Health corner: Inherited Cardiac Problems
By Sharon Schaefer
This has been the most challenging title to research to date. Two different heart defects have been reported so far in Iceland Sheepdogs. One is a valve condition present at an early age (probably aortic stenosis) while the other is a cardiomyopathy developing later. I don’t believe that these are just one condition manifesting differently but this is a possibility.
However as OFA has eight ‘murmur-producing’ congenital heart diseases in its descriptive chart for veterinarian specialists, and cardiomyopathy itself is divided into at least four different types (the most common is dilated cardiomyopathy), creating a useful tool for Icelandic fanciers is difficult. Then we add in ‘innocent murmurs’, which should disappear by 6 months of age (there is some belief innocent murmurs may also occur in very athletic dogs).
Technically, cardiomyopathy is an acquired heart disease, not a congenital heart defect and so it does not appear in some lists. However, it is the second most common cause of heart disease in dogs and as the different types of cardiomyopathy occur very frequently in some breeds and almost never in others there must be a genetic predisposition. In humans it is most commonly a genetic mutation. In dogs, this fatal condition usually does not show up until at least 6 years of age when they have already passed it on to puppies. There are studies of Boxers, Dobermans, and Great Danes right now looking for a genetic marker in each of those breeds but whether this will be useful for other breeds is not known.
Even when checked by an A.V.M.A. board certified specialist in cardiology some heart conditions cannot be clearly identified and a few cases not even found. Beginning with a very quiet, careful physical heart examination by a cardiologist provides the most reliable diagnosis. The dog may not be panting, accompanied by a whining sibling, or a chatty owner! If Congenital Heart Disease is suspected then use by a trained specialist of an echocardiograph including pulsed or continuous wave Doppler on top of the physical listening should find all but a very tiny minority of problems. This is also how innocent murmurs are determined. This is a noninvasive procedure but it is expensive and as most heart diseases are progressive it is only valid for a short time. OFA will only accept results from dogs over 12 months of age for its database at a fee of $15.
They have the following warning in their material "At this time inherited, developmental cardiac diseases like sub aortic stenosis and cardiomyopathies are difficult to monitor since there is no clear cut distinction between normal and abnormal. The OFA will modify the congenital cardiac database when a proven diagnostic modality and normal parameters by breed are established. However at this time, the OFA cardiac database should not be considered as a screening tool for these diseases."
In some European countries specific breeds with hereditary heart problems can only register puppies from dogs with a clear cardiac certificate in the previous 12 months just as we recommend annual CERF exams. Heart murmurs are graded by specialists on a scale of 1–a very soft murmur, 2-a soft murmur readily evident, through to 6-audible even when the stethoscope is lifted from the thoracic wall.
The Canine Inherited Disorders Database at Atlantic Veterinary College UPEI has the longest list - twelve hereditary heart conditions in dogs. Four of them can occur individually or in a grouping, which then is named the twelfth condition – tetralogy of Fallot. More recent human studies are suggesting a probable relationship even when only one of the four presents as a disease.
Two studies in dogs have tracked the rate of different hereditary heart defects. The most common, aortic stenosis creates a third of all murmurs. In descending order the others are pulmonic stenosis – a fifth, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, mitral valve dysplasia, tricuspid valve dysplasia, endocardial fibroelastosis, and tetralogy of Fallot with the final two being very rare. In its mildest forms, aortic stenosis creates no problems and the dog will live a normal life. Unfortunately using this dog for breeding is not recommended. The recommendation is that any dog with any of the conditions discussed in this article is not a candidate for breeding.
www.americanboxerclub.org/genetic_diseases.html
www.gdca.org
http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/learn/animals/dogs/QAheartdisease.asp
http://www.offa.org/
www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov Search: dog/canine heart/cardiovascular congenital
http://www.steynmere.com/AORTIC_STENOSIS5.html
www.upei.ca/~cidd/intro.htm
Showing posts with label CISC Health Information. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CISC Health Information. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2007
What's Bugging Her :Bugbites 101 CISC Summer Issue 2006
What’s Bugging Her? : Bugbites 101
Featuring Hints and Recipes by Linda Konkol, sent by Laura Ford
One July morning, our puppy Soley came to jump up on the couch and to our surprise her left eye was swollen nearly shut! A quick check in our dog first aid book informed us that eye injuries need veterinary attention, as damage to the cornea can get worse quickly. We use homeopathic remedies for first aid, so we administered Apis 30c, a typical remedy for injuries with swelling, and phoned the vet for an appointment.
When the vet saw us, about an hour later, the swelling had gone down a lot. The eye was examined with a special light and also using a fluorescent stain that adheres to injured areas. This exam revealed that there was some trauma to the cornea from the swelling, so our pup got two kinds of eye drops. The antibiotic drops would prevent infection of the injured area, and the other drops provided a shield to the cornea while it healed. After some discussion with other dog-owners, we concluded it was most likely a bug-bite that caused the swelling. I received some very useful hints and recipes from Linda Konkol of Braxdin Kennels. Linda breeds Boxers in Northern Ontario, where they have their share of annoying insects. Here are some of her suggestions for stocking your first aid box:
"I would guess that she got bitten by something, like maybe a wasp. They can sting more than once and the yellow jackets especially are ill humoured enough to do so. I recently had a girl that got bitten right by the eyebrow and on the muzzle – the muzzle swelling went away in a day, but the eye sting lasted over two weeks, not helped by the fact the eye was irritated and she kept rubbing it. I use liquid benedryl for insect bites and pills for succeeding doses. That's the reason I use the liquid as it works faster, and on one occasion when I had a silly boy actually swallow a hornet, it also served to smother the thing (I poured the stuff in as best I could with him clenching his jaw tight and me trying to pry it open enough to get some of it down – as you can imagine, he was in absolute agony and screaming as I'm sure the thing was stinging him on the way down more than once).
For other insects, I keep a bottle of water handy with some drops of lemon eucalyptus and peppermint essential oil - about 10 drops of each into about a litre of water. I add a couple of drops of dish detergent to help mix the two so it doesn't plug up the sprayer, and shake it every time I use it. It does degrade if exposed to the light, so if you don't go through it quickly, either keep it in a dark cupboard or refresh with more oil. I actually use a small pump sprayer rather than a trigger spray bottle (the kind you squeeze) because, unless you have a very small dog, your hand will get tired fast!
I find that the lemon and peppermint tend to be disliked by wasps/hornets/bees and insects in general, and the eucalyptus works quite well on mosquitoes. It's also disliked by insects so might help with wasps. And, it also works as a repellent to be used by people. It lasts about a half hour, and if the skeeters are bad, you'll start noticing they get closer after about 15-20 minutes, but it's easy enough to re-spray and at least it's safe for the dogs, and likely better for you than DEET. There is another oil that might be helpful in that recipe, and that is oil of geranium. Bugs in general don't like it. Lemon grass oil can also be used instead of lemon eucalyptus to replace the lemon part, but you still need the eucalyptus oil.
In a pinch, you can also dab on Vic's Vapo-Rub (or the generic equivalent) and it really helps with the skeeters and black flies. It's just a bit messy, and some dogs will lick it off if it's in spots they can reach. I've used it on both the dogs, and me and had fairly good results except it doesn't seem to have much effect on wasps. It also doubles as a distracting smell if you put some of it under the chin of any intact boys you have when one of the girls happens to be in an "interesting" condition. It doesn't get rid of the boy’s ability to smell her scent but it helps to keep them from losing their mind completely!
And with all of that, there may be an unexpected bonus. Someone asked me what I use for fleas - and all I have to say on that is - WHAT fleas? I have not seen a flea in years. I don't use any products on the dogs as a deterrent other than what I use for the flying insects, and my dogs do go to training classes where I know some dogs have had flea problems, but with all these things, it might be a side benefit. It's possible that they might not like all these nasty (to bugs) smells either.
The other thing than can cause irritation is stinging nettle or motherwort. Even a coated dog may have enough short hair around the eyes or muzzle to be affected by it. I've had puppies get into it when some was missed along a fence line and they were just covered in bumps and puffy. What works on that is a solution of rubbing alcohol and baking soda - just dump some into a bottle's worth of the alcohol and it doesn't matter if all soda dissolves. Soak the area. While the swelling and bumps take a couple of days to go away, the relief is almost instant. Rubbing alcohol is actually a really good thing to have on hand for any sorts of itchiness, I find, as it gives instant relief. I wouldn't be marinating the dog in it as it is drying but for a dog that itches badly enough that they are willing to chew a body part off; it can give instant, and sometimes surprisingly prolonged, relief."
Featuring Hints and Recipes by Linda Konkol, sent by Laura Ford
One July morning, our puppy Soley came to jump up on the couch and to our surprise her left eye was swollen nearly shut! A quick check in our dog first aid book informed us that eye injuries need veterinary attention, as damage to the cornea can get worse quickly. We use homeopathic remedies for first aid, so we administered Apis 30c, a typical remedy for injuries with swelling, and phoned the vet for an appointment.
When the vet saw us, about an hour later, the swelling had gone down a lot. The eye was examined with a special light and also using a fluorescent stain that adheres to injured areas. This exam revealed that there was some trauma to the cornea from the swelling, so our pup got two kinds of eye drops. The antibiotic drops would prevent infection of the injured area, and the other drops provided a shield to the cornea while it healed. After some discussion with other dog-owners, we concluded it was most likely a bug-bite that caused the swelling. I received some very useful hints and recipes from Linda Konkol of Braxdin Kennels. Linda breeds Boxers in Northern Ontario, where they have their share of annoying insects. Here are some of her suggestions for stocking your first aid box:
"I would guess that she got bitten by something, like maybe a wasp. They can sting more than once and the yellow jackets especially are ill humoured enough to do so. I recently had a girl that got bitten right by the eyebrow and on the muzzle – the muzzle swelling went away in a day, but the eye sting lasted over two weeks, not helped by the fact the eye was irritated and she kept rubbing it. I use liquid benedryl for insect bites and pills for succeeding doses. That's the reason I use the liquid as it works faster, and on one occasion when I had a silly boy actually swallow a hornet, it also served to smother the thing (I poured the stuff in as best I could with him clenching his jaw tight and me trying to pry it open enough to get some of it down – as you can imagine, he was in absolute agony and screaming as I'm sure the thing was stinging him on the way down more than once).
For other insects, I keep a bottle of water handy with some drops of lemon eucalyptus and peppermint essential oil - about 10 drops of each into about a litre of water. I add a couple of drops of dish detergent to help mix the two so it doesn't plug up the sprayer, and shake it every time I use it. It does degrade if exposed to the light, so if you don't go through it quickly, either keep it in a dark cupboard or refresh with more oil. I actually use a small pump sprayer rather than a trigger spray bottle (the kind you squeeze) because, unless you have a very small dog, your hand will get tired fast!
I find that the lemon and peppermint tend to be disliked by wasps/hornets/bees and insects in general, and the eucalyptus works quite well on mosquitoes. It's also disliked by insects so might help with wasps. And, it also works as a repellent to be used by people. It lasts about a half hour, and if the skeeters are bad, you'll start noticing they get closer after about 15-20 minutes, but it's easy enough to re-spray and at least it's safe for the dogs, and likely better for you than DEET. There is another oil that might be helpful in that recipe, and that is oil of geranium. Bugs in general don't like it. Lemon grass oil can also be used instead of lemon eucalyptus to replace the lemon part, but you still need the eucalyptus oil.
In a pinch, you can also dab on Vic's Vapo-Rub (or the generic equivalent) and it really helps with the skeeters and black flies. It's just a bit messy, and some dogs will lick it off if it's in spots they can reach. I've used it on both the dogs, and me and had fairly good results except it doesn't seem to have much effect on wasps. It also doubles as a distracting smell if you put some of it under the chin of any intact boys you have when one of the girls happens to be in an "interesting" condition. It doesn't get rid of the boy’s ability to smell her scent but it helps to keep them from losing their mind completely!
And with all of that, there may be an unexpected bonus. Someone asked me what I use for fleas - and all I have to say on that is - WHAT fleas? I have not seen a flea in years. I don't use any products on the dogs as a deterrent other than what I use for the flying insects, and my dogs do go to training classes where I know some dogs have had flea problems, but with all these things, it might be a side benefit. It's possible that they might not like all these nasty (to bugs) smells either.
The other thing than can cause irritation is stinging nettle or motherwort. Even a coated dog may have enough short hair around the eyes or muzzle to be affected by it. I've had puppies get into it when some was missed along a fence line and they were just covered in bumps and puffy. What works on that is a solution of rubbing alcohol and baking soda - just dump some into a bottle's worth of the alcohol and it doesn't matter if all soda dissolves. Soak the area. While the swelling and bumps take a couple of days to go away, the relief is almost instant. Rubbing alcohol is actually a really good thing to have on hand for any sorts of itchiness, I find, as it gives instant relief. I wouldn't be marinating the dog in it as it is drying but for a dog that itches badly enough that they are willing to chew a body part off; it can give instant, and sometimes surprisingly prolonged, relief."
Ezri's Story (One Dogs tail of living with Seizures) Summer Newsletter 2006
Ezri’s Story
By Carrie and Danielle
We fell in love with the breed. We had never seen one other than in a book. But we fell in love with everything written about the Icelandic sheepdog… the breed’s intelligence, its loving nature, its loyalty, its energy, and its northern physique. I had never had a dog before, and we are both therapists and wanted to use our dog for work, so we spent a great deal of time researching a breed that would match us and our world. After we decided we had to have one, we found out they were a rare breed, especially in the USA. But we were determined, and we did our research.
Danielle found a well renowned breeder in Canada, and after speaking with her we decided it was the breed for us, and Val was the breeder who would find us a match. So we waited for Ezri. We waited for quite some time. And we drove to Canada to get him when he was old enough. He was a quieter one in his pack. We fell instantly in love. We spent a few nights in hotels, and at such a young age he did wonderfully well enduring being away from his family, waiting for a call name, and dealing with the small quarters and strange smells of hotel rooms. He rode quietly in my lap most of the way home. He played, he made us laugh, and we finally decided on the name Ezri. Ezri means "my help" which we thought would be good, given he would be working with children and teenagers who had been horrifically physically and sexually abused, were removed from their homes, and had no one to give them unconditional love or affection.
Ezri knew the minute he walked through the door that he had arrived at his home. He grinned from ear to ear, leapt and jumped, and did loops through our home (lots of open space). He was home. Ezri grew bigger and stayed happy. He did all the things puppies do, and brought us joy. I like to hope that we made him as happy as he made us. We read all the material (and Val gave us a lot), began training and he took easily to everything. He loved people instantly, adored other dogs, and was growing into his paws. He did wonderfully at work, he was so gentle with the children and met them where they were at emotionally. My work worshipped him, and he brought joy everywhere he went. We crate trained, took him to work, and started puppy class. We were all doing great.
A few weeks after he was neutered, we were driving to the train station to pick up a friend with our happy now six-and-a-half month old puppy safely ensconced in my lap napping. I know, I was setting myself up for when he needed to sit in the back, but I just couldn’t resist, he was so loving and cuddly. About twenty minutes into the drive, something terrifying started to occur. Ezri’s head began twitching in a tight, rigid way, he began whimpering, and I immediately began to comfort him. "Something is wrong." I said to Danielle, who was driving the car. The motions did not stop, but rather increased. He looked at me in terror and confusion. I cradled him and called his name in my best soothing voice, hoping this would help. I was trying not to panic. And then his eyes lost focus and began to roll in his head, his body began to go rigid and he was panting and whimpering horribly. I raised by voice frenetically, trying to comfort him and simultaneously alert Danielle to my level of panic and concern. "Danielle, SOMETHING IS WRONG!" I kept repeating it frantically, and she swerved on the highway to pull over on the side of the road to help me.
Ezri’s whole body went rigid, he began to convulse, and his legs began to move in rigid unnatural ways. Every now and again his eyes would refocus and look at me in stark terror, begging. His whimpering became less and less audible, and he began what anyone who has endured a grand mal seizure with a dog knows is paddling. I began to call his name, yelling hysterically. His head was twisting in odd positions, his body was completely flat and rigid, and then suddenly he stopped making the small noises, his eyes glassed over, and his whole body went still. "DANIELLE" I screamed, "HE"S NOT BREATHING!" Danielle grabbed him out of my lap and began shaking him, repeatedly calling his name. "Ezri…Ezri… Ezri…" she shouted in a firm you are not going to die on us voice. After what seemed like forever, his chest began to move up and down, and he began convulsing again. Slowly his body became more malleable and his convulsions lessened. Ezri’s eyes began to focus and he became more aware, but neurologically he still was not quite right.
We rushed him to the local animal ER and they whisked him away to do tests. He was still wobbly on his feet and could not walk in a straight line. We stood there helpless, wondering what was going on, and waited. The doctor came back and stated that Ezri had a grand mal seizure. They mentioned toxins, asked us questions, and stated they would keep him over night for observation and to be able to intervene in any other seizures given the severity. They had never seen the breed before and asked about his gum color. Eventually they sent us home after putting a down payment on the testing. That was the first payment of a long line of payments. We did not even get to say goodnight. He was only six months old.
We went home that night lost, exhausted, and fearful. I was covered in his saliva and he had defecated in the car during the seizure. We still had to pick up our friend who was still waiting at the train station, two hours later. The house was so empty. We were too overwhelmed to cry. What is a toxin? We prayed it was toxin. You know it is bad when you hope your puppy got into a substance that temporarily poisoned him. We barely slept that night, and jumped when the doctor called in the morning. They had cleaned out his system, they had done blood work. There was no sign of a toxin in his blood. Ezri had another seizure overnight, and they had given him valium to interrupt it. The doctor through out various phrases: Liver shunt? Meningitis? Brain abnormality? Epilepsy? He was very young to have epilepsy, they said. Liver shunts could involve surgery and be repaired, or cause death. The vet recommended we take him home and set up an appointment with one of the best animal hospitals in the state. They told us to take him there immediately if anything went wrong. "If anything goes wrong??" I thought to my self,, "it was all wrong." We had been so carefree just a day ago.
We took our puppy home. He was so tired, and his nose was rubbed raw from pressing against the wire crate in the hospital. He still wagged his tail at us. His leg was shaved where they had put in an I.V. tube. The whole house tried to pretend it was all okay. It wasn’t. We all tried to sleep, but we ended up just watching him sleep. Ezri tried to be okay. He tried to play, he tried to be his usually loving self. But he wasn’t. He twitched convulsively, his head moved at odd rigid angles sporadically. He was far from okay. He got worse as the day went on. Eventually it impacted his motor coordination and we moved from tentative hope and denial to panic yet again. He watched us with anxiety and hurt as we packed up his blanket and toy again, and rushed him back to the hospital
This time we went to one of the best animal hospitals in the country. It looked like a people hospital, with long benches, sitting areas, vending machines and televisions for those waiting. They came out in scrubs, and rushed him in. He looked back at us, with begging, bewildered eyes, but he never made a sound. We cried. They brought us out his tiny collar. I held it endlessly in my hands. We sat there for hours, waiting. We watched the endless stream of injured animals and their owners. We put down our deposit to treat him.
Eventually the doctor came out. They had looked at the tests done at the ER. At this time, and given his age, not much made sense. They had never seen an Icelandic Sheepdog before, and wanted to know if epilepsy or liver shunts were common. The doctor said they needed to do tests and they needed to keep him overnight and would start him on medication for seizure control. He was so young, they said, it could be a variety of things. Epilepsy in a puppy so young was worrisome and given the intensity of the seizure they were concerned. We were welcome to come back in the morning.
We left our puppy again that night, to go home to an empty, vacant house. We called Val. She said she had no knowledge of liver shunts or epilepsy in the breed but would call around and do research. When we returned the next morning, they still did not know what had caused the grand mal seizures. All the possibilities were terrifying for a dog so young. His prognosis was not good. He needed to stay in the ICU because another seizure like he had, if untreated, could kill him. He had stopped breathing after all. The doctors were friendly and gracious, they talked about how cute he was, how friendly, how sweet. They went over the treatable medical issues that they could test for, and treat with medication, surgery. Epilepsy is a "rule-out" diagnosis they said. They had to rule out everything first. A liver shunt could be treated or surgery could be done to fix it if caught in time. Meningitis could be addressed if caught in time. "What do you want to do?" they asked. "We want our boy to be okay." we replied. And we consented to the testing to find out what was wrong.
We went to billing, as nothing is covered. It is 100% the owners cost. You have to pay 50% up front, they said sadly. I could tell they felt bad, felt bad asking, felt bad taking. I wondered what happened to the animals whose owners did not have credit cards. Danielle and I looked at each other, and the credit card came out. A thousand here, a thousand there, the bills began to accrue. What could we do? He was our boy.
Ultra sound, spinal tap, IV’s in each leg, shaved belly, shaved legs, shaved back of the head. We lay on the cold floor of the visiting room with him, cuddling him, for as many hours as they would let us. He would sleep, eventually. He would only sleep well when we were there they told us. He looked at us begging, "why am I here?" he seemed to say "Why can’t I go home?". Don’t get me wrong, they were great with him. They loved him, they had great bedside manner. He was the only puppy there. They gave him toys, and when he barked himself into hysteria, and rubbed his nose raw against the wire crate, they chained him to a wall, on a blanket in the middle of the ICU, where he would be more relaxed. They played with him and gave him extra TLC. They let us visit him there, longer than the normal visiting hours, with his IV in, his cone on his teeny shaved head, surrounded by the moans, whimpers of animals in pain, and the low hum of machinery, helping animals to breath, to measure things, and tests. They tried incredibly hard to keep all the animals relaxed and loved. But like any hospital, it was still the ICU and the sterile environment, coupled with the palpable pain of the patients in close quarters was immeasurably painful and sad. We cried when we left the building. He was so young, so little, he barely weighed ten pounds. We cried at home, missing him, dealing with the pain that he probably did not understand why we kept leaving him there, day after day. He stayed there for a week. Val remained in close contact, she did research, and she waited for daily updates .She called all over the world looking for history. Were there any other Icelandics who had seizures? Liver shunts? Epilepsy?
Our friends and family rallied for us. They love him too. They offered the small amount of fiscal support they could, they sat with us in the ER. Our friend who is a doctor for humans did research for us, comparing treatment options. Testing here, testing there. We finally said enough. One test came back slightly irregular, was it a liver shunt? The internal medicine doctors stepped in. They discussed exploratory surgery. He had a team of doctors. Epilepsy is a rule out diagnosis. Finally, we drew the line. They were fairly certain they could rule it in, but wanted to continue tests because of irregular liver enzymes. Our puppy was a shell of what he had been. Sure, he tried for us, he wagged his tail when we entered the room, he gave deep sighs when we laid down on the cold hard sterile floor with him, and every now and again, he would try to play with us. His soul was the same, his sweetness, the love in his eyes. But he did not smile anymore. He did not fight the bandages, the cone, the IV, he was accepting. He was only six months old. We reached the painful conclusion that the testing was done. He was only a puppy and we would not cause him any more pain. If he was not meant to make it, and the seizures impacted his quality of life beyond measure, then we would do the humane thing. But we were damned if he was going to spend one more day of his short life undergoing intrusive testing.
Seven thousand dollars later we brought our exhausted, beaten down, bandaged, shaven puppy home, still unsure as to what diagnosis was accurate, and if he would survive. Truth be told, we were beaten down and exhausted too. We agreed to start oral medication, meet with our Vet regularly and would take it from there.
You are probably starting to ask when does this story get better? Well it does. Sure, we dealt with all sorts of things. It took all three of us weeks to unwind from the experience, the panic and the seizure activity. The medicine made our quick, sprightly agile puppy gangly and clumsy, exhausted and with constant stomach problems. But the agility issues passed. His barking became a huge issue, because he had learned in the week he was there that it was sure fire way to get what he wanted .We were just happy (initially) that he felt like barking. We dismantled the crate, and he slept at the end of the bed (still does) because his seizure activity occurred in his sleep and we worried that when his body went rigid we would not be able to get him out of the crate. We also could feel the bed shake if he started to twitch abnormally, and we became quite adept at interfering in shaking him awake if any seizure activity stirred.
Ezri was formally diagnosed with epilepsy at that time, although it had manifested oddly (in his sleep) which is rare. We watched him intently when he slept for months on end (still do, but are less hypervigilant). Our local vet ran simple blood work and found that his liver levels were normal, which was a relief to us. Ezri resumed puppy kindergarten and they welcomed him back. Ezri is amazingly resilient, his happy personality returned, and his hair grew back. The kids at work learned what epilepsy was and gravely agreed to follow any direction I gave if he had a seizure while they were present.
Over time the medication worked more effectively, and the seizure activity slowed. Ezri grew and time passed by. Although our anxiety remained, it lessened as we realized we could manage this, and so could he. He moved towards adulthood, we shared his successes with Val, and he is a cherished member of our family. He is grinning up at me right now, from his favorite place at my feet, even as I write this, waiting patiently for me to stop typing so we can play. He learned to swim, to play tag in the pool, and to bark at the birds from our bedroom window. He grew old enough for rawhide.
Time continued to move forward (as it does for us all) and Ezri continues to shine. He is a favorite at day care, loved by both families and follows us where ever we go. He is friendly and loving and clearly driven towards agility. About four months ago we realized his seizure activity had ended, and that he had not had any seizures in over eight months. His medication level it turned out was below therapeutic level (less than required to work). We talked to the vet and their team of doctors and agreed to try him off his medication.
Ezri has been off his medication for four months now and he looks great. His stomach difficulties decreased substantially (I always think he carries a bit of anxiety around with from the whole experience, goodness, knows, we do). He is seizure free currently. The doctors tell us that if he continues for another few months seizure free they will remove the diagnosis of epilepsy completely. If that happens, we will likely never have an answer to why he had the seizures, but quite frankly, as long as they don’t come back, we are all set. Ezri brings us countless hours of joy and love, and the sparkle and caring soul that showed through his eyes as a puppy remains. We feel privileged to be a part of his life. If you will excuse me now, I have to go, Ezri keeps pawing my leg and nosing me, waiting to play, and if our experience has taught us anything, it is that life, laughter and joy with our loved ones should be cherished, appreciated and acted upon on a daily basis.
Update for 2007, Ezri, Carrie and Danielle have a new Icelandic Puppy in the house, his name is Greenstone Black Moon, A lovely big Black tri half-Brother to Ezri, and they are best buddy's, Black Moon also goes to work with his owners.
Thanks for listening.
Fondly,
Carrie, Danielle & Ezri
Although it looks like Carrie, Danielle and Ezri are going to have a happy ending to their tale, seizures and inherited epilepsy in Canines is something that should never be taken lightly. If your ISD has seizures, please consider using the information below.
UPDATED MARCH 2006: Dr. Yuri F. Melekhovets, Laboratory Director of HealthGene Corp., Toronto, Canada, has announced that his group has located the gene responsible for producing inherited epilepsy in canines. HealthGene Corporation is the largest private veterinary DNA diagnostic and research laboratory in Canada. DNA-based testing for animal infectious and genetic diseases. HealthGene now is studying the various mutations that produce different forms of epilepsy in different breeds. Dr. Melekhovets requests that owners of dogs with epilepsy submit blood samples to further that research. Samples should come from dogs which have been medically diagnosed with epilepsy or have had symptoms of epilepsy for at least two years. Two vials of blood samples per dog should be sent in lavender topped tubes, together with a pedigree and brief health history (whether it has seizures, when they started, whether they are mild or severe, and what type of diagnostics have been performed). Send the samples by FedEx, using HealthGene's account number (#238368138), using FedEx's International Air Waybill with the following information for "ShipmentInformation":a) Commodity description: "Canine Blood Samples for DNA Testing";b) Total Declared Value for Customs is $1.00;c) international first; andd) 3 copies commercial invoice.Send the vials to this address: HealthGene Laboratory, 2175 KeeleStreet, Toronto, Ontario M6M 3Z4 Canada. Dr. Melekhovets may becontacted at: telephone: 905-669-5399; fax: 905-669-2235; email:dr.melekhovets@...Source http://www.cavalierhealth.org/epilepsy.htm
By Carrie and Danielle
We fell in love with the breed. We had never seen one other than in a book. But we fell in love with everything written about the Icelandic sheepdog… the breed’s intelligence, its loving nature, its loyalty, its energy, and its northern physique. I had never had a dog before, and we are both therapists and wanted to use our dog for work, so we spent a great deal of time researching a breed that would match us and our world. After we decided we had to have one, we found out they were a rare breed, especially in the USA. But we were determined, and we did our research.
Danielle found a well renowned breeder in Canada, and after speaking with her we decided it was the breed for us, and Val was the breeder who would find us a match. So we waited for Ezri. We waited for quite some time. And we drove to Canada to get him when he was old enough. He was a quieter one in his pack. We fell instantly in love. We spent a few nights in hotels, and at such a young age he did wonderfully well enduring being away from his family, waiting for a call name, and dealing with the small quarters and strange smells of hotel rooms. He rode quietly in my lap most of the way home. He played, he made us laugh, and we finally decided on the name Ezri. Ezri means "my help" which we thought would be good, given he would be working with children and teenagers who had been horrifically physically and sexually abused, were removed from their homes, and had no one to give them unconditional love or affection.
Ezri knew the minute he walked through the door that he had arrived at his home. He grinned from ear to ear, leapt and jumped, and did loops through our home (lots of open space). He was home. Ezri grew bigger and stayed happy. He did all the things puppies do, and brought us joy. I like to hope that we made him as happy as he made us. We read all the material (and Val gave us a lot), began training and he took easily to everything. He loved people instantly, adored other dogs, and was growing into his paws. He did wonderfully at work, he was so gentle with the children and met them where they were at emotionally. My work worshipped him, and he brought joy everywhere he went. We crate trained, took him to work, and started puppy class. We were all doing great.
A few weeks after he was neutered, we were driving to the train station to pick up a friend with our happy now six-and-a-half month old puppy safely ensconced in my lap napping. I know, I was setting myself up for when he needed to sit in the back, but I just couldn’t resist, he was so loving and cuddly. About twenty minutes into the drive, something terrifying started to occur. Ezri’s head began twitching in a tight, rigid way, he began whimpering, and I immediately began to comfort him. "Something is wrong." I said to Danielle, who was driving the car. The motions did not stop, but rather increased. He looked at me in terror and confusion. I cradled him and called his name in my best soothing voice, hoping this would help. I was trying not to panic. And then his eyes lost focus and began to roll in his head, his body began to go rigid and he was panting and whimpering horribly. I raised by voice frenetically, trying to comfort him and simultaneously alert Danielle to my level of panic and concern. "Danielle, SOMETHING IS WRONG!" I kept repeating it frantically, and she swerved on the highway to pull over on the side of the road to help me.
Ezri’s whole body went rigid, he began to convulse, and his legs began to move in rigid unnatural ways. Every now and again his eyes would refocus and look at me in stark terror, begging. His whimpering became less and less audible, and he began what anyone who has endured a grand mal seizure with a dog knows is paddling. I began to call his name, yelling hysterically. His head was twisting in odd positions, his body was completely flat and rigid, and then suddenly he stopped making the small noises, his eyes glassed over, and his whole body went still. "DANIELLE" I screamed, "HE"S NOT BREATHING!" Danielle grabbed him out of my lap and began shaking him, repeatedly calling his name. "Ezri…Ezri… Ezri…" she shouted in a firm you are not going to die on us voice. After what seemed like forever, his chest began to move up and down, and he began convulsing again. Slowly his body became more malleable and his convulsions lessened. Ezri’s eyes began to focus and he became more aware, but neurologically he still was not quite right.
We rushed him to the local animal ER and they whisked him away to do tests. He was still wobbly on his feet and could not walk in a straight line. We stood there helpless, wondering what was going on, and waited. The doctor came back and stated that Ezri had a grand mal seizure. They mentioned toxins, asked us questions, and stated they would keep him over night for observation and to be able to intervene in any other seizures given the severity. They had never seen the breed before and asked about his gum color. Eventually they sent us home after putting a down payment on the testing. That was the first payment of a long line of payments. We did not even get to say goodnight. He was only six months old.
We went home that night lost, exhausted, and fearful. I was covered in his saliva and he had defecated in the car during the seizure. We still had to pick up our friend who was still waiting at the train station, two hours later. The house was so empty. We were too overwhelmed to cry. What is a toxin? We prayed it was toxin. You know it is bad when you hope your puppy got into a substance that temporarily poisoned him. We barely slept that night, and jumped when the doctor called in the morning. They had cleaned out his system, they had done blood work. There was no sign of a toxin in his blood. Ezri had another seizure overnight, and they had given him valium to interrupt it. The doctor through out various phrases: Liver shunt? Meningitis? Brain abnormality? Epilepsy? He was very young to have epilepsy, they said. Liver shunts could involve surgery and be repaired, or cause death. The vet recommended we take him home and set up an appointment with one of the best animal hospitals in the state. They told us to take him there immediately if anything went wrong. "If anything goes wrong??" I thought to my self,, "it was all wrong." We had been so carefree just a day ago.
We took our puppy home. He was so tired, and his nose was rubbed raw from pressing against the wire crate in the hospital. He still wagged his tail at us. His leg was shaved where they had put in an I.V. tube. The whole house tried to pretend it was all okay. It wasn’t. We all tried to sleep, but we ended up just watching him sleep. Ezri tried to be okay. He tried to play, he tried to be his usually loving self. But he wasn’t. He twitched convulsively, his head moved at odd rigid angles sporadically. He was far from okay. He got worse as the day went on. Eventually it impacted his motor coordination and we moved from tentative hope and denial to panic yet again. He watched us with anxiety and hurt as we packed up his blanket and toy again, and rushed him back to the hospital
This time we went to one of the best animal hospitals in the country. It looked like a people hospital, with long benches, sitting areas, vending machines and televisions for those waiting. They came out in scrubs, and rushed him in. He looked back at us, with begging, bewildered eyes, but he never made a sound. We cried. They brought us out his tiny collar. I held it endlessly in my hands. We sat there for hours, waiting. We watched the endless stream of injured animals and their owners. We put down our deposit to treat him.
Eventually the doctor came out. They had looked at the tests done at the ER. At this time, and given his age, not much made sense. They had never seen an Icelandic Sheepdog before, and wanted to know if epilepsy or liver shunts were common. The doctor said they needed to do tests and they needed to keep him overnight and would start him on medication for seizure control. He was so young, they said, it could be a variety of things. Epilepsy in a puppy so young was worrisome and given the intensity of the seizure they were concerned. We were welcome to come back in the morning.
We left our puppy again that night, to go home to an empty, vacant house. We called Val. She said she had no knowledge of liver shunts or epilepsy in the breed but would call around and do research. When we returned the next morning, they still did not know what had caused the grand mal seizures. All the possibilities were terrifying for a dog so young. His prognosis was not good. He needed to stay in the ICU because another seizure like he had, if untreated, could kill him. He had stopped breathing after all. The doctors were friendly and gracious, they talked about how cute he was, how friendly, how sweet. They went over the treatable medical issues that they could test for, and treat with medication, surgery. Epilepsy is a "rule-out" diagnosis they said. They had to rule out everything first. A liver shunt could be treated or surgery could be done to fix it if caught in time. Meningitis could be addressed if caught in time. "What do you want to do?" they asked. "We want our boy to be okay." we replied. And we consented to the testing to find out what was wrong.
We went to billing, as nothing is covered. It is 100% the owners cost. You have to pay 50% up front, they said sadly. I could tell they felt bad, felt bad asking, felt bad taking. I wondered what happened to the animals whose owners did not have credit cards. Danielle and I looked at each other, and the credit card came out. A thousand here, a thousand there, the bills began to accrue. What could we do? He was our boy.
Ultra sound, spinal tap, IV’s in each leg, shaved belly, shaved legs, shaved back of the head. We lay on the cold floor of the visiting room with him, cuddling him, for as many hours as they would let us. He would sleep, eventually. He would only sleep well when we were there they told us. He looked at us begging, "why am I here?" he seemed to say "Why can’t I go home?". Don’t get me wrong, they were great with him. They loved him, they had great bedside manner. He was the only puppy there. They gave him toys, and when he barked himself into hysteria, and rubbed his nose raw against the wire crate, they chained him to a wall, on a blanket in the middle of the ICU, where he would be more relaxed. They played with him and gave him extra TLC. They let us visit him there, longer than the normal visiting hours, with his IV in, his cone on his teeny shaved head, surrounded by the moans, whimpers of animals in pain, and the low hum of machinery, helping animals to breath, to measure things, and tests. They tried incredibly hard to keep all the animals relaxed and loved. But like any hospital, it was still the ICU and the sterile environment, coupled with the palpable pain of the patients in close quarters was immeasurably painful and sad. We cried when we left the building. He was so young, so little, he barely weighed ten pounds. We cried at home, missing him, dealing with the pain that he probably did not understand why we kept leaving him there, day after day. He stayed there for a week. Val remained in close contact, she did research, and she waited for daily updates .She called all over the world looking for history. Were there any other Icelandics who had seizures? Liver shunts? Epilepsy?
Our friends and family rallied for us. They love him too. They offered the small amount of fiscal support they could, they sat with us in the ER. Our friend who is a doctor for humans did research for us, comparing treatment options. Testing here, testing there. We finally said enough. One test came back slightly irregular, was it a liver shunt? The internal medicine doctors stepped in. They discussed exploratory surgery. He had a team of doctors. Epilepsy is a rule out diagnosis. Finally, we drew the line. They were fairly certain they could rule it in, but wanted to continue tests because of irregular liver enzymes. Our puppy was a shell of what he had been. Sure, he tried for us, he wagged his tail when we entered the room, he gave deep sighs when we laid down on the cold hard sterile floor with him, and every now and again, he would try to play with us. His soul was the same, his sweetness, the love in his eyes. But he did not smile anymore. He did not fight the bandages, the cone, the IV, he was accepting. He was only six months old. We reached the painful conclusion that the testing was done. He was only a puppy and we would not cause him any more pain. If he was not meant to make it, and the seizures impacted his quality of life beyond measure, then we would do the humane thing. But we were damned if he was going to spend one more day of his short life undergoing intrusive testing.
Seven thousand dollars later we brought our exhausted, beaten down, bandaged, shaven puppy home, still unsure as to what diagnosis was accurate, and if he would survive. Truth be told, we were beaten down and exhausted too. We agreed to start oral medication, meet with our Vet regularly and would take it from there.
You are probably starting to ask when does this story get better? Well it does. Sure, we dealt with all sorts of things. It took all three of us weeks to unwind from the experience, the panic and the seizure activity. The medicine made our quick, sprightly agile puppy gangly and clumsy, exhausted and with constant stomach problems. But the agility issues passed. His barking became a huge issue, because he had learned in the week he was there that it was sure fire way to get what he wanted .We were just happy (initially) that he felt like barking. We dismantled the crate, and he slept at the end of the bed (still does) because his seizure activity occurred in his sleep and we worried that when his body went rigid we would not be able to get him out of the crate. We also could feel the bed shake if he started to twitch abnormally, and we became quite adept at interfering in shaking him awake if any seizure activity stirred.
Ezri was formally diagnosed with epilepsy at that time, although it had manifested oddly (in his sleep) which is rare. We watched him intently when he slept for months on end (still do, but are less hypervigilant). Our local vet ran simple blood work and found that his liver levels were normal, which was a relief to us. Ezri resumed puppy kindergarten and they welcomed him back. Ezri is amazingly resilient, his happy personality returned, and his hair grew back. The kids at work learned what epilepsy was and gravely agreed to follow any direction I gave if he had a seizure while they were present.
Over time the medication worked more effectively, and the seizure activity slowed. Ezri grew and time passed by. Although our anxiety remained, it lessened as we realized we could manage this, and so could he. He moved towards adulthood, we shared his successes with Val, and he is a cherished member of our family. He is grinning up at me right now, from his favorite place at my feet, even as I write this, waiting patiently for me to stop typing so we can play. He learned to swim, to play tag in the pool, and to bark at the birds from our bedroom window. He grew old enough for rawhide.
Time continued to move forward (as it does for us all) and Ezri continues to shine. He is a favorite at day care, loved by both families and follows us where ever we go. He is friendly and loving and clearly driven towards agility. About four months ago we realized his seizure activity had ended, and that he had not had any seizures in over eight months. His medication level it turned out was below therapeutic level (less than required to work). We talked to the vet and their team of doctors and agreed to try him off his medication.
Ezri has been off his medication for four months now and he looks great. His stomach difficulties decreased substantially (I always think he carries a bit of anxiety around with from the whole experience, goodness, knows, we do). He is seizure free currently. The doctors tell us that if he continues for another few months seizure free they will remove the diagnosis of epilepsy completely. If that happens, we will likely never have an answer to why he had the seizures, but quite frankly, as long as they don’t come back, we are all set. Ezri brings us countless hours of joy and love, and the sparkle and caring soul that showed through his eyes as a puppy remains. We feel privileged to be a part of his life. If you will excuse me now, I have to go, Ezri keeps pawing my leg and nosing me, waiting to play, and if our experience has taught us anything, it is that life, laughter and joy with our loved ones should be cherished, appreciated and acted upon on a daily basis.
Update for 2007, Ezri, Carrie and Danielle have a new Icelandic Puppy in the house, his name is Greenstone Black Moon, A lovely big Black tri half-Brother to Ezri, and they are best buddy's, Black Moon also goes to work with his owners.
Thanks for listening.
Fondly,
Carrie, Danielle & Ezri
Although it looks like Carrie, Danielle and Ezri are going to have a happy ending to their tale, seizures and inherited epilepsy in Canines is something that should never be taken lightly. If your ISD has seizures, please consider using the information below.
UPDATED MARCH 2006: Dr. Yuri F. Melekhovets, Laboratory Director of HealthGene Corp., Toronto, Canada, has announced that his group has located the gene responsible for producing inherited epilepsy in canines. HealthGene Corporation is the largest private veterinary DNA diagnostic and research laboratory in Canada. DNA-based testing for animal infectious and genetic diseases. HealthGene now is studying the various mutations that produce different forms of epilepsy in different breeds. Dr. Melekhovets requests that owners of dogs with epilepsy submit blood samples to further that research. Samples should come from dogs which have been medically diagnosed with epilepsy or have had symptoms of epilepsy for at least two years. Two vials of blood samples per dog should be sent in lavender topped tubes, together with a pedigree and brief health history (whether it has seizures, when they started, whether they are mild or severe, and what type of diagnostics have been performed). Send the samples by FedEx, using HealthGene's account number (#238368138), using FedEx's International Air Waybill with the following information for "ShipmentInformation":a) Commodity description: "Canine Blood Samples for DNA Testing";b) Total Declared Value for Customs is $1.00;c) international first; andd) 3 copies commercial invoice.Send the vials to this address: HealthGene Laboratory, 2175 KeeleStreet, Toronto, Ontario M6M 3Z4 Canada. Dr. Melekhovets may becontacted at: telephone: 905-669-5399; fax: 905-669-2235; email:dr.melekhovets@...Source http://www.cavalierhealth.org/epilepsy.htm
Hereditary Deafness in Dogs-Newsletter Issue Summer 2006
Hereditary Deafness in Dogs
By Sharon Schaefer
The only hereditary deafness known in dogs is early onset, so one hearing screening (BAER/P) is good for life and it can be done as early as 5 weeks of age. Unfortunately for Icelandic fanciers a majority of deafness in dogs is connected to the various white patterning alleles of the S series - si (Irish spotting), sp (piebald), and sw (extreme white) are all implicated through various different breeds although sp and sw are more prevalent.
Studies have not been done in Icelandics and there is no reported puppy deafness. As more breeders continue to work with and produce higher white factor puppies the greater the chance of this changing.
Unfortunately again, the experience of other breeds is that unilaterally (one ear only) deaf pups cannot be identified by any simple means - they cope very well and even bilaterally deaf pups mimic their littermates. Even breeders experienced in identifying deafness need to isolate the pup and create a slight sound out of sight.
If there is any air current created or sound vibration the pup may respond to that so that a bilaterally deaf puppy can behave to us as though it hears.
The genetics that produce white hair and skin also suppresses the pigment cells in the cochlea inside the ear. The cochlea converts sound into nerve impulses through the vibrations of tiny hairs. When the pigment cells do not develop this interferes with the formation of cochlear hairs and neurons. When there are no cochlea hairs, deafness occurs.
Pigment-associated hereditary deafness (this alsorefers to deafness associated with the Merle gene which does not occur in Icelandics so will not be discussed in this article) is a secondary deafness occurring about 2-4 weeks after birth. It is caused when the nourishing bed (striavascularis) for the tiny hairs of the inner ear breaks down resulting in death of the hair cells and deafness. The mode of inheritance is not identified in any of the breeds studied but in the Dalmatian it appears to be single locus but with incomplete penetrance through action of an unknown number of other genes.
Genetically, unilateral deafness is bilateral deafness that is not completely expressed so no deaf dogs, whether one or both ears, should be used in breeding. As with other hereditary diseases breeders should also avoid repeating a breeding that produced a deaf puppy.
The Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response is an objective test which identifies hearing in each ear through the use of four electrodes and ear plugs. A click is generated through one ear for 2 minutes while brain waves are read by a computer. The test is not painful and with patient and firm handling to stay still for 2 minutes (then 2 more minutes for the other ear) most dogs are quite comfortable with the procedure. A printout of the waveform is provided to the owner. In Canada, this test is available at each of the four veterinary universities as well as privately in Scarborough, ON and through the Calgary Dog Fanciers Association.
Addresses are on the Dalmatian Club page. The equipment can be moved to different locations and some breed clubs sponsor clinics in various locations. The price this year at one university was just over $100 for the first pup then about $40 for each littermate Interestingly, albinism does not have any association with deafness, nor do other genes reported to produce white or light coat color in dogs - flecking, ticking, or dilution with fawn.
In other breeds white patterning (occurring from an absence of melanocytes) together with blue eyes significantly increases the chance of deafness. When the white pattern gene is more strongly expressed it suppresses melanocytes not only in the skin but also in the iris of the eye and the stria of the ear.
Not all deaf animals have blue eyes and not all blue eyed dogs are deaf but there is a statistically significant link so breeding to blue-eyes animals is not recommended for most breeds.
For example, blue eyes are not allowed in the Dalmatian standard in Europe but they are allowed in the US. The incidence of deafness is 50% higher in the US Dalmatian population.
Working in the other direction, Dalmatians with a patch of colour are less likely to be deaf than the average. This association holds true in other studied breeds.
So that less than 2% of Coloured Bull Terriers are deaf while just under 20% of White Bull
Terriers are deaf (sample size over 600).
Several universities in the USA and Europe are currently working with different breeds in attempts to identify the molecular DNA level mechanisms for inherited deafness in dogs but they have not yet been successful.
www.btca.com/Health/health.html
www.dalmationclubofcanada.ca/deafness.html
www.lsu.edu/deafness/baerexpl.htm
www.lsu.edu/deafness/Tufts.htm
By Sharon Schaefer
The only hereditary deafness known in dogs is early onset, so one hearing screening (BAER/P) is good for life and it can be done as early as 5 weeks of age. Unfortunately for Icelandic fanciers a majority of deafness in dogs is connected to the various white patterning alleles of the S series - si (Irish spotting), sp (piebald), and sw (extreme white) are all implicated through various different breeds although sp and sw are more prevalent.
Studies have not been done in Icelandics and there is no reported puppy deafness. As more breeders continue to work with and produce higher white factor puppies the greater the chance of this changing.
Unfortunately again, the experience of other breeds is that unilaterally (one ear only) deaf pups cannot be identified by any simple means - they cope very well and even bilaterally deaf pups mimic their littermates. Even breeders experienced in identifying deafness need to isolate the pup and create a slight sound out of sight.
If there is any air current created or sound vibration the pup may respond to that so that a bilaterally deaf puppy can behave to us as though it hears.
The genetics that produce white hair and skin also suppresses the pigment cells in the cochlea inside the ear. The cochlea converts sound into nerve impulses through the vibrations of tiny hairs. When the pigment cells do not develop this interferes with the formation of cochlear hairs and neurons. When there are no cochlea hairs, deafness occurs.
Pigment-associated hereditary deafness (this alsorefers to deafness associated with the Merle gene which does not occur in Icelandics so will not be discussed in this article) is a secondary deafness occurring about 2-4 weeks after birth. It is caused when the nourishing bed (striavascularis) for the tiny hairs of the inner ear breaks down resulting in death of the hair cells and deafness. The mode of inheritance is not identified in any of the breeds studied but in the Dalmatian it appears to be single locus but with incomplete penetrance through action of an unknown number of other genes.
Genetically, unilateral deafness is bilateral deafness that is not completely expressed so no deaf dogs, whether one or both ears, should be used in breeding. As with other hereditary diseases breeders should also avoid repeating a breeding that produced a deaf puppy.
The Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response is an objective test which identifies hearing in each ear through the use of four electrodes and ear plugs. A click is generated through one ear for 2 minutes while brain waves are read by a computer. The test is not painful and with patient and firm handling to stay still for 2 minutes (then 2 more minutes for the other ear) most dogs are quite comfortable with the procedure. A printout of the waveform is provided to the owner. In Canada, this test is available at each of the four veterinary universities as well as privately in Scarborough, ON and through the Calgary Dog Fanciers Association.
Addresses are on the Dalmatian Club page. The equipment can be moved to different locations and some breed clubs sponsor clinics in various locations. The price this year at one university was just over $100 for the first pup then about $40 for each littermate Interestingly, albinism does not have any association with deafness, nor do other genes reported to produce white or light coat color in dogs - flecking, ticking, or dilution with fawn.
In other breeds white patterning (occurring from an absence of melanocytes) together with blue eyes significantly increases the chance of deafness. When the white pattern gene is more strongly expressed it suppresses melanocytes not only in the skin but also in the iris of the eye and the stria of the ear.
Not all deaf animals have blue eyes and not all blue eyed dogs are deaf but there is a statistically significant link so breeding to blue-eyes animals is not recommended for most breeds.
For example, blue eyes are not allowed in the Dalmatian standard in Europe but they are allowed in the US. The incidence of deafness is 50% higher in the US Dalmatian population.
Working in the other direction, Dalmatians with a patch of colour are less likely to be deaf than the average. This association holds true in other studied breeds.
So that less than 2% of Coloured Bull Terriers are deaf while just under 20% of White Bull
Terriers are deaf (sample size over 600).
Several universities in the USA and Europe are currently working with different breeds in attempts to identify the molecular DNA level mechanisms for inherited deafness in dogs but they have not yet been successful.
www.btca.com/Health/health.html
www.dalmationclubofcanada.ca/deafness.html
www.lsu.edu/deafness/baerexpl.htm
www.lsu.edu/deafness/Tufts.htm
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Genetic Health -Cataracts Fall Issue 2005
GENETIC HEALTH - Cataracts
by Sharon Schaefer
Cataracts are the most common disease of the lens of the eye and are an inherited eye disorder. Cataracts occur as an aging change in the eyes of dogs (after age 9-10) and people; a few cataracts result from injury, toxins, or diseases such as diabetes; but the vast majority of cataracts is an inherited problem. In most breeds the genetics producing cataracts is not yet defined. In those breeds where the inheritance has been established it varies from autosomal recessive to autosomal dominant to incomplete dominance with variable expressivity. This indicates that we need to carefully study and track the occurrence of cataracts in Icelandics to begin to establish our own breed pattern.
There are also breed differences in the age of onset, degree of symmetry between eyes, rate of progression, and actual abnormalities seen on the lens. This again is information we need to gather and study in Icelandics who have cataracts. Cataracts present before 8 weeks of age are called congenital (considered at birth), cataracts appearing up to 4 years of age are considered juvenile or developmental, and after this they're called later onset cataracts. Various breeds may be prone to only one or all three of these types. In different breeds having cataracts, some may occur in only one eye while in other breeds it will be both eyes. In some breeds the original cataract (independent of age of onset) will never change very much and in other breeds it will continue to grow leading to blindness. Probably through their superior senses of smell and hearing, dogs are very good at compensating for vision problems. If they are kept in a familiar environment, owners may be unaware of considerable vision loss.
The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists controls certification for freedom from heritable eye diseases. Clearances for vision must be performed annually by a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist and not by a local veterinarian. Both the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) and the Institute for Genetic Disease Control in Animals (GDC) offer certification on an annual basis if the appropriate form and fee is forwarded to them. CERF is a closed registry and failed reports are completely confidential (up-to-date 'clear' reports may be accessed on the website). The research copy of the CERF form is always forwarded to the Veterinary Medical Database of CERF for breed information (individual identity is confidential). This data is used to form the C.E.R.F. data base which is useful in researching trends in eye disease and breed susceptibility.
CERF charges $10.50US for each new entry and $8.00US for recertification with a kennel rate for 10 or more sent back to same owner of $7.50 each. GDC maintains an open registry (all reports are publicly shared) of inherited eye diseases so breeders can track families more easily (KIN report available). There is no charge for entering an Affected Dog into the GDC database. Fee for a first Unaffected is $10US with annual updates $5US. Three or more littermates or related dogs entered at once are $25US.
The general breeding recommendation concerning cataracts is not to use affected dogs (and sometimes their parents and siblings) and to examine close relatives. Considering the small gene pool available to Icelandic breeders at the moment, all close relatives of an affected dog should be examined annually and breeding decisions made with care. Certainly dogs which are affected with cataracts should not be bred so breeders need to have annual eye examinations on all their stock. Breed associations need to develop recommendations and guidelines for their members anticipating future difficulties. If cataracts are discovered in a dog at 5 years of age it will probably already have a couple of generations of potential carriers produced.
These offspring need to be tracked even more carefully and possibly removed from the reproductive pool?
If we are lucky enough to have cataracts in Icelandics which are autosomal dominant and early onset they can be fairly easily bred away from! Sharing annual eye results and pedigree information internationally can help all Icelandic fanciers learn the patterns of cataract occurrence in our breed so more informed breeding decisions may be made in the future.
References
Canine Inherited Diseases Database, www.upei.ca/~cidd
Canine Eye Registry Foundation, www.vmdb.org/cerf.html
Institute for Genetic Disease Control in Animals, www.gdcinstitute.org
by Sharon Schaefer
Cataracts are the most common disease of the lens of the eye and are an inherited eye disorder. Cataracts occur as an aging change in the eyes of dogs (after age 9-10) and people; a few cataracts result from injury, toxins, or diseases such as diabetes; but the vast majority of cataracts is an inherited problem. In most breeds the genetics producing cataracts is not yet defined. In those breeds where the inheritance has been established it varies from autosomal recessive to autosomal dominant to incomplete dominance with variable expressivity. This indicates that we need to carefully study and track the occurrence of cataracts in Icelandics to begin to establish our own breed pattern.
There are also breed differences in the age of onset, degree of symmetry between eyes, rate of progression, and actual abnormalities seen on the lens. This again is information we need to gather and study in Icelandics who have cataracts. Cataracts present before 8 weeks of age are called congenital (considered at birth), cataracts appearing up to 4 years of age are considered juvenile or developmental, and after this they're called later onset cataracts. Various breeds may be prone to only one or all three of these types. In different breeds having cataracts, some may occur in only one eye while in other breeds it will be both eyes. In some breeds the original cataract (independent of age of onset) will never change very much and in other breeds it will continue to grow leading to blindness. Probably through their superior senses of smell and hearing, dogs are very good at compensating for vision problems. If they are kept in a familiar environment, owners may be unaware of considerable vision loss.
The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists controls certification for freedom from heritable eye diseases. Clearances for vision must be performed annually by a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist and not by a local veterinarian. Both the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) and the Institute for Genetic Disease Control in Animals (GDC) offer certification on an annual basis if the appropriate form and fee is forwarded to them. CERF is a closed registry and failed reports are completely confidential (up-to-date 'clear' reports may be accessed on the website). The research copy of the CERF form is always forwarded to the Veterinary Medical Database of CERF for breed information (individual identity is confidential). This data is used to form the C.E.R.F. data base which is useful in researching trends in eye disease and breed susceptibility.
CERF charges $10.50US for each new entry and $8.00US for recertification with a kennel rate for 10 or more sent back to same owner of $7.50 each. GDC maintains an open registry (all reports are publicly shared) of inherited eye diseases so breeders can track families more easily (KIN report available). There is no charge for entering an Affected Dog into the GDC database. Fee for a first Unaffected is $10US with annual updates $5US. Three or more littermates or related dogs entered at once are $25US.
The general breeding recommendation concerning cataracts is not to use affected dogs (and sometimes their parents and siblings) and to examine close relatives. Considering the small gene pool available to Icelandic breeders at the moment, all close relatives of an affected dog should be examined annually and breeding decisions made with care. Certainly dogs which are affected with cataracts should not be bred so breeders need to have annual eye examinations on all their stock. Breed associations need to develop recommendations and guidelines for their members anticipating future difficulties. If cataracts are discovered in a dog at 5 years of age it will probably already have a couple of generations of potential carriers produced.
These offspring need to be tracked even more carefully and possibly removed from the reproductive pool?
If we are lucky enough to have cataracts in Icelandics which are autosomal dominant and early onset they can be fairly easily bred away from! Sharing annual eye results and pedigree information internationally can help all Icelandic fanciers learn the patterns of cataract occurrence in our breed so more informed breeding decisions may be made in the future.
References
Canine Inherited Diseases Database, www.upei.ca/~cidd
Canine Eye Registry Foundation, www.vmdb.org/cerf.html
Institute for Genetic Disease Control in Animals, www.gdcinstitute.org
Risks of Ivermectin CISC Newsletter 2006
SPECIAL HEALTH REPORT: Risks of Ivermectin
By Robin Smith
Oliver [an Icelandic mix] kept having re-occurring bouts of Giardia. They decided to try something outside of the normal range of treatment, which was giving him invermectin. Within a few days he fell suddenly very ill. He had diarrhea, then he stopped eating (which for him was unheard of); by the next morning he was listless and still not eating. By that evening he was refusing water. When I called him to come up stairs with me he didn't move and when I went to tug his collar gently he growled at me. Then he started throwing up. I knew that we needed to take him to the vet immediately, because at the minimum he was at risk of dehydration.
As we were getting him ready to go to the emergency room, he started having blood in his vomit. We took him to the ER - they thought he had swallowed something that was lodged in his stomach or gut. I said that was highly unlikely because he doesn't swallow things. They also asked if he could have gotten into rat poison or anything else. I don't keep anything like that in my house and we don't leave him out unattended in the yard.
They put him on an IV drip, gave him medication to keep him from vomiting and kept him over night. When we came to get him the following morning to take him to his regular vet he was still unable to hold down any food or water. They told me the tests that they had run indicated that his liver was in very bad shape. In essence he was experiencing liver failure. They ran all sorts of diagnostics to try to find a viral cause. They couldn't.
Then one vet said "it could have been the medicine we gave him this last time for his giardia. Some dogs have been known to react badly to that medication". Oliver stayed in the hospital for 3 days before he could hold down food or water. The vet stated that he probably would have died had he not been hospitalized. I know he was in pain and suffering greatly during this time.
The vet never warned us that the medicine they were giving him could cause him trouble. It is down on his paperwork that he is a border collie mix.
While we now know that he is most likely an Icelandic mix, the vet still should have known that invermectin and collies don't mix well. The vet also never apologized or gave us a reduction on our $1,200 vet bill.
All I can say, is that I am glad that I know enough about dogs to know when to take an animal to the ER. Otherwise Oliver would have died from liver failure at 2 years of age.
It is my understanding that this medication is a regularly used medication in skin conditions like mange. It is also regularly used as a heartworm medication. Since my vet didn't raise the issue with me, I now know to always ask what the potential side effects and risks are for any medication they are prescribing.
(Editor’s note: Icelandic Sheepdogs, like Collies and related herding breeds, may have a serious reaction to the drug ivermectin. About 75% dogs of these breeds or mixes have a specific gene mutation, which causes the ivermectin to build up to toxic levels in the brain.
Ivermectin is used in low doses in Heartgard-30 Plus for treating heartworm and other worms, and in higher doses it is used to treat sarcoptic and demodectic mange, ear mites and Cheyletielliosis (Dogs In Canada, March 2006).
If your dog needs to be treated for any of these conditions and ivermectin is suggested, inform your vet that, because of his breed type, he is at risk of a bad reaction and consider either alternative treatment or an ivermectin sensitivity test.
By Robin Smith
Oliver [an Icelandic mix] kept having re-occurring bouts of Giardia. They decided to try something outside of the normal range of treatment, which was giving him invermectin. Within a few days he fell suddenly very ill. He had diarrhea, then he stopped eating (which for him was unheard of); by the next morning he was listless and still not eating. By that evening he was refusing water. When I called him to come up stairs with me he didn't move and when I went to tug his collar gently he growled at me. Then he started throwing up. I knew that we needed to take him to the vet immediately, because at the minimum he was at risk of dehydration.
As we were getting him ready to go to the emergency room, he started having blood in his vomit. We took him to the ER - they thought he had swallowed something that was lodged in his stomach or gut. I said that was highly unlikely because he doesn't swallow things. They also asked if he could have gotten into rat poison or anything else. I don't keep anything like that in my house and we don't leave him out unattended in the yard.
They put him on an IV drip, gave him medication to keep him from vomiting and kept him over night. When we came to get him the following morning to take him to his regular vet he was still unable to hold down any food or water. They told me the tests that they had run indicated that his liver was in very bad shape. In essence he was experiencing liver failure. They ran all sorts of diagnostics to try to find a viral cause. They couldn't.
Then one vet said "it could have been the medicine we gave him this last time for his giardia. Some dogs have been known to react badly to that medication". Oliver stayed in the hospital for 3 days before he could hold down food or water. The vet stated that he probably would have died had he not been hospitalized. I know he was in pain and suffering greatly during this time.
The vet never warned us that the medicine they were giving him could cause him trouble. It is down on his paperwork that he is a border collie mix.
While we now know that he is most likely an Icelandic mix, the vet still should have known that invermectin and collies don't mix well. The vet also never apologized or gave us a reduction on our $1,200 vet bill.
All I can say, is that I am glad that I know enough about dogs to know when to take an animal to the ER. Otherwise Oliver would have died from liver failure at 2 years of age.
It is my understanding that this medication is a regularly used medication in skin conditions like mange. It is also regularly used as a heartworm medication. Since my vet didn't raise the issue with me, I now know to always ask what the potential side effects and risks are for any medication they are prescribing.
(Editor’s note: Icelandic Sheepdogs, like Collies and related herding breeds, may have a serious reaction to the drug ivermectin. About 75% dogs of these breeds or mixes have a specific gene mutation, which causes the ivermectin to build up to toxic levels in the brain.
Ivermectin is used in low doses in Heartgard-30 Plus for treating heartworm and other worms, and in higher doses it is used to treat sarcoptic and demodectic mange, ear mites and Cheyletielliosis (Dogs In Canada, March 2006).
If your dog needs to be treated for any of these conditions and ivermectin is suggested, inform your vet that, because of his breed type, he is at risk of a bad reaction and consider either alternative treatment or an ivermectin sensitivity test.
Hypothyroid Part 2 CISC Newsletter Spring 2006
GENETIC HEALTH – Hypothyroid Part II
By Sharon Schaefer
As stated in the first article, accurate diagnosing of thyroid dysfunction in dogs is not as simple as in people. The veterinarian needs to consider a blood panel to eliminate other possible illnesses as well as careful interpretation of three to six thyroid functions, including Free T4 checked through equilibrium dialysis and not a less reliable method. Prebreeding screening should include TgAA.
The dog should be tested at least 90 days after vaccination, when it is not on any other medications, and 12-16 weeks after the start of the last heat cycle in females. Dogs with TgAA present should not be bred from and should be retested in 6 – 12 months as this could be the earliest indicator of a thyroid problem. If the retest is negative for TgAA, and the other thyroid functions are still normal, the dog is a candidate for breeding. In families with known hypothyroid the recommendation is to do a full thyroid function test annually until age three before breeding.
Dogs which are symptomatic and confirmed hypothyroid as above should be treated with levo-thyroxine a synthetic thyroid hormone. The dose should be split, 12 hours apart, morning and evening and preferably not given with food (especially on blood test day). Dr. Jean Dodds, supported by an increasing amount of recent clinical evidence, also recommends treating those with consecutive tests showing rising TgAA. Since about 75% of the thyroid gland needs to be destroyed before a dog may show significant symptoms, treating at the first clear blood test indication of hypothyroid avoids significant trauma. Maintenance levels of thyroxine are then lower.
Given an appropriate dosage of thyroxine, the dog with symptoms of lethargy, heat seeking, or mental conditions should show improvement in less than two weeks. Changes to skin, coat, and weight will be a slower process taking two to three months. Hair loss might get worse a few weeks after starting treatment. Blood levels (total T4 and TSH or T4 and FreeT4) need to be checked in 6-8 weeks for dose adjustment. The blood test needs to be done close to 6 hours after the morning dose of thyroxine.
If symptoms are not responding then blood levels should be checked sooner and elimination of all other possible disease conditions reconsidered. After every dose adjustment, blood levels will need to be retested in about 2 weeks to ensure ongoing appropriate correction of the problem. For maintenance many dogs are fine with a single morning dose and complete thyroid retests every 6 or 12 months.
References
www. upei.ca/cidd/intro.htm
www. itsfortheanimals.com Click: Dr. Dodds/HEMOPET
www.ofa.org
www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov Search: canine hypothyroidism
By Sharon Schaefer
As stated in the first article, accurate diagnosing of thyroid dysfunction in dogs is not as simple as in people. The veterinarian needs to consider a blood panel to eliminate other possible illnesses as well as careful interpretation of three to six thyroid functions, including Free T4 checked through equilibrium dialysis and not a less reliable method. Prebreeding screening should include TgAA.
The dog should be tested at least 90 days after vaccination, when it is not on any other medications, and 12-16 weeks after the start of the last heat cycle in females. Dogs with TgAA present should not be bred from and should be retested in 6 – 12 months as this could be the earliest indicator of a thyroid problem. If the retest is negative for TgAA, and the other thyroid functions are still normal, the dog is a candidate for breeding. In families with known hypothyroid the recommendation is to do a full thyroid function test annually until age three before breeding.
Dogs which are symptomatic and confirmed hypothyroid as above should be treated with levo-thyroxine a synthetic thyroid hormone. The dose should be split, 12 hours apart, morning and evening and preferably not given with food (especially on blood test day). Dr. Jean Dodds, supported by an increasing amount of recent clinical evidence, also recommends treating those with consecutive tests showing rising TgAA. Since about 75% of the thyroid gland needs to be destroyed before a dog may show significant symptoms, treating at the first clear blood test indication of hypothyroid avoids significant trauma. Maintenance levels of thyroxine are then lower.
Given an appropriate dosage of thyroxine, the dog with symptoms of lethargy, heat seeking, or mental conditions should show improvement in less than two weeks. Changes to skin, coat, and weight will be a slower process taking two to three months. Hair loss might get worse a few weeks after starting treatment. Blood levels (total T4 and TSH or T4 and FreeT4) need to be checked in 6-8 weeks for dose adjustment. The blood test needs to be done close to 6 hours after the morning dose of thyroxine.
If symptoms are not responding then blood levels should be checked sooner and elimination of all other possible disease conditions reconsidered. After every dose adjustment, blood levels will need to be retested in about 2 weeks to ensure ongoing appropriate correction of the problem. For maintenance many dogs are fine with a single morning dose and complete thyroid retests every 6 or 12 months.
References
www. upei.ca/cidd/intro.htm
www. itsfortheanimals.com Click: Dr. Dodds/HEMOPET
www.ofa.org
www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov Search: canine hypothyroidism
Health Issues Hypothyroid Article
GENETIC HEALTH – Hypothyroid CISC Winter issue 2005
By Sharon of Belglen Kennel
Hypothyroid - underproduction of thyroid hormones - is the most common endocrine problem in dogs. A very large percent of dogs with hypothyroid have autoimmume thyroiditis (also called lymphocytic thyroiditis) which is an heritable condition.
Actual clinical problems generally occur between 4-8 years of age in medium to large sized dogs. Both males and females are equally affected although some studies show spayed females may be more prone to it than intact females (one symptom females but not males might display is to reproductive function). The clinical signs of many diseases can appear like hypothyroid and so it is important to diagnose and treat other disease conditions first.
As an example, thyroxin (T4) is produced by the thyroid gland, as is T3. ‘Free T4’ and ‘Free T3’ are the actual, available hormones the body can use. The body also changes some T4 to T3 then the T3 is used by the body in the pituitary gland, liver, and kidneys. Other illnesses may affect this T4 to T3 process leading to insufficient T3 even though the thyroid gland itself is still functioning correctly. In this case the dog is not ‘hypothyroid’, adding thyroid medication will not help but treatment of the real underlying disease can also lead to ‘curing’ the secondary thyroid problem.
Diagnosis of a thyroid dysfunction in people is much simpler than in dogs. In dogs, an accurate diagnosis requires measurement and interpretation of at least three and possibly six different blood factors (the recommended tests are still in some dispute). Thorough genetic screening requires one more yet. For breeding stock in breeds with the possibility of hypothyroid occurring, the recommendation is to do a baseline screen after sexual maturity (over 1 year in males and 12-16 weeks after start of the first estrus cycle in females so that conflicting hormones are at their lowest point in the heat cycle). This should be repeated annually at least to 6 years of age then every second year. OFA now provides a dated thyroid registry for a one-time $15US fee.
Correct interpretation of results is very important. Any one test by itself is not conclusive in dogs (some individual veterinarians still use just one for diagnosis which can be inaccurate). T4 levels are normally lower in some breeds of dogs. They will also be lowered by other drugs, recent vaccination, heat cycle, or even the time of day. T3 fluctuates widely and can be within normal range even in hypothyroid dogs. Free T4 is a more true measure but the one accurate test for dogs currently available (equilibrium dialysis – OFA is requiring this method) is expensive and many labs use a different less accurate method.
Measurement of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone(TSH) has been used in people but dogs are less straightforward and both false negatives and false positives can be obtained. So the veterinarian needs to look carefully at all the results together to make an informed diagnosis. At least three indications in a complete Thyroid Panel are considered indicative of hypothyroid. According to Dr. Jean Dodds a full thyroid panel includes T3, T4, FreeT3, FreeT4, T3 Auto Antibodies and T4 Auto antibodies ($57.50US with her interpretation and $25US for adding TgAA). The presence of both T3AA and T4AA indicates autoimmune thyroiditis.
Autoimmune thyroiditis is also detected by the presence of Thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAA) in the blood and one position (now more accepted) is that breeding stock should be screened through this test as well as a full panel. Dr. Dodds believes that the presence of TgAA in the blood is the earliest indicator of future issues with two screens a year apart showing an increase in TgAA as absolute providing the other thyroid tests agree. Again careful timing is important as besides the stage of estrus, recent vaccinations can give a false positive. OFA’s registry uses the 6 TgAA as well as measurement of canineTSH and assessment of Free T4 through what they call a ‘gold standard technique’.
The form requests vaccination history but only recommends that a female not be in heat. OFA-approved laboratories must be used and annual retests have only veterinary (assess dog and fill out lab form and OFA form, collect blood, centrifuge to obtain 2 ml serum, ship overnight to an approved lab) and laboratory charges (University of Guelph is only Canadian approved lab and their fee is $55). Early detection can improve breeding choices and improve quality of life for the dog by preventing onset of advanced symptoms through earlier treatment.
Some typical symptoms of advanced hypothyroid include lethargy or mental dullness, weight gain, dry skin but not itchy, hair loss on trunk or tail and skin thickening on these areas, seeking out warm places to lie down, chronic skin or ear infections, and slow heart rate. However dogs may be hypothyroid without any of these symptoms but instead present with depression or unprovoked aggression, seizures, head tilt or other apparently nerve related conditions. Any of these problems should include thyroid function tests as a first or second step in the search for root causes. Thyroid medication should never be given without clear indicators of need through a Thyroid Panel. Blood levels need to be tested in 6-8 weeks for dose adjustment which is nearly always indicated.
Continued next issue.
References
www. upei.ca/~cidd/intro.htm
www. itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM
www.ofa.org
www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov
By Sharon of Belglen Kennel
Hypothyroid - underproduction of thyroid hormones - is the most common endocrine problem in dogs. A very large percent of dogs with hypothyroid have autoimmume thyroiditis (also called lymphocytic thyroiditis) which is an heritable condition.
Actual clinical problems generally occur between 4-8 years of age in medium to large sized dogs. Both males and females are equally affected although some studies show spayed females may be more prone to it than intact females (one symptom females but not males might display is to reproductive function). The clinical signs of many diseases can appear like hypothyroid and so it is important to diagnose and treat other disease conditions first.
As an example, thyroxin (T4) is produced by the thyroid gland, as is T3. ‘Free T4’ and ‘Free T3’ are the actual, available hormones the body can use. The body also changes some T4 to T3 then the T3 is used by the body in the pituitary gland, liver, and kidneys. Other illnesses may affect this T4 to T3 process leading to insufficient T3 even though the thyroid gland itself is still functioning correctly. In this case the dog is not ‘hypothyroid’, adding thyroid medication will not help but treatment of the real underlying disease can also lead to ‘curing’ the secondary thyroid problem.
Diagnosis of a thyroid dysfunction in people is much simpler than in dogs. In dogs, an accurate diagnosis requires measurement and interpretation of at least three and possibly six different blood factors (the recommended tests are still in some dispute). Thorough genetic screening requires one more yet. For breeding stock in breeds with the possibility of hypothyroid occurring, the recommendation is to do a baseline screen after sexual maturity (over 1 year in males and 12-16 weeks after start of the first estrus cycle in females so that conflicting hormones are at their lowest point in the heat cycle). This should be repeated annually at least to 6 years of age then every second year. OFA now provides a dated thyroid registry for a one-time $15US fee.
Correct interpretation of results is very important. Any one test by itself is not conclusive in dogs (some individual veterinarians still use just one for diagnosis which can be inaccurate). T4 levels are normally lower in some breeds of dogs. They will also be lowered by other drugs, recent vaccination, heat cycle, or even the time of day. T3 fluctuates widely and can be within normal range even in hypothyroid dogs. Free T4 is a more true measure but the one accurate test for dogs currently available (equilibrium dialysis – OFA is requiring this method) is expensive and many labs use a different less accurate method.
Measurement of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone(TSH) has been used in people but dogs are less straightforward and both false negatives and false positives can be obtained. So the veterinarian needs to look carefully at all the results together to make an informed diagnosis. At least three indications in a complete Thyroid Panel are considered indicative of hypothyroid. According to Dr. Jean Dodds a full thyroid panel includes T3, T4, FreeT3, FreeT4, T3 Auto Antibodies and T4 Auto antibodies ($57.50US with her interpretation and $25US for adding TgAA). The presence of both T3AA and T4AA indicates autoimmune thyroiditis.
Autoimmune thyroiditis is also detected by the presence of Thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAA) in the blood and one position (now more accepted) is that breeding stock should be screened through this test as well as a full panel. Dr. Dodds believes that the presence of TgAA in the blood is the earliest indicator of future issues with two screens a year apart showing an increase in TgAA as absolute providing the other thyroid tests agree. Again careful timing is important as besides the stage of estrus, recent vaccinations can give a false positive. OFA’s registry uses the 6 TgAA as well as measurement of canineTSH and assessment of Free T4 through what they call a ‘gold standard technique’.
The form requests vaccination history but only recommends that a female not be in heat. OFA-approved laboratories must be used and annual retests have only veterinary (assess dog and fill out lab form and OFA form, collect blood, centrifuge to obtain 2 ml serum, ship overnight to an approved lab) and laboratory charges (University of Guelph is only Canadian approved lab and their fee is $55). Early detection can improve breeding choices and improve quality of life for the dog by preventing onset of advanced symptoms through earlier treatment.
Some typical symptoms of advanced hypothyroid include lethargy or mental dullness, weight gain, dry skin but not itchy, hair loss on trunk or tail and skin thickening on these areas, seeking out warm places to lie down, chronic skin or ear infections, and slow heart rate. However dogs may be hypothyroid without any of these symptoms but instead present with depression or unprovoked aggression, seizures, head tilt or other apparently nerve related conditions. Any of these problems should include thyroid function tests as a first or second step in the search for root causes. Thyroid medication should never be given without clear indicators of need through a Thyroid Panel. Blood levels need to be tested in 6-8 weeks for dose adjustment which is nearly always indicated.
Continued next issue.
References
www. upei.ca/~cidd/intro.htm
www. itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM
www.ofa.org
www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
CERF Health Results 2007
Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Club CERF Results
Results to date, will continue to update thoughout the year. - Last update Dec 07
Belglen Skati -Right Eye-Normal : Left eye- Cateract, anterior cortex, punc, significance of above punctate cataract unknown 6/07
Belglen Skrytla - Normal 1/07
Belglen Riddari- Left -PPM and Right - Normal 7/07
Belglen Risi -Normal 6/07
Belglen Roskva- Normal 2/07
Belglen Spakur- Normal 6/07
Greenstone Ada - Normal 7/07
Greenstone Boogie Man of Belglen - Normal 6/07
Greenstone Fire an Ice -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Marcus Aurilius -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Imperitritsa Maria -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Empress of India -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Marquesa Esmeralda - Normal 10/07
Greenstone Rough Diamond Normal - 10/07
Greenstone Cool Hand Luke -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Cleopatra Jones -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Foxy Brown- Normal 10/07
Greenstone Outlaw Josey Wales -Normal 10/07
Grimsnes Rof -Normal 3/07
Narri fra Villiskogum -Normal 3/07
Kersin's Midas Touch-Normal 1/07
Kersin's Odinn -Normal 1/07
Kolur-Normal 3/07
Tofra Dalla Hektordottir - Normal 7/07
Tofra-Ljosalfur- Normal 3/07
Pineridge Gletta Normal 3/07
Pineridge Kolperla -Normal 10/07
Skin Deep's Skrytla- Normal 1/07
Solhundur Frida Tofradis- Normal 12/07
Solhundur Galdur Kolgrimur - Normal 12/07
Solhundur Leika Oskadis - Normal 12/07
Solhundur Ljufa Ljosstjarna - Normal 12/07
Solhundur Tindra Oskastjarna - Normal 12/07
Woolfarm's Jewel - Normal IS 244/2007-24
Woolfarm's Sasha - Normal IS 242/2007-24
Vahalla Golden Reign -Normal 9/07
Vahalla Golden Satori -Normal 9/07
Vahalla Golden Allure -Normal 9/07
Vahalla Gold Rush -Normal 9/07
Vahalla Gold Victor -Normal 9/07
Vahalla Gold Standard -Normal 9/07
A huge thank you goes out to our CISC Breeders and ISD owners for freely giving their results of their test to the CISC, and we will continue to gather the information for the international reports and to share with the public though the club. The effort you guys make is wonderful and as always the Candian Icelandic Sheepdog club shares this information with interested folks.
We believe that the information should be available to the public to search and that it should not belong just to the club based database, where you must request the information per dog from the club. Enjoy our Open Databases and as always, Thanks for Iceland in leading the way with their wonderful DIF public breed Database, once you find the dogs in canada, the odds are good that you will be able to track overall family lines using the public DIF Databases, Finland has now made all their Data publish as well, hopefully more clubs will continue to follow suit.
Results to date, will continue to update thoughout the year. - Last update Dec 07
Belglen Skati -Right Eye-Normal : Left eye- Cateract, anterior cortex, punc, significance of above punctate cataract unknown 6/07
Belglen Skrytla - Normal 1/07
Belglen Riddari- Left -PPM and Right - Normal 7/07
Belglen Risi -Normal 6/07
Belglen Roskva- Normal 2/07
Belglen Spakur- Normal 6/07
Greenstone Ada - Normal 7/07
Greenstone Boogie Man of Belglen - Normal 6/07
Greenstone Fire an Ice -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Marcus Aurilius -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Imperitritsa Maria -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Empress of India -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Marquesa Esmeralda - Normal 10/07
Greenstone Rough Diamond Normal - 10/07
Greenstone Cool Hand Luke -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Cleopatra Jones -Normal 10/07
Greenstone Foxy Brown- Normal 10/07
Greenstone Outlaw Josey Wales -Normal 10/07
Grimsnes Rof -Normal 3/07
Narri fra Villiskogum -Normal 3/07
Kersin's Midas Touch-Normal 1/07
Kersin's Odinn -Normal 1/07
Kolur-Normal 3/07
Tofra Dalla Hektordottir - Normal 7/07
Tofra-Ljosalfur- Normal 3/07
Pineridge Gletta Normal 3/07
Pineridge Kolperla -Normal 10/07
Skin Deep's Skrytla- Normal 1/07
Solhundur Frida Tofradis- Normal 12/07
Solhundur Galdur Kolgrimur - Normal 12/07
Solhundur Leika Oskadis - Normal 12/07
Solhundur Ljufa Ljosstjarna - Normal 12/07
Solhundur Tindra Oskastjarna - Normal 12/07
Woolfarm's Jewel - Normal IS 244/2007-24
Woolfarm's Sasha - Normal IS 242/2007-24
Vahalla Golden Reign -Normal 9/07
Vahalla Golden Satori -Normal 9/07
Vahalla Golden Allure -Normal 9/07
Vahalla Gold Rush -Normal 9/07
Vahalla Gold Victor -Normal 9/07
Vahalla Gold Standard -Normal 9/07
A huge thank you goes out to our CISC Breeders and ISD owners for freely giving their results of their test to the CISC, and we will continue to gather the information for the international reports and to share with the public though the club. The effort you guys make is wonderful and as always the Candian Icelandic Sheepdog club shares this information with interested folks.
We believe that the information should be available to the public to search and that it should not belong just to the club based database, where you must request the information per dog from the club. Enjoy our Open Databases and as always, Thanks for Iceland in leading the way with their wonderful DIF public breed Database, once you find the dogs in canada, the odds are good that you will be able to track overall family lines using the public DIF Databases, Finland has now made all their Data publish as well, hopefully more clubs will continue to follow suit.
HD Rates in different countries
Hip Dysplasia
OFA Coding Systems
Excellent-Normal Hips
Good-Normal Hips
Fair-Normal Hips
Borderline-Transitional
Mild-Dysplastic
Moderate-Dysplastic
Severe-Dysplastic
European Coding System
HD-Hip Dysplasia in degrees
UA=without remarks
A1, A2, B1=HD-Free
B2, C1, C2=HD-in the first Degree
D1, D2=HD in the Second Degree
E1 = HD in the Third Degree
E2 = HD in the Fourth Degree
OFA Coding Systems
Excellent-Normal Hips
Good-Normal Hips
Fair-Normal Hips
Borderline-Transitional
Mild-Dysplastic
Moderate-Dysplastic
Severe-Dysplastic
European Coding System
HD-Hip Dysplasia in degrees
UA=without remarks
A1, A2, B1=HD-Free
B2, C1, C2=HD-in the first Degree
D1, D2=HD in the Second Degree
E1 = HD in the Third Degree
E2 = HD in the Fourth Degree
Canadian Litter Size information 2005-2006
CISC Litter Information
Litter Sizes
Litter 1 - 4 Puppies
Litter 2- 4 Puppies
Litter 3 - 4 Puppies
Litter 4- 4 Puppies
Litter 5 - 3 Puppies
Litter 6- 4 Puppies
Litter 7- 3 Puppies
Litter 8- 6 Puppies
Litter 9- 3 Puppies
Litter 10- 2 Puppies
Total Litters = Ten
Total Puppies = 37
Average size per litter 3.7 puppies per litter
Litter Sizes
Litter 1 - 4 Puppies
Litter 2- 4 Puppies
Litter 3 - 4 Puppies
Litter 4- 4 Puppies
Litter 5 - 3 Puppies
Litter 6- 4 Puppies
Litter 7- 3 Puppies
Litter 8- 6 Puppies
Litter 9- 3 Puppies
Litter 10- 2 Puppies
Total Litters = Ten
Total Puppies = 37
Average size per litter 3.7 puppies per litter
Health Results for 2005-2006- Hip Results
CISC HD Rates for 2005-2006
Penn Hip Tests Reports
Lavendel Vindur Pennhip results of L0.58 and R0.58.
Kersins Odinn Pennhip results of L0.37 and R 0.40.
Skin Deep Katina: Pennhip results of L0.47 and R.0.41
Please note that there is no way to cross the Pennhip test results against OFA results period.
The lower the Pennhip number the best, the higher the number the more likely the dog will develop HD in the future.
OFA Test Reports
Skin Deep Katina OFA Excellent
Loki frá Oddhóli, TT, CGC, TDI OFA Good
OFA Prelim Tests Done (HD Free) but tests must be redone when the dogs are two years plus.
Belglen Riddari
Belglen Runa
Greenstone Born in a Storm
Penn Hip Tests Reports
Lavendel Vindur Pennhip results of L0.58 and R0.58.
Kersins Odinn Pennhip results of L0.37 and R 0.40.
Skin Deep Katina: Pennhip results of L0.47 and R.0.41
Please note that there is no way to cross the Pennhip test results against OFA results period.
The lower the Pennhip number the best, the higher the number the more likely the dog will develop HD in the future.
OFA Test Reports
Skin Deep Katina OFA Excellent
Loki frá Oddhóli, TT, CGC, TDI OFA Good
OFA Prelim Tests Done (HD Free) but tests must be redone when the dogs are two years plus.
Belglen Riddari
Belglen Runa
Greenstone Born in a Storm
Health Results for 2005-2006-CERFs
CERF Results for 2005/2006
CH Belglen Runa of Greenstone -Normal
Belglen Risa- Normal
Belglen Riki -Normal
Belglen Rjupa -PPM (Persistent Pupillary Membrane
Belglen Riddari- Normal
Bolstad Eric -Normal
Folda CGN HI TPOC- Normal
Fronar Ima Belglen -Normal with remark
CH Greenstone Ajay -Normal
Greenstone Ada HI- Normal
Greenstone Alaxander the Great -Normal
Greenstone Born in a Storm -Normal right eye, Left eye Retinal dysplasia/retinopathy-geographic
Greenstone Thunder -Normal
Greenstone Lightning- Normal
Greenstone Ullo -Normal
Greenstone Rudolph -Normal
Greenstone Black Magic Women- Normal
Greenstone Sharp Dressed Man- Normal
Greenstone Boogie Man- Normal (Remark)
Greenstone Voodoo Child -Normal
Greenstone Mystic Moon -Normal
Greenstone Blue Moon- Normal
Greenstone Blue Suede Shoes -Normal
Greenstone Black Pearl -Normal
Greenstone Black Jack -Normal (Remark)
Greenstone Black Moon Rising -Normal
Grimsnes Rof -Normal
Hnuk’s Pila- Normal
Isa fra TK Icelandics- Normal
Kersin’s Odinn -Normal
Kersin’s Midas Touch -Normal
Kolur -Normal
Kari fra Villiskogum -Normal
Lavendel Vindur -Normal
Lukka fra Keldnakoti -Normal
Loki frá Oddhóli, TT, CGC, TDI -Normal
Pineridge Kolperla -Normal
Pineridge Ala- Normal
Skin Deep’s Katina -Normal
Tofra Tobba Traustadottir- Normal
Tofra Dalla Hektorsdottir HI- Normal
Tofra-Ljosalfur- Normal
Tryna fra Sherwood Forest- Normal
Vahalla Odin -Normal
Vahalla Cira -Normal
A huge thank you goes out to our CISC Breeders and ISD owners for freely giving their results of their test to the CISC, and we will continue to gather the information for the international reports and to share with the public though the club. The effort you guys make is wonderful and as always the Candian Icelandic Sheepdog club shares this information with interested folks. We believe that the information should be available to the public to search and that it should not belong to just a select few within a club. Enjoy
CH Belglen Runa of Greenstone -Normal
Belglen Risa- Normal
Belglen Riki -Normal
Belglen Rjupa -PPM (Persistent Pupillary Membrane
Belglen Riddari- Normal
Bolstad Eric -Normal
Folda CGN HI TPOC- Normal
Fronar Ima Belglen -Normal with remark
CH Greenstone Ajay -Normal
Greenstone Ada HI- Normal
Greenstone Alaxander the Great -Normal
Greenstone Born in a Storm -Normal right eye, Left eye Retinal dysplasia/retinopathy-geographic
Greenstone Thunder -Normal
Greenstone Lightning- Normal
Greenstone Ullo -Normal
Greenstone Rudolph -Normal
Greenstone Black Magic Women- Normal
Greenstone Sharp Dressed Man- Normal
Greenstone Boogie Man- Normal (Remark)
Greenstone Voodoo Child -Normal
Greenstone Mystic Moon -Normal
Greenstone Blue Moon- Normal
Greenstone Blue Suede Shoes -Normal
Greenstone Black Pearl -Normal
Greenstone Black Jack -Normal (Remark)
Greenstone Black Moon Rising -Normal
Grimsnes Rof -Normal
Hnuk’s Pila- Normal
Isa fra TK Icelandics- Normal
Kersin’s Odinn -Normal
Kersin’s Midas Touch -Normal
Kolur -Normal
Kari fra Villiskogum -Normal
Lavendel Vindur -Normal
Lukka fra Keldnakoti -Normal
Loki frá Oddhóli, TT, CGC, TDI -Normal
Pineridge Kolperla -Normal
Pineridge Ala- Normal
Skin Deep’s Katina -Normal
Tofra Tobba Traustadottir- Normal
Tofra Dalla Hektorsdottir HI- Normal
Tofra-Ljosalfur- Normal
Tryna fra Sherwood Forest- Normal
Vahalla Odin -Normal
Vahalla Cira -Normal
A huge thank you goes out to our CISC Breeders and ISD owners for freely giving their results of their test to the CISC, and we will continue to gather the information for the international reports and to share with the public though the club. The effort you guys make is wonderful and as always the Candian Icelandic Sheepdog club shares this information with interested folks. We believe that the information should be available to the public to search and that it should not belong to just a select few within a club. Enjoy
CISC Health Reports for 2005-2006-BAER
BAER Tested Dogs in CISC 2005-2006
Belglen Riddari Normal
Belglen Reifur Normal
Belglen Risi Normal
Belglen Riki Normal
Belglen Rjupa Normal
Belglen Skati Normal
Belglen Spakur Normal
Belglen Spora Normal
Belglen Skalmar Normal
Belglen Stjarna Normal
Belglen Skrytla Normal
Fronar Ima Normal
Hnuk Pila Normal
The BAER test is a non-surgical procedure that can detect deafness in either one or both ears. Given that the Icelandic Sheepdog can have high levels of white up into pieds, it is a very good idea to consider testing your Icelandic’s with BAER testing if at all possible.
The CISC will encourage all their CISC breeders that are breeding Icelandic’s in the higher levels of the S factors to consider getting their dogs and puppies tested.
Belglen Riddari Normal
Belglen Reifur Normal
Belglen Risi Normal
Belglen Riki Normal
Belglen Rjupa Normal
Belglen Skati Normal
Belglen Spakur Normal
Belglen Spora Normal
Belglen Skalmar Normal
Belglen Stjarna Normal
Belglen Skrytla Normal
Fronar Ima Normal
Hnuk Pila Normal
The BAER test is a non-surgical procedure that can detect deafness in either one or both ears. Given that the Icelandic Sheepdog can have high levels of white up into pieds, it is a very good idea to consider testing your Icelandic’s with BAER testing if at all possible.
The CISC will encourage all their CISC breeders that are breeding Icelandic’s in the higher levels of the S factors to consider getting their dogs and puppies tested.
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