The Kennel Club holds a Breed Health Symposium every year, which I have found most valuable on many levels. The people who are invited to give presentations are very knowledgeable in their field and it is a great opportunity to network with other Breed Health Coordinators, compare notes, pick up tips as well as support each other – and put faces to names!
This year the focus was on cancer in dogs as well as skin problems. Both topics are sadly also very prevalent for many a Eurasier and their owner, so I was greatly looking forward to the day and keen to gain some new insights.
Dr Mike Starkey, Head of the Molecular Oncology at the Animal Health Trust gave us an overview in the manifestation of cancer as well as current treatment options and prospects on how to improve the life of affected dogs. Some aspects of current research were also touched on.
After a break we had a very informative as well as entertaining talk on common skin conditions. Dr Rosario Cerundolo discussed the most common skin problems in dogs, some clinical signs and symptoms (with some very instructive slides that some found maybe a bit challenging), as well as risk factors owners should consider to prevent their dog being affected by skin problems. Amongst many other aspects, I found it very interesting that food companies have started producing a purely vegetarian, low allergenic food, which seems to work well for some affected dogs.
A session on the many challenges of being a Breed Health Coordinator and the mentor scheme finished a very interesting day. Big thanks to the KC Health Group for organizing such a valuable and motivating day for us!
As you probably all know, I am very dedicated to my role as Breed Health Coordinator and will continue to ask you for your help and support also in the future!
If you would like more info on either the cancer topic or skin conditions, please send an email to alphaeurasier@gmail.com and I am very happy to share the slides with you and will do my best to answer any questions you might have.
By Dr Brigitte Mordan-Grimm, UK Health Coordinator for Eurasiers
