Corgi Trivia

 At DWC we understand that health testing is one of the most confusing parts of selecting the correct breeder and pet for your family. It's important to understand that health problems are not unique to purebred dogs, but we do know more about the health problems of purebred dogs because of the diligence and testing done by the breeders who truly love their breed and their dogs. As breeders, when we health test, sometimes we are trying to eliminate a known problem, sometimes we are just trying to prevent future problems, and other times it is simply one more piece of information for you to have about your dog!

Each breed has certain tests that are considered common, and some breeders may not do any testing at all (beware!), some do the basics, and others do more, usually due to them having dealt with that particular problem in the past and wanting to avoid doing so in the future. Additional testing is not always better, for example we could absolutely test PWC's for Hereditary nasal parakeratosis (A disease that affects Labrador Retrievers and related breeds and leads to dry, rough, discolored crusts on the edges of the dog’s nose), but as this mutation has never been seen in PWC dogs it isn't really telling you anything for us tell you your dog tests clear for it. It is important to understand which health issues are common in your chosen breed and read up on them, information is power!

Fortunately, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a relatively healthy breed with just a few main health concerns. Many breeders will have their corgis tested for hip dysplasia (OFA Hip Screening), eye disorders (CAER Exam) and von Willebrand disease (vWD); Other tests we often perform are Coat Length gene testing (Fluffy), Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC), and Degenerative Myelopathy (DM).

• Hip Dysplasia Screening (OFA Hips)- This is where we take our dogs into our local vet and have an xray taken of their hip socket laying flat on their back with the legs down, the xray is then sent into the Orthopedic Foundation For Animals. Radiographs of animals 24 months of age or older are independently evaluated by three randomly selected, board-certified veterinary radiologists from a pool of 20 to 25 consulting radiologists throughout the USA in private practice and academia. Each radiologist evaluates the animal’s hip status considering the breed, sex, and age. The radiologist will grade the hips with one of seven different physical (phenotypic) hip conformations: normal which includes excellent, good, or fair classifications, borderline, or dysplastic which includes mild, moderate, or severe classifications. For more information please visit https://www.ofa.org/diseases/hip-dysplasia
  
• ​OFA Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER)- The purpose of this exam is to provide breeders with information regarding inheritable canine eye diseases so that they may make informed breeding decisions in an effort to produce healthier dogs. CAER certifications will be performed by board certified (ACVO) veterinary ophthalmologists. This test is specifically designed to identify genetic diseases that are passed down from parent to offspring, including but not limited to Cataracts, Glaucoma, Detached or Displaced Retina, Optic Nerve Coloboma and Hypoplasia, Progressive Renal Atrophy, etc. For more information please visit https://www.ofa.org/diseases/eye-certification
  
• von Willebrand Disease (vWD)- is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by lack of von Willebrand factor protein (vWF). This protein circulates in the blood stream and must be present at the site of blood vessel injury in order to control bleeding from that vessel. Von Willebrand disease is a distinct disorder, it is not hemophilia. We have never had an experience with this but this disease is fairly common among Corgis, so we prefer to test for it to ensure we do not ever produce any affected puppies and are not breeding it into our lines. For more information please visit Cornell University Canine von Willebrand Disease
  
• ​Coat Length (Fluffy)- It has been determined that hair length variation is due to a mutation in the FGF5 gene that changes the hair follicle growth termination signal which impacts canine hair length.  The mutation is recessive which means a dog must have two copies of the mutation that will result in a long or fluffy coat. This is a test we often do to determine whether we expect any puppies in a litter to be "Fluffy" and have a long hair coat vs the typical short double hair coat the PWC has. Many show Corgis (if not most) are Carriers of the fluffy gene, which means they themselves have a "Normal" short hair coat, but Carriers tend to have a slightly thicker, plusher coat themselves, making them ideal for the show ring! When we breed two "Carriers" together each dog has a 25% chance to be a Fluffy, a 50% chance to have a normal coat but carry the gene therefore be a Carrier, and a 25% chance to be Clear and not carry the gene. While Fluffies are considered to be a serious fault in the AKC show ring and are not allowed to show conformation, some people actually prefer them and admittedly they are adorable and make just as good a pet as Corgis with a Normal coat. For more information please visit Canine Coat Length
  
• Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)- DM is a huge concern in the Corgi community and our greatest wish is to understand more about WHY its so prevalent in our breed and find a better test to use to evaluate our breeding prospects. Please see the very informative below for more information on this disease and the testing we currently have available to us.