Wheaten Health Initiative (WHI) was founded in February 2003 and is a UK based independent
group of owners and breeders who believe that the health and well-being of the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is of the utmost importance. With the involvement of worldwide ancestry within
the breed, we consider there should be easy access for all to health developments and testing in other countries.
Information and education are our principal
objectives to keep breeders, owners and the veterinary professionals up to date with the latest research and testing procedures. With this in mind our Mission statement is:
‘To provide a platform for the reception and transmission
of information about the health and well being of
the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier’
We believe EVERYONE needs the facts about the hereditary diseases that can affect the breed.
Diary of events since the inauguration of WHI Select year
On 16 February 2003, a group of Wheaten enthusiasts with an interest in health matters met up to discuss the formation of a Health Group. A name, aims, objectives, and a Mission Statement (see above) that reflected mutual values, were all agreed.
The Logo is designed to show that the health of this beautiful breed is, literally, in the hands of owners and breeders alike and depicts a vision of global co-operation.
The founder members of WHI have collectively, many years experience of owning, breeding and showing Wheatens, dating back to the early 1980s; a number of them also served as committee members and officers for the SCWT Club of GB. Key landmarks following the formation of WHI are as follows:
2003:
An extensive Web site launched, covering many aspects of Wheaten health.
Links established with American key researchers; Dr Meryl Littman, VDM, DACVIM, Associate Professor of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine and Dr Shelly Vaden DVM, PhD Diplomate ACVIM, Professor, Internal Medicine, North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine.
First Newsletter published (twenty editions are now available on our Web site).
In May three members of WHI, attended the ‘Keystone Health Conference’ in Colorado USA. This was a three day conference, dedicated to Wheaten health. The main speakers were Dr Meryl Littman, Dr Shelly Vaden and Dr Paula Henthorn, Geneticist (also at Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine).
Anna Marzolino demonstrated the ‘Health Tracker’, which allows owners to input blood & urine test results to monitor their dogs’ health. Dr Littman and Dr Wendy Beers (a Vet and Wheaten breeder), produced descriptions of each test category giving indications of what results outside of the ‘Normal Range’ could mean (see Health Tracker).
Also, Dr Wendy Beers DVM, instructed WHI attendees on the use of a refractometer to carry out the Heska ERD-HealthScreen™ Canine Urine Test. This urine test can indicate protein loss at an early stage, and the refractometer (a type of hand held microscope), is used for measuring urine specific gravity (USG).
Following the Conference, WHI took the decision to raise awareness of the above test which had recently become available to Vets in the UK. An ‘Information Pack’ was produced and a number of testing sessions arranged. This resulted in one Wheaten giving a positive indication of losing protein where previously no signs of ill health were evident. A vet consultation confirmed a diagnosis of PLN, and sadly, the dog died within six months of the diagnosis.
Dr Jeff Sampson, Canine Genetics Coordinator at the Kennel Club, helped WHI to establish links with the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and subsequently WHI produced a ‘Comparison Chart for Hereditary Diseases’, for the BSAVA Web site to raise awareness for the Veterinary profession.
In October WHI held its first Seminar on Protein Losing Diseases entitled; “The Health Notebook and Beyond ...”. This was presented by Janet Petros, past Health Chair of the SCWT Club of America. Also attending were three other American visitors; Jim and Roni Andrews demonstrated their pedigree database and Kathy Clarke who, like Janet had first hand experience of breeding and owning Wheatens that have died of Protein Losing diseases.
Roni Andrews compiled a ‘Medical Terms’ document for WHI, which was published and made available on our web site.
2004:
WHI held an on-line ‘Silent Auction’ to raise funds for our programme of health education.
Initial contacts were made with professionals at the Animal Health Trust (AHT); Dr Ken Smith BVM&S, PhD, FRAPath, MRCVS, Pathology Manager, Dr Cathryn Mellersh, BSc, PhD, Senior Canine Geneticist, and Sue Cade, Diagnostic Services Manager. This resulted in two steering group members holding preliminary talks to involve the AHT in investigating the diseases that affect the breed.
2005:
In February WHI, with the help and guidance of the AHT, set up standardised Breed Specific Protocols for testing Wheatens for the hereditary diseases that affect the breed.
In July WHI produced a publication (approved by the AHT), called, “Breed Specific Health Services available at the AHT - Information for Veterinarian and Owners” this was added to the Web site. The document explains testing, and further promoted the storage of DNA for individual dogs and litters*. This publication also includes forms for Vets to use when submitting samples. (*The Club of GB had previously established storage of DNA at the AHT.)
Dr Cathryn Mellersh and Dr Karin Allenspach, med vet. FVH Dipl, ECVIM-CA,PhD,FHEA, MRCVS, Senior Lecturer Small Animal Internal Medicine, at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), agreed to present a Seminar for WHI. The ‘Towards a Brighter Future’ Seminar was held in November; Dr Mellersh spoke on basic genetics, DNA, genes, and how mutations cause inherited diseases and Dr Allenspach, who had in the past worked with the American Key Researchers, talked about Protein Losing Diseases in the SCWT.
Also at this seminar Dr Allenspach mentioned the pANCA test which she had previously used in America when working with Dr Vaden, and the possibility of setting up a Research Project in the UK to validate it.
As well as the AHT publication, the first two sections of the “Wheaten Health Handbook” were available at this Seminar; this publication now also incorporates ‘Medical Terms’.
A UK Genetic Research Fund was established by WHI.
WHI continued to communicate with both Dr Allenspach and Dr Mellersh, encouraging their co-operation in the development of the pANCA Research Project, which would also include the storage of DNA at the AHT for future research.
2006:
A further ‘Silent Auction’ was organised to raise funds to support the work of WHI.
A meeting was held between WHI and the SCWT Club of GB committee in March, where Lynn Carter, on behalf of WHI, identified the pANCA Project as an area of work that could be carried out by both organisations, as a co-operative venture.
More health topics for the Wheaten Health Handbook were added to the publication and the Web site.
In June, five steering group members attended an Open Forum held by the British and Irish Breeds Preservation Trust, the speakers were Dr Jeff Sampson, Maud Hawkes, Skye Terrier owner and an expert in the field of endangered breeds, Paul Keevil the KC Vulnerable Breeds Committee and Lynn Carter, representing WHI.
WHI pledged a series of three donations to the AHT, the final donation was sent in December 2006.
In October, under the umbrella of the British and Irish Breeds Preservation Trust, WHI was invited to attend the British Veterinary Nurses Association Congress where copies of the ‘Comparison Chart for Hereditary Diseases’ were distributed.
2007:
In February a seminar ‘Healthy Dogs – Naturally’ took place. Speakers were Marie Miller, a Tellington ‘T’ Touch practitioner, and Phillippa Rodale, a vet with additional qualifications in Homeopathy. The seminar also held 5 workshops: Tellington ‘T’ Touch; Homeopathy; Stress Free Living With Your Dog; Natural Raw Diet and The Use of a Pedigree Database.
Dr Allenspach contacted WHI with the news that she had received funding for scientific research to validate the pANCA test, and asked us for assistance in arranging testing sessions etc. WHI informed the Club of GB which agreed, in principle, to co-operate with this research project.
In April, a meeting was held at the RVC, with Dr Allenspach, WHI members, Lynn Carter and Carole Barnes-Davis and Judy Creswick, SCWT Club Secretary.
Newsletter 14 announced this new project. In June a ‘pilot’ pANCA sampling session took place at Weedon Bec. Four further sessions, arranged and facilitated by WHI, were held at the SCWT Club of GB Fun Day South, Weedon Bec, Chesterfield and Highworth.
As a result of the initial findings, Dr Allenspach was able to proceed with the project and owners were approached to participate in a ‘Longitudinal Study’ This would be a mammoth undertaking, with dogs and owners attending sampling sessions every six months in Northamptonshire or Wiltshire, or by testing via their own Veterinarians.
2008:
The KC Charitable Trust awarded a grant of £600 to WHI, to help with the cost of the sampling sessions.
‘The Care and Well being of your Dogs’ Seminar was held in May with Dr Allenspach talking on Digestive Disorders in Dogs and the possible causes, and Nicole Mackie, a Canine Therapist, discussing Stress in Dogs.
A radical redesign of the WHI Web site was undertaken to provide more structured navigation of Wheaten health matters and an overview of the pANCA Research Project.
WHI organised a further two pANCA Longitudinal Study sampling sessions.
2010:
WHI organised the next two sampling sessions for the pANCA Longitudinal Study with the final one taking place in July.
A WHI Seminar was held in September to enable Dr Allenspach and her team to report the findings of the pANCA Project to the Wheaten fraternity.
Project Findings: Dr Allenspach reported that: “During the study period, over half (57/103 or 56%) of the dogs reached the age were disease onset is likely to occur (4 to 6 years). Two dogs of the longitudinal study population (2/103) were affected with PLE and/or PLN. Both dogs were detected as pANCA negative. Three more cases have been reported at the RVC. Blood has been collected from two of them and one was found to be pANCA positive. Therefore it estimated the incidence of PLE/PLN in the SCWT in the UK to be 2%. This is a very positive finding, as it means that not very many dogs are affected at this time-point. It is likely that the awareness of the disease was raised among breeders over the last few years and that this has contributed to less inbreeding of affected dogs.” (see final report)
The pANCA Project raised awareness of Protein Losing Diseases amongst Vets who, through the project, now understand more about the hereditary diseases that can affect Wheatens.
A wealth of clinical and pedigree information for the breed has been collected on both healthy and affected dogs. This project could consequently form the basis for further genetic studies of SCWTs in the UK.
Owners of the dogs who took part in the Longitudinal Research Project continue to report to Dr Allenspach on the health of their dogs, completing a twice yearly questionnaire, available via the WHI Web site. In this way the Project continues, and may, in the future, reveal more information.
WHI continues to facilitate the reporting of breed health to Dr Allenspach and her team.
A collaboration of the AHT and RVC for possible future work regarding DNA was established.
An on-line ‘Silent Auction’ was held; many wonderful items were donated by supporters, and the ‘star prize’ was a beautiful hand made patchwork quilt donated by Wheaten owner Ann Ryan.
2011:
In March WHI received notification from “Dogs Today” Magazine of an article in their April publication, called, “Measure of Success”. The article gives recognition to WHI’s work and has, along with the Dachshund Club, been awarded ‘top honours’ for their approach to health. This index was reviewed in late August to early September 2011. The report can be viewed on the Karlton Index site.
Wheaten Health Matters - a Facebook group for Wheaten enthusiasts was started on 23 August by Sandra Jeffries in UK and Anna Marzolino in US. Just 3 days later the group had over 300 members.
The experience of long standing Wheaten owners, including all the present WHI steering group, can complement and help others who may have a health question or problem and also discuss the many facets of the breed and it's ancestry.
Go to and login if you are already a member but, if not, you can sign up.
In October, the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would be able to map the Wheaten genome.
Helen Moreland (SCWTCA) reported: "We have a chance for the NIH to look at all the health diseases of the SCWT, by DNA mapping the genome and identifying disease markers. To do this we need samples of blood from dogs born between
1 January 2006 and 31 December 2010"
WHI immediately set up a Wheaten Genome and Lifetime Study web page with summary details and, through its' portfolio of Facebook and email group channels, disseminated this message. The result was email requets to NIH (via the WHI web page) for testing kits and participation from many Wheaten owners in UK, Germany, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and USA.
2012:
A Seminar, 'Breed the Perfect Puppy' with Gwen Bailey, renowned author of many canine behavioural books and Prof. Jeff Sampson, giving his last talk as Genetics Consultant at the Kennel Club, was held on Saturday 4 February 2012, at Weedon Bec, Northamptonshire. With a full house and an appreciative audience, feedback was overwhelmingly positive. See Seminar 2012
for a 'taster' of the day.
For more comprehensive speakers reports (and other interesting articles) go to our Newletter 22.
Planned
To continue to provide support, education and information about health matters affecting Wheatens.
WHI continues to update and improve our Web site as new information becomes available.
WHI will continue to look for novel and appropriate ways to communicate with owners, using all possible media networks to achieve this.
Ongoing work with the collection of six monthly health data for pANCA researchers at the RVC.
All WHI publications and appropriate Web site content are produced with the help and guidance of the AHT, Dr Karin Allenspach of the RVC and the SCWT Club of America.
