Afghan Hound Club of America, Inc.

Health Care

Note the big black nose leather, the slightly Roman nose,
the dark eye and the very clean white teeth!
Clean teeth will help prevent gum disease in your Afghan Hound.

The most brilliant vet in the world can't get your Afghan Hound to talk. YOU must speak for your dog. And that means you must pay attention and be observant of how your dog is acting and feeling. A good vet wants to prevent a serious problem from developing. The only way he can do this is for you to consult with him and give him the information as soon as you notice your dog is acting "different" or seems to be feeling poorly. To do the best job he can, your vet needs and welcomes the information you give him. He wants to tell you about results of tests, to discuss his choice of treatment and alternative choices, and to share decisions. You must make it clear to your vet that you are willing to share and learn. You must make your vet know that you wish to be a full partner in the care of your Afghan Hound.

Good care involves plenty of exercise, good coat grooming habits (including care of the teeth and nails), taking care of your dog's ears to keep them clean and checking for parasites both inside and out. Work with your vet to establish good habits for caring for the health of your Afghan Hound.

AHCA Suggested Books and Videos.

It is important to maintain your Afghan Hound's health from puppy to adulthood and into old age. Sometimes puppies need additional help from their "human moms."

Good health care will show through Afghan Hound's attitude, sparkling eyes and in his coat.

Chylothorax Research

The Afghan Hound Club of America is responsible for protecting and preserving the Afghan Hound breed not only by adhering to the breed standard, but by being aware of the health of the breed. In 2005, Dr. Jonathan McAnulty spoke at our National Specialty concerning health issues which included Chylothorax. Today the Afghan Hound is one of the most affected breeds for this disease not thirteen years later. The Parent Club is putting into motion a research study into this disease, and we are working with Dr. Gary Johnson of the University of Missouri, who will conduct the research, and in conjunction with the AKC Canine Health Foundation and the OFA to accomplish this study.

About Chylothorax

"Chylothorax, characterized by the accumulation of chyle within the thoracic cavity, is a relatively uncommon disease that affects dogs and cats. Chyle has a characteristic milky appearance and it contains small molecules of fat. After eating, food is digested by your pet and the fatty component of the meal is further broken down into small molecules termed chylomicrons. The intestinal lymphatic system that travels to a structure called the cisterna chyli (CC), which is located in the front portion of the abdomen, near the kidneys, absorbs these small molecules. The CC is a lymphatic reservoir that receives chyle from the intestine but also receives lymphatic fluid from the rest of the abdomen and pelvic limbs. The thoracic duct (TD) is the extension of the CC into the chest, which carries chyle into the thoracic cavity and eventually empties its contents into the cranial vena cava (CrVC) close to the heart (Figure 2). In pets affected with chylothorax there is an abnormality in the TD that causes it to leak chyle into the thoracic cavity. These pets have difficulty breathing as the chyle that builds up in the chest prevents their lungs from fully inflating with air. The lymphatic fluid that is also a main component of chyle contains protein, white blood cells, and vitamins. The loss of large amounts of chyle into the thorax can weaken your pet’s immune system and create severe metabolic disorders. Chyle is also an irritant and chronic exposure to the lining of the lungs (pleura) and heart (pericardium) can lead to inflammation of those surfaces with further deleterious consequences."
American College of Veterinary Surgeons on Chylothorax

Chylothorax Operative Techniques

Fund Raising

The AKC will match donations to the Canine Health Foundation Donor Advised Funds in 2018!

Donate to the AHCA Donor Advised Fund at the Canine Health Foundation:

Canine Health Foundation - Donor Advised Fund
For "Choose a Type" select "Donor Advised Funds"
For "Choose a Program" select "Afghan Hound - DAF"

The AHCA is planning on a GoFundMe page for the AHCA Chylothorax Research. Stay tuned.

We will need to fund raise to help pay for this research. As a Club, we should start fund raising now and keep it at the forefront of awareness as it is essential for the study. We need to do this – we CAN do this!!

Research Participation

To begin with, we need to collect and submit blood samples from 5 Chylothorax affected Afghan Hounds. To participate in the research, we are asking the owners of these dogs to submit blood samples to the U of MO. You would need to get the forms in Step 1 and Step 2.

1/5 Chylothorax Samples Submitted

Step #1

Download, fill out and print the CHIC / OFA forms to get the bar code blood sample labels. The $20 fee is waived if your dog has Chylothorax.

Chylothorax Research - Step 1

Step #2

Download the health history form and complete it.

Return to your veterinarian and ship the chilled blood sample with bar code label you received from the OFA attached and the health history form to Dr. Gary Johnson at the University of Missouri.

Chylothorax Research - Step 2

Please participate by sending a blood sample to the Researcher.

AHCA Chylothorax Photo Gallery

If your beloved Afghan Hound has been diagnosed with this disease share photos of your dog and a 3 -4 paragraph write up on your 4-legged friend. If your dog has passed, this can be a tribute to your beloved friend. You can This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More Information

About Chylothorax at the ACVS
Article: Idiopathic Chylothorax: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Thoracic Duct Imaging
Article: Idiopathic Chylothorax: Nonsurgical and Surgical Management
Afghan Hounds & Others with Chylothorax is a public group on Facebook where many owners have shared their journey from surgery to medication and helped each other through some rough times.

Purina Parent Club Partnership Program (PPCPP) -- Summer, 2017

The Afghan Hound Club of America has received a check from Purina for our club's participation in the PPCPP. The amount, $488.52 is up slightly from the amount we received in 2016. Under Purina's guidelines, this money is to be used in funding education, health research and/or rescue efforts. In addition, a matching amount will be sent by Purina to the Canine Health Foundation to be used in our Donor Advised Fund (a savings account in the name of the AHCA).

	PPCPP participation year
	2016	2015	2014
Number of Parent Clubs participating	194	191	193
Total Dollars earned w/ weight circles	$438,000*	$458,000	$440,000
Afghan Hound fanciers signed up for PPCPP	427	421	412
Afghan Hound fanciers submitting weight circles	52	50	32
Amount received by AHCA from Purina (in 2013 AHCA earned $604.73)	$488.52	$469.20	$558.54
Amount received by Canine Health Foundation for the AHCA Donor Advised Fund	$488.52	$469.20	$558.54
*Our letter from Purina states "...in excess of $438,000..."

Remember, one does not need to be a member of AHCA to participate in this program, which benefits both the individual and the Afghan Hound Club of America.

Also, if Afghan Hound fanciers are not interested in submitting their weight circles to Purina, they can send them to me and I'll submit them on behalf of the AHCA.

As always, thanks very much to all who have participated in this program!

Helen Stein
PPCPP Liaison

AKC CHF Bloat Initiative

Dear Eileen:

Bloat is a common cause of death, striking down otherwise healthy dogs in their prime.
It’s horribly painful, comes on suddenly and progresses rapidly – sometimes causing death in just a few hours.

And worst of all, it’s a mystery. No one is even certain what causes bloat!

Donate now to help us learn more…and help dogs live longer, healthier lives.

As you might already know, bloat is the common name for GDV. That’s gastric dilatation, in which the dog’s stomach suddenly expands, filled with trapped air…and volvulus, in which the stomach bloats so much that it rotates or twists on itself, cutting off the blood supply to vital organs.

It’s completely devastating to dogs and to dog lovers. And that’s why the AKC Canine Health Foundation has launched our Bloat Initiative, to stalk this terrifying killer.

We recently released a webinar to fill in dog clubs and interested owners on what’s currently known about bloat. We’re also providing veterinarians with continuing education about surgery that can prevent volvulus.

But more research is needed – NOW – to save the lives of our dogs.
There is so much we don’t know about this killer! So we’ve gathered proposals from a lot of researchers with great ideas, and have pledged our grant support.

But if we are going to make any real progress against bloat – and continue funding our other research and education efforts at the same time – we need your help.

Please join us by making a generous gift of $25 or more in support of our medical research. Help us stalk this terrifying killer, and other conditions that threaten the lives of dogs.

Thanks!
Terry T. Warren, PhD, JD
CEO and General Counsel

P.S. Remember, bloat can kill otherwise healthy dogs very quickly. See a veterinarian immediately if you notice symptoms like these. And please, donate nowso that we can learn more about preventing, treating and curing bloat and other killers.

Purina® Parent Club Partnership Program

The Afghan Hound Club of America is proud to take part in the Purina's PPCP Program. For more information, please contact Helen Stein, AHCA PPCP Chairperson.

From the Purina page:

Since 2002, thousands of fellow dog breeders and enthusiasts have declared their participation in the Purina Parent Club Partnership (PPCP) Program. This program allows national parent breed clubs to individually earn funding based on Purina weight circle submissions by Pro Club® members.

How it Works
Pro Club members submit weight circles from bags of participating Purina® Brand Dog Foods and accumulate weight circle points as part of the Pro Club Weight Circle Program. (Refer to Purina Pro Club Weight Circle Program for the program details). Purina tracks these weight circle submissions, and for every $100 of qualifying weight circle points earned by Pro Club members, Purina donates $10 to the participating national parent breed club. It is as simple as that.

Points are accumulated throughout a calendar year, and a check representing 10 percent of the value of the submitted weight circles for the year is evenly split between the participating national parent breed club and the AKC Canine Health Foundation. Since all funding is incremental to the weight circle program, your participation in the PPCP will not result in a reduction of the points you personally earn.

Funding Distribution
One half of each club's individual annual earnings is issued directly to the Canine Health Foundation to support research grants aimed at a better understanding of genetics and other conditions impacting our dogs' health. The other half is issued to the individual national parent breed club for use in the support of canine health research, education and/or rescue efforts. The PPCP Program has raised in excess of $3.5 million for canine health research, education and rescue efforts since 2002.

In addition to helping fund canine health research projects, the funding returned to the individual clubs has been used to help support educational outreach programs such as scholarships, library support, youth programs and conservation education programs. It has also been used to support judges' education seminars, to produce breed specific educational materials and to produce responsible dog ownership materials.

Rescue programs have benefited with funds being used for the direct care of dogs in need, the development of fund raising tools and the support of adoption events.

How to Participate in the PPCP Program
You must be a Purina® Pro Club® Member to participate. Pro Club® members must individually declare their participation in the program and identify the national parent breed club that will receive their Purina Points. Members may declare for their national parent breed club by calling the Purina® Pro Club® toll-free number at 1-877-PRO-CLUB (1-877-776-2582) from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday, or by registering on the Pro Club site. Pro Club members can only earn funds for their national parent breed club if the national parent breed club is enrolled in the PPCP Program.

Health Testing & Canine Health Information Center (CHIC)

The Afghan Hound Club of America entered the CHIC program in 2007. CHIC is sponsored by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF).

CHIC is a centralized canine health database collecting health test results from multiple sources and making those results available online. The AHCA has required tests for hip dysplasia, eye anomalies through CERF, and thyroid testing. CHIC numbers do not imply normal results and do not certify animals for breeding purposes. CHIC is about encouraging health screening, sharing health results and increasing health awareness in order to help breeders make better informed breeding decisions and to improve the health of this already healthy breed. I am proud to have been instrumental in a small way, in having the AHCA participate in this program.

OFA sends quarterly reports on participants, as well as a year-end summary.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact: Anna Tyler, AHCA Health Chair

CHIC Reports are in PDF file format and you must have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer in order to download and read the CHIC Reports. Click on the Acrobat Reader button below to download your free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

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