WAGGA German Shepherd Dog owners now have the chance for world-renowned breeding accreditation thanks to a local Vet's dedication to the job.
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Moorong Veterinary Clinics' Rosemary McKean took the plunge to become Australia's first Vet able to share and upload important scans of German Shepherds to a breeding health database in Germany.
Now an accredited foreign radiologist for the German Giessen Dysplasia Centre, Dr McKean has the ability to analyse and upload hip and knee x-rays of the dog breed in a worldwide effort to improve breeding standards of German Shepherds.
Dr McKean said while she had a "huge soft spot for the German Shepherd Dog", there was definitely a need for the skill in Wagga.
"We have a few German Shepherd Dog breeders in Wagga who need hip and elbow radiographs for assessment of genetically inherited hip and elbow dysplasia," she said.
"It was actually one of my clients, Pantathean GSDs, who encouraged me to get the training, and I'm so glad I did."
As hip and elbow dysplasia is common in the GSD breed, having knowledge of the dog's joint health can significantly improve the health of puppies bred, according to Dr McKean.
"Dogs with this problem get arthritic, they are in pain and can have a shortened life span, so with this database helping us identify and choose animals with better hips and knees, we can breed better, healthier dogs for people," she said.
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The course Dr McKean undertook would also seek to improve her knowledge of an animal's skeletal health across the board, according to the Wagga Vet.
"I learned a lot, they went through in very fine detail what to look for on an x-ray, what things were important to note and why, and what the whole thing actually can show you so it was a great experience," she said.
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