The demise of the Animal Health Trust along with various Covid-19 restrictions has caused a serious pause in the testing of Border Terriers for SLEM.
We are pleased to confirm that Dr Cathryn Mellersh is hoping that the Genetics Centre Team will be able to restart testing in the Autumn and that she hopes by then to be based at Cambridge University.
In the meantime the Border Terrier Breed Health Group recommends that anyone breeding Border Terriers should take care that if they have a bitch that is not known to be clear either hereditarily or by testing, they should only use a stud dog that is confirmed as ‘clear’. In such circumstances the progeny should be registered at the Kennel Club with an endorsement ‘Progeny not Eligible for Registration’. This endorsement will be able to be removed when either the mother or the puppy itself tests clear.
Failure to use a ‘clear’ stud dog in these circumstances risks the litter being affected by SLEM.
We will announce as soon as we become aware that testing in the UK has restarted.