developing disease trends within the breed and take any necessary action, before the conditions become endemic.
All UK based League members (be they breeders, exhibitors or simply companion owners) receive an annual survey. The first part deals with diagnosed conditions, the second with mortality and the final part with screening results.
At present there are no KC/BVA health screening requirements for the Pembroke Corgi in the UK, however some of our fellow enthusiasts overseas routinely take advantage of testing for some/all of the following:
Hip dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, vWD type 1, Cardiac and Eye conditions, Exercise induced collapse and Degenerative Myelopathy.
Various tests are available in the UK so we are interested in results from those Corgis who have been screened here.
The survey is completely anonymous and the results are collated and returned to the Kennel Club breed health department for further analysis. Annual survey findings are posted on this website.
All members who own a Pembroke Corgi are stakeholders in the breed and The Welsh Corgi League hopes for an excellent uptake of each survey.
The future wellbeing of this brilliant native breed lies in our hands, the current membership.
