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Hallo Gudrun und Tanja,
In dieser Studie wurden nach Aussage des Telegraph 200 000 Hunde erfaßt,die eine Tierarztkostenversicherung haben.Man könnte daher davon ausgehen,daß es sich um verantwortungsvolle Halter handelt.
Ich wünschte dennoch,ich hätte sie nicht erwähnt,denn ich möchte nicht in Verdacht geraten,Polemik gegen Rassehunde zu bereiten,da ich zufällig der Halter zweier Mischlinge bin.Laut dieser Studie sind es besonders überzüchtete Rassen,die die Statistik für die Rassehunde verschlechtern.Trotzdem sollen die Mischlinge gegenüber allen Rassen (mit einer Ausnahme:Drever,eine schwedische Jagdhunderasse)am besten abschneiden.
Ich habe diesen Artikel jetzt online gefunden,und bin gerne bereit ihn im Forum zu veröffentlichen.Wenn es nicht stört,daß er in englischer Sprache verfaßt ist.Und wenn die Rassehundehalter unter Euch bitte in diesem Sinne argumentieren:"Was fällt dieser Versicherungsgesellschaft ein?",und nicht:"Was fällt diesem Christof ein?"
Ich sagte bereits heute ,daß es mir egal ist,was mir zuläuft,Rassehund oder Mischling.
Auch schneiden laut dieser Studie die Lieblingsrassen zweier Forumsteilnehmer,die ich sehr schätze,sehr schlecht ab.Aber bitte denkt daran,diese Studie stammt nicht von mir,und vielleicht hat Thomas recht,wenn er sagt,daß man keiner Statistik glauben solle,die man nicht selbst gefälscht habe.
Viele Grüße
Christof
Health problems make pedigree dogs three times as costly as mongrels
By Adam Lusher and John Vincent
CHOOSING a pedigree dog can seriously affect your bank balance. A new survey
has shown how some famous breeds are so prone to health problems that their
owners are almost three times more likely than mongrel owners to face high
vets'' bills.
The study in this week''s Veterinary Record, the journal of the British
Veterinary Association, revealed that many pedigree breeds were prone to a
range of health problems ranging from arthritis to heart murmurs. With vets''
bills rising at four times the rate of inflation, the survey seems certain
to add to the popularity of buying from the local dogs'' home rather than
specialist breeders.
Beverley Cuddy, the editor of Dogs Today magazine, said: "When you are
buying some pedigree dogs you are probably buying a season ticket to the
vet. Rescue centres are bulging at the seams with mongrels - perhaps we
should get a few of those and save a small fortune at the vet''s."
Jim Colley, the treasurer of the Crossbreed and Mongrel Club, said: "This
proves the mongrel might have a humble image but it''s got a lot going for
it. It will give you just as much love and affection as your pedigree, and
leave you dealing with fewer health problems."
Researchers studied the records of more than 200,000 dogs insured by a
Swedish company and examined how often claims were made for veterinary
treatment costing more than £60. They then compiled a table of how likely a
dog of a particular breed was to have at least one illness during a 12-month
period.
They concluded: "The low risk of morbidity for mongrels agrees with findings
that mongrel dogs are less prone to many diseases than the average purebred
dog." At the top of the health risk league with a 26 per cent chance of
falling ill in any given year was the boxer, a pedigree created entirely
from selective breeding.
At the bottom of the chart was the mongrel, almost three times as healthy,
with only a 9.9 per cent risk of needing medical treatment. Among the 10
most common breeds surveyed, only the drever, a Swedish hunting dog, had a
lower risk rating at 8.9 per cent.
The English cocker spaniel was the most disease-prone in the list of the 10
most common breeds, being susceptible to bacterial ear infections. It had an
18 per cent chance of needing veterinary care, closely followed by the
Cavalier King Charles spaniel (16.8 per cent), which often suffers heart
valve lesions.
The German shepherd (15.5 per cent) can develop arthritis and as a result
need a hip replacement, costing up tp £2,500. The royal dog of choice, the
corgi, was a middle-ranking risk but is prone to cervical dislocation, or
slipped disc, which requires expensive treatment.
They are also noted for their bad tempers and tendency to be snappy, as many
footmen have discovered to their cost. Behavioural therapy is available from
animal psychologists, at a price. In an overall health survey, the
researchers found that the boxer featured prominently among the dogs most
likely to suffer genital, joint and eye difficulties.
Some estimates suggest veterinary treatment now costs pet owners in the
United Kingdom £2.5 billion a year. In some areas such as London, a simple
vaccination and health check for a pet could cost as much as £50. The
findings seem likely to fuel controversy over claims that decades of
selectively breeding dogs for their appearance has badly damaged their
health.
Dr Freda Scott-Park, of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association,
said: "We do know that there are an awful lot of inherited diseases related
to genetics.These might be through breeding for shows. The Kennel Club and
the pedigree associations are now working very hard to breed out the
problems. But how many mongrels have problems? How many mongrels go to
shows?"
Some vets reject the idea that mongrels are healthier or live longer than
pedigree breeds. A spokesman for the Kennel Club said: "There have been
problems, but we are getting on top of them. We are setting up a DNA
profiling system to screen for genetically inherited illnesses. With the
pedigree system, there is much more potential to control and eradicate
problems. What controls are in place for mongrels?"
Breeders were swift to leap to the defence of their pets. Marion Seeney,
secretary of the British Boxer Club, said: "I have kept boxers for 20 years,
and I''ve never found them to be a sickly breed at all. I''ve got 11 and in
the past year, all I''ve had to do is give them booster jabs."
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