Promoting Health-DNA Blood Bank & CHIC
Field Spaniels in general enjoy good health, but there is always room for improvement, and it should be the goal of every breeder and fancier to promote the health of their chosen breed and all dogs. With this in mind, I invite you to participate in both the DNA blood bank, for future use and study to promote healthy Field Spaniels, and for the current Canine Epilepsy Research Project.
DNA Blood Bank
About the DNA Blood Bank 
The Orthopedic Foundation For Animals (OFA), and The Canine Health Information Foundation, (CHIC) work jointly, and often with parent breed clubs, to promote canine health. Banking a blood sample with the OFA blood bank will enable future health issues within the breed to be identified and, with appropriate breeding practice, possibly eliminated.
The Canine Epilepsy Research Consortium
is a group of scientists who have agreed to:
Share DNA samples, phenotype data, and genotype data share credit for scientific contribution by co-authoring manuscripts agree , that discoveries will be put into public domain.
The Group currently includes:
The University of Missouri
The University of Minnesota
Ohio State University
Animal Health Trust (United Kingdom)
Information from the
Canine Epilepsy Net
What You Can Do-
Make an appointment with your Vet to have blood drawn in a “purple top” tube, your vet will know what this means, for each dog. Include a 5 generation pedigree and mark the tube with your name and the dog’s name. Please also include the sample form with health information. Sending this form will ensure that the one blood draw will go to the epilepsy study AND the DNA bank for future use. Have it sent overnight, do NOT send on the weekend or on a Holiday, to:
Dr. Gary Johnson
Attn: Liz Hansen
Animal Molecular Genetics Laboratory
321 Connaway Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
Send New Sample Form- ANECS-new sample
CHIC DNA Bank Form –chic_dnabankapp_2pg
DNA Sample Form – DNAsampl
If you have questions or need clarification, please contact
Liz Hansen at 573-884-3712 or
e-mail: HansenL@missouri.edu
Breeding Purpose-Soundness
The goal of breeding is to produce sound, tractable companions that have the potential to excel in a variety of endeavors while keeping those unique and endearing breed characteristics which make a Field Spaniel a Field Spaniel. Soundness, by definition, encompasses temperament, health and structure.
Health Checks
The health of my breed and dogs in general is very important to me. No dog is perfect, whether a pure bred, mixed breed or so called ‘designer dog’, but we can try and stack the deck in our favor. With a rare breed in a small gene pool this can be particularly challenging. So that a more informed decision can be made regarding their suitability for remaining in the gene pool, breeding stock has been screened for the following:
– Hip Dysplasia
– CERF (Eyes)
– Heart
– Thyroid
– Patella Luxation