Health Research Studies
The Goal of the Health Research Committee
To identify the types and prevalence of health problems affecting the Irish Wolfhound, and to initiate, support and provide funding for study and research projects which address them.
To produce, publish, and distribute to IW owners and veterinary health care providers educational materials relating to diseases, genetic anomalies, and injuries which occur in the Irish Wolfhound.
To further the understanding of Irish Wolfhound health issues, thereby improving the quality of life for Irish Wolfhounds and their owners.
Active Studies Taking Enrollments
Attention researchers: please read our information on available funding for new grants.
The Irish Wolfhound Foundation is building a bank of Irish Wolfhound DNA for current and future research purposes.
The IWF is conducting a study to follow a group of Irish Wolfhounds throughout their lifetimes.
This research project is aimed at developing breed-specific reference ranges for blood parameters, including complete blood count (CBC), blood chemistry and thyroid hormone concentrations in Irish Wolfhounds. The Irish Wolfhound Foundation in conjunction with the Irish Wolfhound Association of the Delaware Valley and the Irish Wolfhound Club of America is assisting with recruitment and logistics for this study.
This long-running study investigating seizures in Irish Wolfhounds is multifaceted, addressing categorization of seizures in IWs, problems involved in maintaining hounds who experience seizures, collecting and processing pedigree information, and collecting blood samples from affected hounds and their close relatives to try and identify genetic markers for this condition.
Wolfhound rhinitis is a disease that mainly affects the respiratory tract, i.e. the nasal passages and the lungs. To eliminate PCD from the breeding population, a DNA-based test would be extremely valuable. This study is to find the gene for PCD and subsequently develop a DNA-based test for the disease.
Pneumonia in Irish Wolfhounds can be extremely serious or even fatal. It can recur repeatedly, becoming a chronic condition. This study is looking at one possible reason why some Irish Wolfhounds suffer so severely from this disease.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is a known genetic disease that causes blindness in dogs. The IWF and the University of Pennsylvania are collecting blood samples in the hopes of eventually identifying the gene(s) responsible for PRA in Irish Wolfhounds.
In Boxers and Dobermans, VPCs (ventricular premature contractions) can signal a condition which frequently leads to sudden death. In wolfhounds, VPCs appear to be more benign. This study will give us a much better idea of whether or not VPCs are truly benign in wolfhounds
The Irish Wolfhound Foundation and the University of Pennsylvania are collecting blood samples in hopes of finding a genetic component to lymphoma in Irish Wolfhounds.
Studies Awaiting Results
A study to determine if unusual post-operative bleeding in Irish Wolfhounds is caused by hyperfibrinolysis.
Enrollment for the COED ( Canine Osteosarcoma Early Detection) Pilot Study is now open. It has been shown that a blood test can detect whether microscopic osteosarcoma remains in dogs after treatment. It is possible that the same test could detect an emerging bone tumor before any clinical signs of the cancer are present. Detecting the tumor in the its earliest stages could delay or possibly prevent tumor formation.
This is a followup to a previous study and survey of delayed post-operative bleeding in Irish Wolfhounds. A new test for DEPOHGEN (delayed postoperative hemorrhage gene) has become available which may correlate to such bleeding. However, the clinical significance of having 1 or 2 copies of the gene in Irish Wolfhounds is unknown at this time. This study will compare DEPOHGEN test results with other physical tests of clot formation and/or breakdown to try and ascertain if there is a correlation.
Enrollment for the COED ( Canine Osteosarcoma Early Detection) Study is now closed.
It has been shown that a blood test can detect whether microscopic osteosarcoma remains in dogs after treatment. It is possible that the same test could detect an emerging bone tumor before any clinical signs of the cancer are present. Detecting the tumor in the its earliest stages could delay or possibly prevent tumor formation.
Completed Studies
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin studied Irish Wolfhound pedigrees in the hopes of identifying the heritability of osteosarcoma in the breed.
The IWF and IWCA are supporting an effort to map the IW genome at the University of Wisconsin.
In light of the FDA report on a possible connection between grain-free diets and DCM, the IWF facilitated a survey of diet and cardiac issues in Irish Wolfhounds.
The purpose of this study is to validate the EKG (easily available and inexpensive) as a screening test for Irish Wolfhound heart disease by comparing the results of EKGs and echocardiograms.
A study of the incidence of Atrial Fibrillation in Irish Wolfhounds, comparing EKG data from 2000-2007 with that from 2007-2014.
This study aims to determine whether blood tests for cardiac biomarkers can be used to identify Wolfhounds at risk for DCM so early treatment can be started.
The Irish Wolfhound Foundation conducted a study following over 1,000 Irish Wolfhounds throughout their lifetimes to obtain better information on cardiac disease in the breed. The annual health questionnaires are also providing valuable information on other health issues in the breed.
A new genetic disorder known as startle disease has recently been identified in Irish Wolfhounds from the USA.
This study is to measure normal hormone levels in Irish Wolfhounds and in those with atrial fibrillation with normal and abnormal echocardiograms to see if there are breed-specific differences in hormone levels associated with heart disease.
This study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of digoxin as a treatment for Irish Wolfhounds with atrial fibrillation.
This is a study sponsored by the Canine Health Foundation and supported by the IWF to evaluate treatments which may delay the onset of metastatic disease in dogs with osteosarcoma who have undergone amputation and chemotherapy.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of Fosamax (alendronate) as a palliative therapy for osteosarcoma in Irish Wolfhounds.