In 2022, the English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) Club undertook a Breed Health Survey in conjunction with The Royal Kennel Club (RKC). This was to gain a better understanding of existing health conditions within the breed’s UK population, to help identify any potential emerging conditions and to capture information regarding health testing being undertaken.
- Background
- Top Reported Health Conditions
- Health Testing
- Full Breed Health Survey Report
- Breed Heath Conservation Plan
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1. Background
The English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) is classified as one of the U.K.’s vulnerable native breeds with an average of 100 puppies registered with the kennel club each year. Previous health surveys and owner perception would suggest the ETT is a ‘healthy’ breed with very few health issues.
The latest Breed Health Survey was undertaken in 2022, running from 09/02/2022 to 25/07/2022 and includes a total of 213 individual usable responses, representing 372 dogs. The median age of the ETTs included in the survey was four years and four months (min = two months, max = 16 years and 4 months). 182 (50.6%) were male and 178 (49.4%) were female.
A summary of the findings is set out below.
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2. Top reported health conditions in English Toy Terriers
The survey investigated the number of dogs affected by specific conditions within different categories. For each category the respondents were given a choice of specific conditions, the choices of “not known” and “other” were also given. The top five categories of diagnosis for health conditions reported in the survey were ‘skin and/or coat’, ‘dental’, ‘digestive’, ‘muscle, bone or joint’, and ‘eye’ (see table 1).
Table 1: Top five categories of diagnosis for health conditions reported in the survey
| Body System | Number of Specific Conditions Reported |
|---|---|
| Dental | 151 |
| Skin and/or coat | 103 |
| Digestive | 88 |
| Muscle, bone or joint | 36 |
| Eye | 28 |
Table 2: Top specific health conditions reported in the survey
| Specific Condition | Number of Dogs Affected |
|---|---|
| Dirty teeth | 53 |
| Gingivitis/ periodontal disease/ gum disease | 36 |
| Missing teeth | 34 |
| Sensitive stomach | 24 |
| Dry skin/ dandruff | 22 |
| Patellar luxation/ slipping kneecap | 16 |
| Acute gastroenteritis | 15 |
| Demodectic mange/ demodex | 15 |
| Allergies (dietary) | 12 |
| Food allergies/intolerance | 11 |
These results are mirrored in the previous health reports detailed in the latest KC Breed Health and Conservation Plan. A study by the Canadian Manchester Terrier Club in 2018 revealed the most common dental condition was removal of teeth due to gingivitis, gum disease, or poor oral health, this was reported in 17.5% (n=40) of English Toy Terriers.
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3. Health Testing
Proportion of health tested English Toy Terriers
Owners were asked if their dog(s) had participated in any health tests. Of the dogs included in the survey, 22.9% had been eye tested, 7.7% underwent hearing testing, and 44.8% had been patellar screened. Results are shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Proportion of health tested dogs, as reported in the survey
Patella Testing
There was a total of 102 dogs that had undergone patella screening, however there were 372 dogs included in the survey and 16 dogs were recorded as having patella luxation/slipping kneecap. This equates to 4.3% (5.6% of n288 sample) which is an improvement on the 7.9% incidence found in the Canadian health survey.
Figure 2: Proportion of DNA tested dogs, as reported in the survey
JDCM & Xanthinuria
In terms of DNA testing, 27.1% (77 of 284) had been DNA tested for juvenile dilated cardiomyopathy (JDCM) and 23.3% (66 of 283) had been DNA tested for xanthinuria. Results are shown in Figure 2 above.
Table 3: Results of DNA tested dogs, as reported in the survey
| DNA test | Results | ||
| Clear | Carrier | Total | |
| JDCM | 75 (97.4%) | 2 (2.6%) | 77 |
| Xanthinuria | 64 (97.0%) | 2 (3.0%) | 66 |
The University of Minnesota currently estimate that 20% of worldwide population of Toy Manchester Terriers/English Toy Terriers are carriers of the genetic mutations that can lead to the manifestation of these diseases. Carriers do not develop the disease but can produce affected puppies if bred to another carrier.
However, this does not mean that carriers need to be taken out of the breeding pool, as that could rapidly reduce breed diversity. If carriers are only bred to clear dogs, there is no risk of producing affected puppies. The key is knowledge driven by DNA testing, increasing testing rates is the best way to control/eradicate these mutations. For more information on how to test please see Health Testing.
New Recommendation on JDCM & Xanthinuria Testing
Prior to breeding, the Kennel Club recommend patella luxation testing, however the breed club recommend the addition of juvenile dilated cardiomyopathy (JDCM) & Xanthinuria. These two DNA tests are a relatively new addition, and the Club is currently liaising with the kennel club health standards team to recognise these DNA tests and include them in the list of recommended tests to complete prior to breeding.
These study results do indeed suggest the English Toy Terrier is a breed with relatively few health issues. The dental issues need to be addressed as this something we can all take ownership of. As responsible breeders and owners, we need to remain vigilant and perform the health tests recommended. To get a better understanding of the true incidence of patella luxation we need to not only test those dogs used in our breeding programmes but encourage the testing of all dogs, and more importantly we need to be open about the results.
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4. Full Breed Health Survey Report
The full summary is available below and to download or print.
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5. Breed Health & Conservation Plan
The Breed Health & Conservation Plan set out following the survey is available below to read, download and print.