Do you own a Healthy English Springer Spaniel
aged 7 years or older ? 

• WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO HELP TWO IMPORTANT RESEARCH PROJECTS BUT HAVE NOT YET DONE SO?
  
• IT WILL COST YOU NOTHING BUT THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET YOUR DOG TO YOUR VET
  
• DISEASE CAN STRIKE ANY ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL, BE IT SHOW, WORKING OR PET - DON'T BE TOLD OTHERWISE!

YOUR HELP IS PARTICULARLY NEEDED NOW IN ORDER TO ASSIST THE CHRONIC HEPATITIS RESEARCHERS TO COMPLETE THE INITIAL PART OF THEIR STUDY OF THIS DREADFUL DISEASE.

So if you would like to make a difference FOR FREE, to benefit the Breed as a whole, please read on:

1.  CHRONIC HEPATITIS RESEARCH PROJECT - Queen's Veterinary School Hospital 
     University of Cambridge

A research project to investigate the cause of Chronic Hepatitis in English Springers has been underway since April 2008, and is progressing well.   Researchers Nick Bexfield and Penny Watson have now started investigating the genetic aspects of the disease to try to discover whether it has any inherited basis or tendency.  To progress with this aspect of their work, they are appealing for pedigrees and blood samples from unaffected English Springers that are clinically normal.  

To be classed as 'normal', an ESS needs to be 7 years or older in age and never to have suffered from hepatitis.  

2.  MAMMARY TUMOUR RESEARCH PROJECT - Animal Health Trust, Newmarket

An investigation into possible genetic causes of Mammary Tumours in English Springers is currently being carried out by the Oncology Research Group at The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. 

Researchers Mike Starkey and Lisa Jeffery are appealing for samples and pedigrees from healthy English Springer bitches, aged 7 or older, that have never been affected with mammary tumours or any other type of cancer.

IF YOU OWN A HEALTHY ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL THAT FITS EITHER OF THE ABOVE CATEGORIES, AND YOU WOULD CONSIDER PROVIDING COPIES OF ITS FIVE-GENERATION PEDIGREE AND ALSO ALLOWING SOME BLOOD TO BE TAKEN FROM IT BY YOUR VET FOR GENETIC ANALYSIS, WE WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR HELP.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO ...

IF YOU OWN A HEALTHY MALE ENGLISH SPRINGER, AGED 7 YEARS OR OLDER, THAT HAS NEVER SUFFERED FROM HEPATITIS - HIS SAMPLE CAN BE USED TO HELP THE HEPATITIS PROJECT:

• Download and print the Cause of Hepatitis in the English Springer Spaniel Consent Form. Complete the form and sign it.
  
  
• Provide ONE copy of your dog's Five-Generation Pedigree.
  
  
• Take the completed Consent Form and Pedigree with you and give them to your Vet.
  
  
• Ask your Vet to take a sample from your dog as instructed on the Consent Form (5mls EDTA blood, 2mls serum) Please ask him/her to separate whole blood before sending.
  
  
• Ask your Vet to send the sample, together with your dog's pedigree and the completed Hepatitis Project Consent Form, to Nick Bexfield at Queen's Veterinary School Hospital, Cambridge (full address details are given on the Consent Form).
  
  
• In order for your Vet to be allowed to take a blood sample from your dog, the Hepatitis researchers will perform a "liver screen" on it, FREE OF CHARGE They will send the results to your Vet, usually within 2 to 3 days.
  
  
• Normally Vets are very co-operative in supporting scientific research projects. However, if your Vet wishes to make a charge for taking the sample, please ask him/her to contact Nick Bexfield direct (details on the Consent Form), and arrangements will be made for them to be re-imbursed.

IF YOU OWN A HEALTHY FEMALE ENGLISH SPRINGER, AGED 7 YEARS OR OLDER,THAT HAS NEVER SUFFERED FROM HEPATITIS AND HAS NEVER BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A MAMMARY TUMOUR OR ANY OTHER CANCER - HER SAMPLE CAN BE USED TO HELP BOTH THE HEPATITIS AND MAMMARY TUMOUR PROJECTS:

• Download and print BOTH the Cause of Hepatitis in the English Springer Spaniel Consent Form  and Mammary Tumour AHT Project Consent Form.
  
  
• Complete both forms and sign them.
  
  
• Provide TWO copies of your bitch's Five-Generation Pedigree.
  
  
• Take BOTH completed Consent Forms and BOTH Pedigree copies with you and give them to your Vet.
  
  
• Ask your Vet to take a sample from your dog as instructed on the Hepatitis Project Consent Form (5mls EDTA blood, 2mls serum). Please ask him/her to separate whole blood before sending.
  
  
• Ask your Vet to send the sample, together with BOTH completed Consent Forms and BOTH COPIES of your dog's pedigree, to Nick Bexfield at Queen's Veterinary School Hospital, Cambridge (full address details are given on the Hepatitis Consent Form).
  
  
• Nick will then forward half of the EDTA sample to the AHT Mammary Project researchers, together with their Consent Form and a copy of your bitch's pedigree.
  
  
• In order for your Vet to be allowed to take a blood sample from your dog, the Hepatitis researchers will perform a "liver screen" on it, FREE OF CHARGE. They will send the results to your Vet, usually within 2 to 3 days.
  
  
• Normally Vets are very co-operative in supporting canine research projects. However, if your Vet wishes to make a charge for taking the sample, please ask him/her to contact Nick Bexfield direct (details on the Consent Form), and arrangements will be made for them to be re-imbursed.

** As in the UK a Vet is not permitted to take blood samples from a dog without a specific clinical reason for doing so, the researchers are offering to perform a liver screen on ESS in order for your Vet to get round this anomaly.