Our club is very interested in improving the overall health of our breed here in Australia. For this reason we have established the HDDAP to help owners and breeders as they find health problems arising in their pet or breeding lines. The panel is very keen to hear from any Aussie owners that are able to share their experiences with the panel. We would like to have some idea of how the health issue that your dog has is impacting on its life and on your life. This account does not need to have large amounts of medical detail, we are happy to have your anecdotal record. This information will be compiled to assist others in the future who may find themselves with a dog suffering the same health issue.

The HDDAP will also keep you informed as to research studies being conducted into various issues in Australian Shepherds. Only recently the Animal Health Trust (AHT) in the UK completed a study into Hereditary Cataracts (HC) in Australian Shepherds. A number of Australian dogs were submitted to the study.This continues the great tradition of Australian breeders and owners supporting research. As a result of AHT’s research we now have a commercial DNA test for HC. There is ongoing research into a number of health issues.

The details for these are listed  here (13.70 Kb). If you have a dog with one of these issues and would like to submit samples please feel free to contact the HDDAP for assistance and support if you need.

Kate Dourley, Chair HDDAP