Winnie's visit to the Cardiologist

Recently the subject of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) has been a topic of coversation in the GWP community following a number of cases of confirmed and suspected DCM involving a small number of GWPs. The GWP Club recommends that anyone planning a litter or planning to use their dog at stud test for this condition using the Echo-Doppler technique. Whilst the test is not definitive it can give an early indication of abnormality. Today we took Winnie along to Sarah Smith who is a panel cardiologist based in Derbyshire. Winnie was such a good girl and slept on the table through most of the proceedure - I think the highligh of the visit for her was the treats that Sarah gave to her at the end. Sarah said that everything looked perfect and she was happy to give Winnie a clean bill of health. Obviously we are delighted that Winnie has tested clear of the condition, we would have been devastated at the thought of her suffering from this condition and if we have a litter from Winnie we want to make every effort to ensure that her puppies are fit and healthy and of sound temperament. The results that Sarah has recorded today will be sent along with a copy of her pedigree to Joanna Dukes McEwan BVMS, MVM, PhD, DVC, Dip.ECVIM-CA(Cardiology), MRCVS of the University of Liverpool Small Animal Hospital who is a leading authority on DCM and has kindly offered to undertake studies into this condition and how it is currently affecting our breed.