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The American Water Spaniel Club, Inc.

AKC Member and Parent Club

2007 National Parent Club - Canine Health Conference

Conference Presentations

From Kathy Wiederholt, Health and Genetics Committee Chair:

In October 2007, I attended the 2007 National Parent Club Canine Health Conference in St. Louis, MO. The sponsors were the AKC Canine Health Foundation and the Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.

The information presented was critical, eye-opening and up to date. The CHF provided me with the written summaries of the presentations made by each speaker and so the links here will connect you with that text. In addition, I was provided with a binder that has additional summaries, biographies and contact information in many cases. If you have more interest in any of the topics, please contact me and I will see if there is anything else I can get out to you.

The entire proceedings are available to be printed out from CHF at: www.akcchf.org/research/white_papers.cfm. Look for the title: Biennial National Parent Club Canine Health Conference – Oct. 19-21, 2007.

I would like to highlight several of the talks as particularly interesting:

  1. Canine Reproduction in which Dr. Margaret V. Root-Kustritz discusses the latest take on spaying or neutering a dog.

  2.  The Use of Probiotics that describes Nestle’s results showing positive intestinal health benefits in dogs (and cats) when using probiotics. Not listed in the proceedings is the name of the product: FortiFlora.

  3.  In Understanding Cancer at the Breed Level, Rhonda Hovan of the GRCA explains findings about cancer in Golden Retrievers from the extensive health surveys the breed club has conducted. Her words are applicable to all dogs.

  4.  Research at Nestle Purina, presented as: Optimal Nutrition for the Exercising Dog, shows that dogs’ endurance and brain function is best when the dogs are fed a higher fat and protein performance food. When fed year round, this type of food promotes quick mobilization of needed nutrients and aerobic metabolism. It also promotes lean body mass – just watch the quantity fed!

  5.  Canine Degenerative Cruciate Rupture may actually be a rheumatic disease, not an injury symptom – the exact reverse of common thinking on the matter.

  6.  And most importantly, I believe, was the presentation by Dr. Ron Schultz titled: What Everyone Needs to Know About Canine Vaccines and Vaccination Programs. Dr. Schultz is regarded as a world expert in veterinary immunology and works diligently to get the word out on the need to vaccinate out pets LESS often. Please read this and talk to your vets about it. Also see the recommendations by the American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Task Force at www.aahanet.org/resources/guidelines_canine.aspx.