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Thank you for visiting the home of the Border Collie Health Foundation, Inc. We hope you will continue to visit us as we work to get our organization established and able to contribute toward the research about this fabulous breed.
Your concern for the health of this active, agile, mesmerizing breed is shared by our Board of Directors. The members of the board are working hard to ready the Foundation to accept your generous donations!
Health Related Articles and Links
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center recently released a list of the Top 10 Hazards Encountered by Pets in 2006.
- Human medicines
- Veterinary medicines - (Too many heartworm pills?)
- Insecticides - (Dogs will eat flea collars)
- Rodent Poisons
- Household cleaners
- Chocolate
- Chemicals - (examples include alcohols, WD-40, sewing machine oils, etc)
- Household items - (scotch tape, carpet tacks, bottle caps, dental floss, thread, scraps of cloth, etc)
- Home Repair items - (paint, solvents, glues, caulk)
Potpourri has also been added. It usually contains perfumes and several varieties of seeds, leaves and chips of wood. Sometimes fire-retardants or chemical preservatives are added. Some brands contain a variety of strychnine! Keep them out of your pet's reach. Please feel free to read our Poison Identification Handout!
Attention Border Collie Owners!
Do you have a middle-aged Border Collie who was a dynamite worker as a young dog, but who now seems to "blow you off" when training or competing? If so, the problem may not be curable with more training. Have you considered that your dog may have developed a hearing loss?
Dr. Mark Neff at the University of California-Davis is currently studying non-congenital deafness in Border Collies. Non-congenital means that the deafness was not present at birth; rather, the deafness has a late onset, usually when the dog is between the ages of 4-6 years. Typically, dogs with this condition do not lose all of their hearing; instead, they seem to have an impaired hearing ability - much like a geriatric dog who is hard of hearing.
Dr. Neff's research has proven that the above-described hearing deficit is, in fact, inherited; but more information is needed to be able to develop a DNA test. Therefore, if you own such a dog, - or if you know someone who does, - please participate by sending in a cheek-swab sample from your affected dog. Do it Now!
Participation is free, including postage.
To request a collection kit, go to http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/cghg/kitreq.php
For further information, go to Dr. Neff's web page at:
http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/cghg/index.php
On behalf of the dogs, Thank You.
The above announcement is for your information only and does not represent an endorsement by the BCHF
Our Vice-President will shortly be quoted in a newsletter that is published by Dr. Phil Zeltzman. This is a very informative newsletter, you may find it interesting. You can find it here. Dr. Zeltzman's Newsletter
The Border Collie Health Foundation is currently pursuing 501(c)3 nonprofit status.
The organization has three objectives:
- To further the understanding of diseases, genetic anomalies, and injuries which affect Border Collies
- To support and promote scientific research which benefits Border Collies
- To disseminate information about the health of Border Collies
In addition to the above-named goals, the foundation has one unwritten but critical objective:
- To garner support from ALL Border Collie lovers. After all, healthy dogs are everyone's first priority!
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