Hello everyone,

As some of you know I've not been around for a very long time as I've been working hard in order to attain the grades I need read veterinary medicine at university. I'll be making my applications this year, and although I may now have a lot to offer a university, the interviews that I'll be taking this year are ultimately the deciding factor in whether you get an offer or not.

A large proportion of the interview will test your knowledge of various issues a veterinary surgeon would have to face in his or her career. This is to test your devotion to the subject and whether you are passionate enough about what you want to do, as a university will have to turn down six other very capable candidates to offer a place to you. So it is crucial that you can impress the interviewers with knowledge about a topic that interests you.

I've been reading around the subject a lot and have become quite interested in the various genetic diseases that affect dogs. It seems to be quite a hot topic at the moment, as breed specifics and requirements intensify whilst their effects on the dog arise more and more frequently.

It would be very helpful to me if anyone here with some experience of a genetic disease in their dog could share their experiences. It doesn't have to be too in depth; I mainly would like to know the breed of the dog, the age at which the disease became apparent, and how the disease was managed. Of course, anything else that would be relevent would be an added bonus to me.

I am particularly interested in hip dysplasia, as although I have seen quite a lot of general practice by now and have encountered several other genetic cases in both cats and dogs, I have seen relatively few cases of this ailment. It seems peculiar, as I hear and read a lot about it yet it seems so uncommon, at least in the practices I have worked at!

Thanks in advance,

Zara