Cardiac Study
Whippet Health Foundation
Whippet Health Foundation
In April of 2006, at the Whippet National specialty, Dallas became the first of my dogs to
be part of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine cardiac study,
supported by the Whippet Health Foundation. I signed her up because I could get an
echo cardiogram for her at the reduced price of $100, compared to $300 at the specialist's
office at home. While I was at the National I learned that the vets were taking all Whippets
over 10 years of age for free! I immediately signed up Parker & Bagel. What a deal!
While I was there, I briefly inquired about the possibility of bringing the dogs directly to the
vets to keep them in the study, as I wasn't going to be able to get to the National again any
time soon. I was assured that they could and would accommodate me.
Fast forward to January of 2007. I start to see messages come across my e-mail lists
about the cardiac clinic to be held at the 2007 National. I e-mailed the head of the Whippet
Health Foundation and was given the contact information for the vets doing the cardiac
study. We had an exchange of e-mails and I sent them a list of all the Whippets that were
available to me with their pedigrees and they chose six to be examined.
May 10-13, 2007 - A long "weekend" saw me driving a van full of dogs all the way to
Madison, Wisconsin via Virginia Beach, VA. Thursday morning I picked up Blake & Eve
from Pat Taylor (Chesara Whippets) and headed to Virginia Beach to pick up Dallas from
her new family. Then we were out on the road headed north, spending a night with this
friend and that friend and arriving at the University of Wisconsin Vet School, Small Animal
Clinic on Saturday morning at 9:00 am. Dr. Rebecca Stepien and her colleagues spent 4
hours going over the 6 Whippets that I'd brought for them. Besides Blake, Eve & Dallas
they also examined Parker, Bagel & Kira. These 6 dogs represented 5 generations of
dogs starting with Parker. This was a long drive, but I feel strongly in doing whatever I can
do to promote the health of the breed, and having these dogs included in the study is
important. Each dog had blood drawn for DNA testing, they had their hearts listened to, an
EKG, blood pressure testing and a color Doppler Echo Cardiogram.
In the year since we started our participation in the study, they have lowered the age at
which they will examine dogs for free to the age of 7, and lowered the cost of re-examining
dogs already in the study. The result is that 5 of the six dogs examined were over 7 and
got done for free and Dallas' re-exam only cost me $25.00. Even when you add in the cost
of the gasoline it's still a great bargain.
be part of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine cardiac study,
supported by the Whippet Health Foundation. I signed her up because I could get an
echo cardiogram for her at the reduced price of $100, compared to $300 at the specialist's
office at home. While I was at the National I learned that the vets were taking all Whippets
over 10 years of age for free! I immediately signed up Parker & Bagel. What a deal!
While I was there, I briefly inquired about the possibility of bringing the dogs directly to the
vets to keep them in the study, as I wasn't going to be able to get to the National again any
time soon. I was assured that they could and would accommodate me.
Fast forward to January of 2007. I start to see messages come across my e-mail lists
about the cardiac clinic to be held at the 2007 National. I e-mailed the head of the Whippet
Health Foundation and was given the contact information for the vets doing the cardiac
study. We had an exchange of e-mails and I sent them a list of all the Whippets that were
available to me with their pedigrees and they chose six to be examined.
May 10-13, 2007 - A long "weekend" saw me driving a van full of dogs all the way to
Madison, Wisconsin via Virginia Beach, VA. Thursday morning I picked up Blake & Eve
from Pat Taylor (Chesara Whippets) and headed to Virginia Beach to pick up Dallas from
her new family. Then we were out on the road headed north, spending a night with this
friend and that friend and arriving at the University of Wisconsin Vet School, Small Animal
Clinic on Saturday morning at 9:00 am. Dr. Rebecca Stepien and her colleagues spent 4
hours going over the 6 Whippets that I'd brought for them. Besides Blake, Eve & Dallas
they also examined Parker, Bagel & Kira. These 6 dogs represented 5 generations of
dogs starting with Parker. This was a long drive, but I feel strongly in doing whatever I can
do to promote the health of the breed, and having these dogs included in the study is
important. Each dog had blood drawn for DNA testing, they had their hearts listened to, an
EKG, blood pressure testing and a color Doppler Echo Cardiogram.
In the year since we started our participation in the study, they have lowered the age at
which they will examine dogs for free to the age of 7, and lowered the cost of re-examining
dogs already in the study. The result is that 5 of the six dogs examined were over 7 and
got done for free and Dallas' re-exam only cost me $25.00. Even when you add in the cost
of the gasoline it's still a great bargain.
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