Short Communication

Problems in cooperation with breeders and dog owners on the example of entropion frequency estimation in Polish Hounds

Marta Książek, Joanna Gruszczyńska, Beata Grzegrzółka

Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 13(4), 2014, 81‒92

Abstract. Entropion is a rolling of the eyelid inward toward the eye. It is fairly common condition in a wide variety of dog breeds and its mode of inheritance is not well understood. Entropion has been also documented in the population of Polish Hounds. The current size of the population is estimated at 1000 dogs. The Polish Hound is a breed with low genetic variation and high imbalance of founder contributions to the gene pool of the present population. The first study on entropion in Polish Hounds performed in Poland in 2002 showed that only 29 out of 100 dogs examined were healthy. Further studies revealed that 17 out of 74 dogs had entropion. The aim of this research was to analyze the incidence of entropion in the population of Polish Hounds. In total, 158 letters were sent out to the breeders and owners of Polish Hounds to solicit medical information about the condition of dogs’ eyelids. Overall, we only obtained information on 19 dogs from 18 persons. The conclusion is that Polish Hound breeders and owners, and even the management of the Polish Hound Club are not interested in giving information about the cases of entropion and probably for economic reasons, elimination of affected animals from breeding. Lack of interest of breeders and dog owners in cooperation in this area makes the studies on tracing this defect inheritance in Polish Hounds impossible.

Keywords: Canis lupus familiaris, dog, entropion, Polish Hound