WELCOME TO THE WEBSITE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ELBOW WORKING GROUP

The International Elbow Working Group (IEWG) was founded in 1989 by a group of enthusiastic veterinarians and breeders with concern regarding different forms of hereditary elbow dysplasia. They noticed a gradual increase of incidence of elbow dysplasias in the most popular dog breeds, and the insufficient awareness of this among veterinarians and breeders. The working group evaluated over the years in a group of professionals with special interest in elbow dysplasias on their etiological, population- and molecular-genetic, as well as clinical and radiological point of view.
Since its foundation the IEWG holds its annual meetings together with major veterinary congresses, including the FECAVA congress in Europe and the WSAVA congress around the world. Since 2000 the IEWG is an affiliated  group of the WSAVA and serves as an expert group for both veterinary and breeders associations.
The IEWG advocates screening of the breeding stock as well as of their offspring of breeds at risk. Via the web page (www.iewg-vet.org) the profession is informed about the internationally accepted scoring system of primary lesions (including fragmented medial coronoid process, osteochondritis dissecans, ununited anconeal process and elbow incongruities) and the grading system for OA as one of the major, objective consequences of elbow dysplasias. During the ESVOT 2005 and 2007 meetings in München (D), a training course on elbow screening was given to FCI-delegates (Federation Cynologique International) and interested veterinarians.
The IEWG is a non-profit organisation run for and by its members, and receives  financial support of Hill’s Pet Nutrition to cover the expenses of inviting first class speakers at the annual meeting and the costs concerning the seminars in order to give an update on the newest in the field of elbow dysplasias.
Any input of the members is welcomed and can be addressed to the Dr How secretary of the IEWG (how@wxs.nl). The web page of IEWG gives information on passed and future meetings, including their proceeding texts.

The IEWG acknowledges

   Hill’s Pet Nutrition

for the support in organising the annual IEWG meeting with the purpose of disseminating new information on skeletal diseases of large breed dogs among veterinarians of the world community.

Professor Dr. H.A.W. Hazewinkel,
President IEWG