The purpose of these notes is to assist breeders and owners of Bull Terriers by providing an update on practical and readily available test for five problems that affect the breed. This does not mean there aren't other health issues of equal concern, simply that these five are ones we have a means to address right now.

Hearing Problems Hereditary Conditions:

Unilateral and Bilateral deafness Mode of Inheritance:

Undetermined, but suspected polygenic recessive with incomplete penetrance. Unilaterally and bilaterally deaf dogs are considered to be equivalent genetically. There is a higher incidence of deafness in the offspring of affected animals.

Test:

BAER -- Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response

Results & Interpretation: The BAER test detects electrical activity in the auditory pathway in response to specific stimuli applied to one ear at a time. Both ears are tested separately. Diagnosis of normal bilateral hearing, unilateral (right or left) deafness can be made based on the data.

Screening Age & Frequency:

BAER testing may be done on puppies as early as 6 weeks of age. Only one test should be needed for verification of hearing status. Owner Concerns:

Test are not painful to the dog.  Tranquilization or general anesthesia is necessary to be sure that the dog is perfectly still during the test.  Deafness from injury, infection or old age give different results from hereditary deafness.

Kidney Problems Hereditary Conditions:

Hereditary Nephritis Renal Dysplasia and Polycystic Kidney Disease

Mode of Inheritance: AUSTRALIAN research on hereditary nephritis suspects(initiated by the BULL TERRIER CLUB OF QUEENSLAND Inc. 97) it is caused by an autosomal dominant gene. There is a high incidence in the offspring of affected animals. There is a variability in the age of onset and progression of the disease.. It is invariably fatal.

Test: UP/C Ratio -- Urine Protein:

Urine Creatinine Ratio This test evaluates the level of protein in the urine, a sensitive indicator of kidney disease. Most laboratories run this test, though not all veterinarians are familiar with it. The test should be carried out on a "mid-stream free catch" sample of urine and should be run concurrently with a standard urinalysis. Urine Protien Creatinine ratio should be tested yearly until the dog is 5 years of age before hereditary nephritis can be rule out.

Test Results & Interpretation:

Most authorities accept a ratio of less than 1.0, in Australia a ratio of 0.3 normal. Elevated values should be evaluated more specifically. Non-kidney sources of elevated protein must be ruled out and persistent proteinuria established by retesting in one to three months. An animal with kidney-source persistent proteinuria may require a biopsy(Nephritis)or Ultra sound(PKD) for a definitive diagnosis. These animals should not be bred from, but can be treated to maintain their kidney function -- for a time,especialy Nephritis.

Bull Terriers with PKD can be diagnosed using ultrasound as early as six weeks old! Bull Terriers with PKD commonly also have heart defects and loose bowel movement-Squirters.

Recommended Screening Age & Frequency:

Dogs and bitches used for breeding should be checked every six months, or at least yearly. The interval between evidence of proteinuria and full blown renal failure is unknown Owner Concerns:

The UP/c test is only a screening or test on a "free-catch" urine sample to find indication of kidney malfunction. There are a number of problems causing elevated protein in urine. Other more specific tests, some requiring hospitalization, are needed to pinpoint precise diagnosis in some instances. Dogs sicken and die of kidney disease because they cannot clear poisons or retain vital body substances properly. As the disease gets worse, treatment becomes progressively more costly and more unpleasant for both dog and owner.

Patella Problems Hereditary Condition:

Patella Luxation Mode of Inheritance:

Undetermined, suspected polygenic, possibly recessive .

Test:

Palpation of patellas by a veterinarian. Test Results & Interpretation:

Grade 1 - intermittent, limb carried occasionally, patella easily luxates at full extension of the stifle joint, but returns to position when released.

Grade 2 - frequent luxation, which in some cases, becomes more or less permanent. The limb is sometimes carried. Weight bearing routinely occurs with stifle remaining slightly flexed.

Grade 3 - permanent luxation with torsion of the tibia and deviation of the tibial crest. Animal may use the limb with stifle semi-flexed.

Grade 4 - permanent luxation (resulting from trauma). The limb is carried or the animal moves in a crouched position with the limb partly flexed.

Recommended Screening Age & Frequency:

Certify at 12 months, but Specialist Vets will recommended that the dogs be periodically re-examined as some luxations will not occur until later in life. Yearly testing of patellas is recommended; they can be checked during a regular office visit, which renders yearly evaluation practical as well as highly desirable. Animals should be tested before breeding. Owner Concerns: Feeling the stifle for the location and looseness of the "knee-cap" is a skill. A veterinarian regularly conducting such examinations can usually be very specific about the absence, presence and degree of dislocating knee-cap. The test may cause some discomfort to puppies, as the hind legs must be held tightly in specific positions for evaluation. Grades 2 - 4 can involve discomfort and disability for he dog. Grades 2 - 4 can be treated surgically.

Heart Diseases Hereditary Conditions:

Aortic Stenosis Mitral Stenosis Ventricular Septal Defects Dilated Cardiomyopathy (suspected) Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (suspected) Mode of Inheritance:

Complex; assumed to be polygenic.

Tests:

Ascultation by a veterinarian with expertise in cardiology or board certified cardiologist. Echocardiogram including Doppler studies.

Interpretation of Test Results:

A phenotypically normal dog is: one without a cardiac murmur, or one with an innocent cardiac murmur that is found to be otherwise normal by virtue of an echocardiograph, including Doppler studies.

Recommended Screening Age & Frequency:

Minimum age of one year for certification and  that testing be done on a "mature" animal. Breeding animals should be checked before breeding and yearly thereafter. Some hereditary murmurs will be detected at a later age but generally by full maturity. Owner Concerns: Heart problems may give very little external warning of their presence until very late in their course, so testing of all breeding stock is a kindness well worth the cost and trouble. Sedation may be required for the rambunctious, as a quiet resting patient is necessary for good reliable readings. Some atypical heart sounds can occur in healthy hearts. Specific diagnosis can require extensive testing and consultation.

This information is kindly supplied by the Queensland Bull Terrier Club Inc