Health

Silken Windhounds are a generally healthy breed. 

However, Silkens are affected by a few known health issues in addition to those that can affect any dog of any breed.

Known Health Issues

The International Silken Windhound Society (ISWS) in partnership with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that certain health tests be performed on all Silken Windhound breeding stock. You can view this list of recommended health tests here on the OFA website. The OFA issues Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) numbers to dogs that have had their results for these tests posted publicly on the OFA site.

Some health issues that have been diagnosed in Silken Windhounds include:

  • Multi Drug Resistance (MDR1)
  • Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA)
  • Autoimmune Thyroiditis
  • Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease (MMVD)
  • Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)
  • Copper Storage Disease/Copper Toxicosis
  • Addison’s Disease 
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD)
  • Low Serum ALT Activity
  • Allergies
  • Lotus Syndrome

Commitment to Health Testing

SWHCOA hopes to promote the health of individual Silken Windhounds and the breed as a whole by working with veterinarians to provide discounted health tests for those that attend our events.

Commitment to Research

The Silken Windhound community is involved in advocating for research to better understand health issues that may affect the breed. For example, the International Silken Windhound Society (ISWS) has helped to fund, coordinate, and provide data for a variety of research projects at several veterinary schools across the United States. Similarly, individual Silken Windhound owners have also submitted their dogs’ DNA for studies with Embark and the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine.

 

In the future, SWHCOA hopes to advocate for our breed by funding, proposing, and assisting with research projects. In the meantime, we hope to point Silken Windhound owners to citizen science and other studies that are currently recruiting participants.

Silken Windhound Health Projects Currently Recruiting/Fundraising

The following projects are currently recruiting participants and/or seeking funding. SWHCOA encourages all who are able to participate.

  • Texas A&M Borzoi Heart Study

    • Recruiting participants from March 1, 2024 to March 1, 2025

    • The Office of Veterinary Clinical Investigation at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine is recruiting sighthound participants of any age and disease status for their study on the genetics of inherited heart disease in Borzoi dogs and other sighthound breeds.

    • To participate in the Borzoi Heart study, please use the link here.

  • ISWS Silken Windhound Health and Rescue Copper Storage Disease Initiative

    • Recruiting participants as of July 17, 2024

    • ISWS Silken Windhound Health and Rescue is conducting a project to screen the breed for incidence of genetic mutations related to Copper Storage Disease/Copper Toxicosis. They are recruiting participants and requesting donations and submission of relevant private test results. Dogs can be tested for Copper Toxicosis mutations via either UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Genetics Laboratory ($55 per test) or via Embark.

    • Specifically, ISWS Silken Windhound Health and Rescue requests:

Whisper (UKC Ch Starfyre Whisper of Raindrops). Photograph by Shore and Wave Photography.