Chinook Health Resources

Chinook Owners Association

Chinook Health Resources

Click Here to view OFA Chinook Registry of Hip and Other Data from 1990-2006

Chinook Epilepsy Project:

The University of Missouri has recently begun the DNA analysis phase for the Chinook Epilepsy Project, and they are in need of updating the information on the dogs involved in the study. Since the DNA collection began several years ago, they are having trouble reaching people at the email addresses and phone numbers they previously provided. Please send updated email addresses and/or phone numbers to either Dr. Rebecca Packer (packerr@missouri.edu) or Liz Hansen (hansenl@missouri.edu), or call Dr. Packer at (573) 882-7821.

Frequently asked Health Questions

To read the answers to frequently asked questions regarding general health issues for the Chinook breed, follow the link to the Chinook Health FAQs page.

Chinook Health Survey

Thanks to all those who participated in the Chinook Health Survey! The results have been analyzed and the final report of the data can be found by following the link below:

Health Survey Final Report

For a summary of the full report, follow the link below:

Health Survey Executive Summary

NOTE: You must have the Adobe Acrobat plugin for your browser to view the pdf files on this page, including the health survey reports above and the CQ articles below. Follow the link at the bottom of this page for information about how to obtain a free pdf viewer.

Health-Related Articles from past issues of "Chinook Quarterly"

The Canine Epilepsy Project
: A brief article describing a research project being conducted by the Canine Epilepsy Research Consortium to collect data and evaluate genetic inheritance of canine seizures. The article also contains answers to common questions about participation in this important study for our breed.

Ehrlichiosis: Ehrlichiosis is a deadly tick-transmitted disease claiming the lives of dogs in all 50 states. Ehrlichiosis mimics a great many other diseases tending to confuse and diagnose treatment.

Bug Repellents: A review of flea, tick and mosquito repellent products.

Cataracts: An introduction to cataracts and cataract treatments for dogs.

The Chinook Quarterly is a newsletter published by the COA with articles, stories and information relevant to club activities and the Chinook breed. All COA members receive the CQ by mail four times per year. Click here for more information regarding how to join the Chinook Owners Association.

The articles here are stored as Adobe® Acrobat® files. You can download the free Acrobat Reader here.

Healthcare On-line Resources

Health and Registry Resources

Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) http://www.vet.purdue.edu/~yshen/cerf.html: CERF is a canine health organization "dedicated to the elimination of heritable eye disease in purebred dogs through registration and research." The CERF web site includes articles on specific canine eye disorders, info on how to have your dog's eyes examined and certified by CERF, and a listing of clinics and board certified veterinary ophthalmologists - these are the specialty vets who perform the eye screening exams. There's also a look-up here for CERF certified dogs, including Chinooks who have had CERF eye certifications.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) http://www.offa.org/: The OFA is a not-for-profit organization that assists breeders in assessing various disorders including hip dysplasia, congenital heart disease, elbow and patella deformities, and autoimmune thyroiditis. OFA also supports the genetic research being conducted at the Universities of Missouri, Michigan and Michigan State. Search the OFA genetic on-line database, download reports, and request OFA forms. The OFA web site offers a dog-search by Chinook and Chinook Hybrid, and a quarterly report by breed. Look here for news and data resulting from the merge with the open health registries of GDC.

PennHip http://www.vet.upenn.edu/ResearchCenters/pennhip/: This is the official web site for PennHip, developed by the University of Pennsylvania several years ago as a new approach to hip scoring and evaluation of Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD). This site provides detailed information about CHD, including sample radiographs, and discusses in detail the PennHip method of hip scoring and evaluation, with a FAQ section on PennHip and CHD.

Veterinary Resources

Merck Manual On-Line http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp The Merck manual, the mainstay reference manual of the veterinary profession, is now available on the web. The Merck Manual On-Line is referred to as "the single most comprehensive electronic reference for animal care information" and offers "rapid search by topic, species, specialty, disease, and keywords."

HealthyPet http://www.healthypet.com/: HealthyPet is hosted by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) http://www.aahanet.org/ The HealthyPet home page welcomes you with the following: "You've reached HealthyPet - your link for healthy pets. We are the American Animal Hospital Association, an organization of more than 24,000 veterinary care providers committed to giving you excellence in small animal care. You can count on AAHA for accurate, up-to-date, and entertaining information." The HealthyPet web site offers a listing of AAHA vet hospitals, a FAQ look-up with info on behavior, general health, diseases, general topics, a pet care library, and much, much more!

American Canine Sports Medicine Association (ACSMA) http://www.acsma.org/: ACSMA's stated goal is "to improve the health and functional longevity of the athletic and working dogs and to disseminate pertinent information toward the well being of such animals." Their web site includes a discussion board and "Canine Sports Medicine Tidbits" with articles related to "working breed information, performance physiology, applicable surgical procedures, nutrition of the athletic breeds, and training philosophies". For those Chinook owners working their dogs in agility, herding, sledding venues and more, this site is a must visit!

Canine Epilepsy Network (CEN) http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/: CEN is the premier veterinary resource for owners, breeders, veterinarians and researchers interested in learning about canine epilepsy. The CEN site includes info on epilepsy basics, the ongoing genetic studies into canine epilepsy, and how to participate in the genetic research. Their home page has a link to an article by University of Missouri neurologist Dennis O'Brien titled "Chinook 'Seizures': What are they and what can we do about them?" with a photo link to a web video of McKayla, a six year old Chinook girl with this disorder. The CEN discussion forum is hosted by the CEN research group and is a place for owners to ask questions directly to the geneticists, neurologists, and the research team working on the epilepsy research.

We Move: Worldwide Education and Awareness of Movement Disorders http://www.wemove.org/: If you've seen McKayla's video, and read Dr. O'Brien's Chinook "seizure" article, this is the web site to visit to learn more about movement disorders - this site refers to We Move as "the Internet's most comprehensive resource for movement disorders" and you'll find detailed information here on paroxysmal dyskinesia (PD) referenced in Dr. O'Brien's article - several different forms of PD are discussed.

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) http://www.avma.org/: Information on veterinary medicine, pet care, poisonous plants, zoonosis, news, and resources. Also the Net Vet/The Electronic Zoo http://www.avma.org/netvet

American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine http://www.acvim.org/: Locate veterinary specialists in fields such as neurology, cardiology and oncology near you.

Cancer http://www.vetcancersociety.org/ also http://www.vetcancersociety.org/: Numerous links and information about canine cancers.

General Health Resources

The Whole Dog Journal http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/: The Whole Dog Journal is a monthly guide to natural care and dog training, available both on-line and by mail. Articles cover a range of topics including nutrition, dog foods and supplements, training and instruction, homeopathy, alternative and conventional therapies and treatments, and important health and training topics facing today's canine.

Dogwise http://www.dogwise.com/

Dogwise states that they maintain "the largest assortment of books on dogs in one location in the world." Their inventory includes popular and hard to find books on subjects such as health and nutrition, breeding and genetics, puppy training, behavior and behavior problems, clicker training, showing, agility, and various encyclopedias on dogs and breeds. Discounts are offered to members of various organizations. If you're looking for reading on canine health or other doggie related topics, this is the place to find it!

Dog Health Treatment http://www.yourdoghealth.com/

Information on healthcare issues in dogs.

Working Dog Web http://www.workingdogweb.com/

Information on working dog nutrition, health and breeding

Senior Dog Care http://www.rimadyl.com/seniors/index.html

Senior dog care resources

Ohio State University Nutrition Support Service http://nss.vet.ohio-state.edu/

Pet nutrition pages for all stages of life. Comparisons of many dog foods and diet therapy for many disorders.

Alternative Medicine

AHVMA (American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association) http://altvetmed.com/: Information on holistic veterinary medicine: acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutritional therapy and other alternative modalities.

Dental Care

All Pets Dental Care http://www.dentalvet.com/: Information on dental care for your pet including general dental care, periodontal treatment information and orthodontics.

Books

Breeding:

Battaglia, Carmelo Breeding Better Dogs, Fifth Edition, BEI Publishing, 1986
Harris, Beth Finder Breeding A Litter, the Complete Book of Prenatal and Postnatal Care Howell Book House 1993.

Lee, Muriel and Joanne Cummins. Whelping and Rearing Puppies: A Complete and Practical Guide. TFT Publications, Inc. Dec. 1997.

A comprehensive guide for dog breeders that encompasses all situations and addresses any questions in an easy to understand manner.

Padgett, George A., DVM. Control of Canine Genetic Diseases. Wiley, John, and Sons Publisher. Oct. 1998.

A must for all people considering breeding! Provides every day dog breeder and owner the wealth of insights needed to best deal with canine genetic diseases.

Healthcare:

Alderton, David. Dog Care Manual. New York: Barron's Educational Series.: Advice on nutrition, diet, hygiene requirements, breeding, etc.

Callahan, Jean and Anne Manning. Your Older Dog: A Complete Guide to Helping Your Dog Live a Longer and Healthier Life. Simon and Schuster Trade Paperbacks, March 2001.

Explains basics of senior nutrition, exercise, grooming and health requirements.

Carlson, Liisa and James Griffin, M.D. The Dog Owners Home Veterinary Handbook (Revised). Publisher: Wiley, John and sons, Inc., 3rd edition.

Updated to include the latest life-saving procedures such as CPR and heart massage, treatment of bloat, vaccinations, and easy to follow alphabetized emergency section.

Fogle, Dr. Bruce. Caring For Your Dog: The Complete Canine Home Reference. 1st edition. DK Publishing, Inc. Oct. 2002.

Professional, in-depth medical advice on the diagnosis of common canine diseases and disorders.

Fogle, Dr. Bruce. What's Up With My Dog? DK Publishing, New York, 2002.

Advice on canine health, symptoms and first aid.

Messonnier, Shawn. Allergy Solution for Dogs: Natural and Conventional Therapies To Ease Discomfort. 4th edition. Crown Publishing Group. July 2000.

This book can help you provide the best care possible. The book focuses on the pros and cons of natural and conventional treatments.

Pitcairn, Richard & Pitcairn, Susan Hubble. Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. St. Martin's Press 1995.

Shearer, Tamara. Emergency First Aid for Your Dog. Ohio Distinctive Publishing 1996.

Siegal, Mordecai. Editor. U C Davis Book of Dogs: A Complete Medical Reference Guide for Dogs and Puppies. University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Faculty and Staff. Publisher: Harper Information. Sept. 1995.

In-depth information about all aspects of canine health.

Volhard, Wendy and Kerry Brown. Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog. 2nd edition. Feb. 2000. Published by Wiley, John and Sons, Inc.

In-depth information about dog dietary and medical regimens in light of holistic alternatives.

Nutrition:

Ashton, Jennifer and Grant Nixon. Better Food for Dogs: A Complete Cookbook and Nutrition Guide. Oct. 2002.: A nutrition guide and cookbook intended to take the guesswork out of feeding your dog a home-prepared diet.

Coffman, Howard. The Dry Dog Food Reference. Nashua, New Hampshire: Pig Dog Press, 1995.

Advice on dry dog foods and nutrition.

Hinchcliff, Kenneth W., Gregory A.Reinhart, and Arleigh J. Reynolds. Performance Dog Nutrition. Dayton, Ohio: The Iams Company, 1999.

Chinook Health Committee Contact Information

Click on the name to send a member of the Chinook Health committee a message:

Jessica Maurer	Leslie Donais	Shirley Jackson (Chair)
Corine Lindhorst	Walt Madden	Berg Malkiel
Carie Taylor	Susan Cunningham	Stephen Giordano

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