Health Priorities Survey

Participant information

(1) What is the study about?

These surveys have been developed by the Master Dog Breeders and Associates Health and Genetics Committee to determine the type and frequency of current health problems being encountered in the Australian purebred dog population-starting October 1, 2009. Please complete the survey for an individual dog. Multiple surveys will be necessary if you have more than one dog´s data to enter or different health problems with a dog you have previously entered in the health survey.

Personal information and pedigree information is NOT part of this survey and is not needed in any way to complete this survey. Information submitted is not identifiable by the MDBA and specific dog names are not requested.

After answering a few questions about your dog, you will be asked to identify any health problem(s) that affects your dog. Please be careful to enter a VETERINARIAN�S DIAGNOSIS from your dog´s health records. If a diagnosis is not listed or cannot be made, please select the description, "Other" and then describe the problem in the box provided. There are some conditions that are included (such as allergies, ear infections, temperament problems, etc.) so please remember to review the list of disorders carefully.

These surveys will assist in tracking differences between breeds in health issues. One of the major goals of this project is to assist dog breeders in making better breeding decisions by identifying the most significant health issues occurring in their breeds. This health survey will also be available to veterinarians and researchers Educational material will be developed from the results of this survey to better inform breeders to be able to develop strategies to ensure the overall health and wellness of the dogs they breed, the public and future owners of health issues in their dogs.

We are not aiming to prove anything but we are hoping that people will be able to take a look at what we collect and decide if some areas warrant further studies and research and more importantly what we need to get a better look at now, in order to make informed decisions in our own breeding programs.

You are welcome to distribute this via your websites and it is easily printable to be handed out to people who would prefer to complete the survey and post it via mail.

2) What does the study involve?

This research uses surveys to gather data about health issues seen in your dogs. It aims to develop a database of information about the health status due to genetic disorders of dogs bred in Australia.

The reason underlying the collection of this data is to provide insights into the health and welfare status of dogs bred in this country. We anticipate that this study will facilitate collaboration, to enhance knowledge sharing and hence improve efficiency, output and functionality of purebred dog breeding programs to improve the health and welfare of our breeds.

Please select the survey which describes your breed, your first cross dog or your mixed breed dog.

3) How much time will the study take?

Approximately 10 minutes of your time.