Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Testing
Profile with the Animal Health Trust
Dear Owner
Why is testing important?
It is possible for a dog to appear healthy even though an underlying disease may be present and the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is no exception to this. The underlying diseases that can affect Wheatens are Renal Dysplasia (RD); Protein Losing Enteropathy (PLE), Protein Losing Nephropathy (PLN) and Addison’s disease. A chart comparing the major features of these diseases is on the Comparisons Chart page.
Owners and breeders can establish the health status of their dogs by monitoring them on an annual basis for signs of illness. This will aid with the early identification of disease, ensuring that treatment can begin promptly and offer the best chance of success.
In addition, if knowledge of the presence of disease is shared with others, it allows for informed breeding decisions to be made in respect of related dogs. You may realise that the testing procedure is only a ‘snapshot’ view of the dog’s health status at the precise moment that the blood and urine samples are taken and as such cannot give any guarantees with regard to future health. This is not a perfect system but it is the best option available until further advances in understanding these diseases are made.
The benefits of regular screening through the Animal Health Trust are:
- Testing criteria and results are specifically profiled for the Wheaten Terrier.
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The AHT will return the laboratory results to your Vet for his/her interpretation. If your Vet so wishes he/she can contact the specialists at the AHT for guidance on results that are not within the normal parameters.
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These consistent screening results will be held in one location enabling the AHT researchers’ easier access and analysis.
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DNA can be extracted and stored at no extra cost to you but this will add enormous benefits for future genetic research.
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You have the security of knowing that all procedures will be subject to the same professional confidentiality which exists between Vet and client.
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The AHT will charge a standard fee for their services, to which your vet may add his/her own service charge.
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The researchers' advice is that you carry out the recommended tests on your dog for the first time between the ages of 1 year and 18 months, and repeat them annually thereafter.
If your Wheaten is on medication,
your vet will advise if this
could affect the test.
Please make an appointment with your Vet early in the day and week, so that blood and urine samples can be sent quickly to the AHT for analysis.
The AHT Testing Pack is available for downloading on our Publications page.
Please inform your breeder and the SCWT Club of Great Britain of your results. If you wish to share this information with WHI, we are always happy to receive it but more importantly please think about sharing this information with other breeders.
Thank you
Wheaten Health Initiative
Information about DNA Storage at the Animal Health Trust:
Please consider having DNA from all Wheatens that you own or breed stored at The Animal Health Trust (AHT). 
Why is DNA storage important?
DNA is important for the future of the breed. ALL dogs, even those who are never bred from, are important. In the future it is hoped that this DNA will enable researchers to find the deleterious (bad) mutations which cause hereditary diseases.
What will this mean for breeders and owners?
In the future if breeders have
ALL health information, including if a
dog has these deleterious mutations, it
will enable the breeder to select ‘safe’ combinations
of dogs to breed with that will not produce
affected puppies. Over time, the deleterious
mutations can be eliminated altogether
from the gene pool.
How often do I have to collect DNA from my dog?
Just once, DNA can be stored indefinitely.
How do I store DNA?
Firstly check that your breeder
has not already done this. When
you take your dog for its regular
health check, a sample of blood can be
taken and stored free of charge at the
AHT, however, your Vet may charge for his/her
services.
The form below must be completed and
given to your Vet at the time of testing:
DNA Storage Submission Form - Individual
Dog 
(Opens
in new page)
How
do I store my litter’s DNA?
DNA from family groups will be
vital for future research and many breeders
have DNA from each of the puppies in their
litters stored, prior to them leaving for
their new homes. When you take your
litter or new puppy for testing,
it will only require a basic kidney function
test (i.e. Creatinine,
Urea and Phosphate). A puppy’s
body system is not fully developed until
12-15 months of age. Therefore at this
stage of its life it will not require a
comprehensive blood test and it is
possible that spurious results could occur.
A small amount of extra blood can
be taken at
the same time and sent to the AHT.
DNA Storage Submission Form
- Litter (Opens
in new page)
Also supply your Vet with a five generation pedigree (available
from WHI if required)
(If
you would like acknowledgement of the
receipt of the DNA
sample(s), provide
an email address, as confirmation is
only sent by this method.)
Please also
tell the AHT about any serious health
conditions that your dog(s)/puppy(ies)
suffer from, and keep them updated
of any major
health changes after the blood sample
has been submitted.
Who should I inform if I store DNA?
Please inform your breeder and the SCWT Club of GB if you have your Wheatens DNA stored at the AHT.
Collecting a urine sample:
Practice the collection method so that you train your Wheaten to feel comfortable with urine collection. Do not forget to tell the dog how clever he/she is and reward when you achieve a good collection. Make it a fun game!
Clear away the hair around the penis and/or vagina and wipe clean prior to collection. Use a clean plastic pot (for males) or shallow dish (for females), to collect your sample and have ready a clean container, clearly labelled with the dog’s identity on it. Pour your urine sample into this container and give this to your vet.
It is best if the dog has started to wee (mid stream), then it usually continues. If the dog hasn’t started to wee then it will probably jump up and the moment will have been lost.
Make your Vet appointment as early as possible so that the sample is fresh, and keep the sample out of direct sunlight and in a cool place (not a refrigerator, as this may create crystals in the sample).
Urine sample: Preferably 8 hours after food, second wee of day, mid stream, at least 2ml volume is required.
Do not test:
- A bitch in season
- A dog with a urine infection
- If your Wheaten is on medication, discuss
this with your Vet, to check if
this will
affect the sample.
The Animal Health Trust can also undertake a Post Mortem if this is considered appropriate by your Vet.
