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Thursday 25 December 2008

A major or minor chord?

I have a gorgeous male Bearded Collie, he has a great temperament, has passed all his health tests, and is simply stunning. There's just one little problem. He had an umbilical hernia when I got him from his breeder. I didn't spot it at first, it's not needed operating on and hasn't been spotted by anyone when my boy has been shown.
What should I do? I would very much like to use him at stud and retain a puppy. He is my perfect dog in every way other than this.
I've read that sometimes these hernias are hereditary but that sometimes they are just caused by trauma when the chord is severed. How can I tell the difference between something that might be passed on and something that will not? If he is healthy in every other way so long as I let him breed with bitches who don't have this problem would it be acceptable to breed on despite this problem? I want to be a good breeder, but no dog is perfect. What would you do if this really was the best dog you had ever seen? End the line or breed on?
Name and address supplied

Very responsible, my advice is check with your vet as sometimes it's easy to tell an acquired (congenital) rather than hereditary umbilical hernia. Even if it is hereditary in the vets opinion, as long as there are no other obvious hereditary traits, in my opinion you could still try breeding with him as long as:

1/ You select a Dam with no family history or clinical umbilical hernia.
2/ If the dam you select throws all normal pups, then OK if not, then try one other similar bitch (ie different dam) if still passing on then don't use him again.

That's the approach I took with my Lab bitch and in two litters with two different sires she was still throwing recessives so I spayed her.

Best and Happy New Year to all

Simon, a vet

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