Background

In 1995, the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) approved Dr. Shelly Vaden's proposal for a grant entitled "The Mode of Inheritance of PLE/PLN in SCWTs." It was a matching grant for which SCWTCA would be responsible for $25,000 over a three-year period. The campaign to raise this money was announced at Montgomery. In a year-and-a-half, we raised $45,000 for our Donor Advised Fund at AKC/CHF.

That grant provided for the support of a Colony of dogs at North Carolina State University (NCSU). A club member donated a bitch who was bred to an affected dog (Colony 1). This was the start of Dr. Vaden's research. Later, an affected dog was bred to a Beagle (chosen because there had been no documented cases of kidney disease in that breed) and produced the Wheagles in the fall of 1996. There were two Wheaten brother/sister breedings in 1997 and 2000 to produce Colonies 2 and 3.

In 1998, Dr. Vaden received a second grant to continue her studies. This was also a matching grant that SCWTCA funded at the 50% level. Her third grant ($37,500 a year) was funded by the SCWTCA Endowment Fund and peer-reviewed and administered by the AKC/CHF; it ended in April 2004.

In Dr. Vaden's words here is a brief description of her plans.

"We will continue to evaluate the general health status of the dogs through evaluation of biochemical panels, complete blood counts, urinalyses, urine protein/creatinine ratios, Fecal API concentrations, and fecal flotations every 3 months. They will have abdominal ultrasound performed once yearly. This will also allow for us to detect late onset of PLE/PLN in any of these dogs. It is imperative that we know the status of these dogs if we are to further elucidate the mode of inheritance. Once the dogs become very ill (terminally) from this disease or other geriatric diseases, they will have post-mortem examinations performed. The cost associated with the maintenance of the colony dogs will average $2,000 a year over the rest of their lives."

The Endowment Board developed a pledge program called "Adopt a SCWT Colony Dog." It is structured similar to the Christian Children's Fund where an individual adopts a child in an orphanage and pledges to pay a set fee each month to feed and clothe the child. Here an adoptive "parent" will support the maintenance and testing of the adopted dogs.

The Development Department at NCSU developed a pledge form and set up the mechanism for a special "Vaden Research Fund" as part of the NC Veterinary Medical Foundation, Inc., 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606. All contributions are tax deductible.

Individuals are encouraged to make a donation. No amount is too small to show support for the colony.

Carol Carlson, September 23, 2006

Visit the Colony Dogs at http://www.colonydogs.org

Updated 09/29/06.