FB 26. Noting Sheila Cartwright’s update on the fate of the JKD petition on pedigree release, I have felt compelled to look over the pedigrees I hold to see how many are publishable. It has been quite intriguing looking at them again after some 5 years but the first 40 are pretty depressing, as a number have missing veterinary and other evidence. I am trying to resolve these even now. However, despite the gaps, the pedigree picture remains impressive and this alone should convince anyone that JKD is inherited. I am now up to around the 60 case mark and the quality of the data is much better, but there are still so many more to go. What has struck me however is that the distribution of cases is shifting. At the start it was exclusively the top championship show section that suffered JKD, but of late this has diminished. Most of the main producers have indeed gone. However, it is now the section of the breed which is simply producing nice Boxers, that is suffering, and also the pet breeding section. A potential trouble for me is that these sections have no central body to represent them even though numerically they are the majority groups in the breed
As I suspect some of you think I am being stubbornly difficult as far as the health committee is concerned I thought I should circulate a letter I sent to Breed Council 10 days ago. I have not had a reply yet.
Dear Janice and Malcolm, As you will be aware the Boxer world is now in turmoil about JKD. I believe Breed Council have the JKD Petition from Boxer owners and breeders on the agenda for the next Council meeting, this requesting that Council authorise release of all JKD pedigrees. There will be no one there to speak to the Petition or indeed explain the whole JKD problem, which is indeed difficult. Although I face constant opposition from the Breed Council’s Health Committee, I write to say I would be willing to attend the meeting, explain the genetic position as I see it, and answer any questions on the disease as best I can. I cannot believe that British Boxer breeders’ long-held positive attitude on dealing with genetic defects can have changed so totally in the last few years that they now no longer wish to take any action on a health problem, here JKD. |
BoxerJKDCommunication posted through Facebook Archives
May 2018
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