Health Clinics

Sponsored by the International Silken Windhound Society

May 6th at 1435 North Oak Street • Calistoga, CA 94515 

By appointment only, please contact Michelle Smith at mksmith42@gmail.com

CERF's by Rebecca Burwell, DVM, DACVO 35$ per dog

OFA Thyroid panel sent to UC Davis: 110 – includes test, blood draw and OFA fee

Heart testing by: Dr. Richard Kienle: Auscultation- $45 and $195 total if echo is required after auscultation.

***Regarding the thyroid test***

Over the past several years we have been doing the thyroid tests, most years except I think once we had the blood sent to UC Davis. We have been stating from the beginning we want to start to establish a baseline for the breed on what is *normal* and what is not for the thyroid. If you look at OFA we have 155 entries for Thyroid. 1.9% are straight out abnormal (these are just results that are entered to OFA I know we have abnormal that have worked with their vets directly and have not submitted results to OFA). That's about 3 dogs. But we are only at about 84.5 % normal. Which means of the 155 dogs in the OFA database we have 24 dogs that are either abnormal or equivocal.

So getting to my point (almost)what we really want to know is; *what is the thyroid baseline for the Silken Windhound!*. Should we be worried about all those equivocal dogs or is it just a *sight hound thing*. 

Sometime last year I tried contacting UC Davis, since they have most of our thyroid results to see if they tracked the actual numbers for different breeds and I was informed, they just don't have the man power. Which for me is frustrating that we have been doing all this testing and still dont seem to be ahead on understanding the silken baseline for thyroid.

This year we are going to do something a little different. Alison Brendel will be doing the blood draws and she will be receiving the results. She will be sending the results of these tests to each individual for their dog as well as compiling the actual numbers to start down the road to an actual baseline for the breed. 

Since the actual thyroid results will be shared with the health committee each person participating in the thyroid test will need to agree to sharing the results with the health committee for the purpose of research and the betterment of the breed. In years past people have had to agree to share results with OFA in order to get the club discount, but this will be slightly different since the actual ranges will be used in the club's own research to find our baseline. 

No names will be published, it will be viewed and shared strictly as raw data.

Please let myself or Alison know if you have any questions.