Inter-Vertebral Disk Disease (IVDD) is a health issue seen only too often in Clumber Spaniels and other breeds, such as Dachsunds, Sealyhams, Corgis and the Sussex. While surgery can help repair a disk, the surgery is extremely delicate and expensive, and the recovery is long and painful. Avoiding IVDD is certainly a better option.
The CSHF has been approached by an American Veterinary School to participate in a study that 'aims at identifying heritable risk factors that contribute to IVDD to 1) shed light on the underlying mechanisms of the disease, with relevance to both man and dog, and 2) translate the discovery into a DNA test that enables breeders to eliminate the defect from their bloodlines.'
The Foundation's Scientific Advisory Committee is in the process of evaluating this proposal to make a recommendation to the Board on how to proceed ahead with it.