Health Research Supported by the BHCA Foundation

A Basset Hound looks at the camera. The dog has long brown ears and brown along both sides of its face divided by a white section running from the top of the forehead through the muzzle and cheeks. The body of the dog is mostly white.

In the area of health research, the Foundation is very busy. We co-funded a grant with the AKC Canine Health Foundation (AKC/CHF) to Dr. Catherine Mellersh, UK Animal Health Trust, to advance her work on Primary Closed Angle Glaucoma (PCAG). This research team has interest in BOTH closed and open angle glaucoma and has developed a genetic test for Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG). The samples collected at the 2019 Nationals will further advance this research. We are also continuing our support for the AKC/CHF major program areas of lymphoma research and bloat research.

In addition, the Foundation fully funded the collection of saliva samples at the 2019 Nationals for a new project at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine to study what could be an emerging health issue, Mucopolysaccharoidosis Type 1. This devastating genetic disease has been confirmed in Bassets and this study will be the first to examine its prevalence in our breed.

In response to a request from the BHCA Health Committee in 2022 and 2023, BHCAF contributed over $29,000.00 to subsidize basset hound health testing. This included testing offered at a discounted rate through Pawprints Genetics for LaFora and testing through OFA for the disease, MPS-1. Through testing, responsible breeders can identify dogs that are “carriers” or are “at risk” for these newly discovered diseases and make appropriate breeding decisions. Working to eliminate these diseases in bloodlines is important for preservation breeders of basset hounds to breed the healthiest of dogs.

The Foundation has also been very proactive in funding cancer research grants, especially those related to lymphoma, which unfortunately is very common in most breeds including our own. We work closely with the AKC Canine Health Foundation in sponsoring grants for cancer and other disease research. With the combined resources of our Donor Advised Fund at AKC/CHF (which the Foundation manages) and your direct donations to the Foundation, BHCA Foundation has funded over $200,000 of health research that has generated dozens of publications that advance the science of canine health. We have also supported research for Gastric Dialation Volvulus (Bloat) and American Trypanomiasis (Chagas) through the AKC Canine Health Foundation.

Your support has been critical in all these efforts. It is our hope to be able to continue to fund new important projects in the future through your monetary donations.