The
purpose of this article is to outline the most common health problems in
Miniature Bull Terriers. It is not intended as a definitive listing. Its purpose
is to inform prospective Miniature Bull Terrier owners of problems that the
combined experience and knowledge of many breeders have found to occur.
Similarly it is all too easy to believe after reading an article like this that
the breed is unhealthy and beset by tremendous problems. This is not the case,
Miniature Bull Terriers are generally healthy dogs who lead a full and active
life. However, as a responsible Breed Club, it is our duty to give informed and
balanced information.
Primary
Lens Luxation. The
most well documented health condition affecting Miniature Bull Terriers is
Primary Lens Luxation. This is an eye problem where the lens detaches and slips,
usually backwards, into the rear chamber of the eye. It would generally occur
between 3 and 7 years old but cases have been reported either side of this age
range. This condition is operable if diagnosed in time. It is therefore
essential that your dog is referred to a veterinary ophthalmologist (eye
specialist) immediately for confirmation and treatment of this condition. A list
of the B.V.A. eye specialists is included with this document.
From the mid 1970's the MBTC has maintained a register of dogs, which
have been affected by this condition. This is freely available to all those who
contact the Primary Lens Luxation Registrar. It is important to realize that
this list is created by the voluntary information made available by owners and
breeders. This has been done to enable other breeders to plan their breeding
program to reduce the incidence of this condition. As with all voluntary schemes
it has been the courage of those breeders and owners that have made this
information available that has enabled progress to be made. By acknowledging
that the problem exists then we have taken the most important step in trying to
remove it from the breed.
Since
1997 the MBTC has been working closely with the Animal Health Trust at Newmarket
to collect blood samples and gather funding to enable work to be done on
determining a genetic test to identify the PLL gene and determine whether a
given dog is affected, a carrier or clear. With Miniatures being a breed with a
small genetic base and a great deal of documentary evidence on affected animals
in previous generations it appears that once funding is raised this should be a
relatively easy problem to find a solution to.
Kidney
Diseases. There
are a variety of specific conditions, all with a low rate of incidence. Hence
the grouping under a general heading. Most kidney conditions (or nephropathy)
are now easily identified by the testing of a dogs’ urine. This is achieved by
assessing the animals urinary protein:creatinine ratio. The lower this value the
less likely the incidence of kidney failure. A value of less than 0.3 has been
fixed for those dogs that are to be used in the interbreeding with Bull
Terriers.
Heart
Conditions. There
are two main conditions affecting Bull Terriers and Miniature Bull Terriers;
Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Displasia. Both these conditions are assessed by
grading the degree of heart murmur of the dog on a scale of 1 to 6. The lower
the grade the lower the chance of an animal been affected by either of these
conditions. A maximum grade of 2/6
has been fixed for Miniature Bull Terriers participating in the interbreeding
program.
Health
Screening. A
note of caution about any health screening program. Although any testing may
identify the presence of certain conditions at the time of testing, it does not
guarantee that the condition will not occur in the future. It is hoped that in
the near future the Animal Health Trust will develop a genetic test for Primary
Lens Luxation, which will be a great advance on what is currently available as
regards testing techniques. Using the samples that have been gathered for the
PLL research they are then optimistic that the same samples may be use to
advance genetic screening techniques for both heart and kidney conditions.
Further
Information. At
every Miniature Bull Terrier Club show there is a Health Stand where a variety
of recent articles relating to the health matters discussed above and other
conditions of interest are available. A small donation is always welcome to
cover photocopying costs.
I
hope that this has been informative. The important fact to take away after
reading this article is that the vast majority of Miniature Bull Terrier
breeders care passionately about the health of their dogs and it is through
their efforts and honesty that it has been possible to collate the information
that I have.
Jill Garnett
Former Primary Lens Luxation Registrar and Breed Health Coordinator.
April, 2000.
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