At Louisville this past March, Mark Grigalunas, the ABGA Chairman of the Health Committee, presented general information at the ABGA Health Fair about a hereditary condition that has been diagnosed in Brussels Griffons call Syringomyelia or SM. This information was presented to our ABGA members to be informative and to make people aware that pure bred Brussels Griffons had been MRI diagnosed with SM and to explain how this same SM condition was capable of infiltrating an entire breed as it has done with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed. Statistics show that over 80% of the CKCS have this condition now and the CKCS breeders have had to joining together to combat this condition. Since March of this year several more Brussels Griffons have been diagnosed with MRI’s and others have been diagnosed by vets indicating the severity of the symptoms didn’t even require an MRI diagnosis. About 2 months ago I received research information from the international research group conducting the CKCS study: Dr. Clare Rusbridge, Dr. Guy Rouleau, Penny Knowler and Isabelle Thibault. The CKCS international research group decided to include Brussels Griffons into their canine study. This was largely due to discussions Lee Pieterse, a Brussels Griffon Breeder in Australia, began having with the research coordinator Penny Knowler. Lee Pieterse submitted 13 dogs from her kennel (2 with MRI information but all with DNA blood samples). Also included was a dog I purchase from Lee which I MRIed and is the only “Clear” dog at this time in our breed in the study, so this dog is the baseline for our breed in the study. Additionally, two other dogs are in the study with MRI and DNA information. The purpose of this email is to clearly make the ABGA Membership aware of the importance of our club’s participation in this study. It is invaluable that our breed has been accepted into the study. The SM canine research group of the above listed vets and specialists are seeking additional Brussels Griffons for the study. Participation is crucial to the on going health of our breed. “We” need what this study is capable of ultimately producing: a test for a genetic marker. I began disseminating the attached forms for participation in the study to people that had contacted Mark Grigalunas or myself with dogs that were symptomatic or that had been tested MRI “positive”. I also sent the information to board members that requested it as well as ABGA members that had indicated interest and or had an MRI candidate for the study. Participation in this study is about helping our breed. It is just as important to have MRI “cleared” dogs as it is to have MRIed SM “positive” dogs. There is reason to believe that all lines/pedigrees have this hereditary condition based upon the phenotype information already available. In the CKCS, breeders are testing their entire kennels in an attempt to determine “clear” dogs. The “clear” dog are then candidates for “positive” dogs to be bred with. Another words we need to find who is “clear” just as badly as we need to find who is SM “positive”. So, for the first step in the process, the ABGA Board is asking for support from the ABGA MEMBERSHIP to actively TEST those Brussels Griffons that our breeders consider are symptomatic. Dogs that are symptomatic, tend to display signs when especially excited or on leash and collar. The signs include pain or discomfort usually around the head and neck, phantom scratching (often mistaken for allergies), seizures or headaches, lameness, tremors in one or both front legs, an unhappy tail position, a crooked head carriage or more frequent than normal shaking of the head. The deadline for participation in the study is nearing. WE NEED MORE BRUSSELS GRIFFONS to participate in the study to give the researchers the best opportunity to identify a genetic marker before our breed progresses any further with this condition. Should you decide to participate, confidentiality is guaranteed from the research group. So you can use the above attached information and you need not discuss anything with the Club to be involved. I know of MRIed “positive” Brussels Griffons, but the owners of the dogs need to feel support from the CLUB that the CLUB is advocating the study as well as the knowledge that confidentially to part of what can be expected should you decide to participate in the study. So, this is a request and plea, please help the wellness of our breed and let’s pull together and add the dogs that we can to this study. Please contact the people you know and encourage them to participate. With the attached information you don’t need to contact anyone other than the study coordinators below. If you have questions, you are welcome to contact me or email one of the study coordinators: Penny Knowler at: penny.knowler@ntlworld.com or Isabelle Thibault at: Isabelle.thibault@crchum.qc.ca . ALVIN KENNELS Meg Prior
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