Researching Lines For Health Problems - Page 1

First of all, welcome back Pedigree Data Base. YOU WERE MISSED! My question... Who to ask in the SV? Are the dogs' in Germany controlled by the German Government for breeding healthy dogs? There are problems in our breed. Any and all info would be helpful! Where can I research? Who to ask? Dawn Bonome P.S. The problems I am speaking about are Pannus-(an eye problem), Mega Esophagus, Perianal Fistulas. I have been told by a couple of people that these diseases are not in German Lines. I think that they are in All lines and you never know when it will show up! IMO. Dawn Bonome

All the problems you mention exist in the BREED, whether German bloodlines or otherwise. Most are also common in at least one other breed and many are common in most breeds. The bottom line is that just like in humans, there is little research and few records of what diseases are in any dogs' bloodline. Even if you knew, so what? You would never find a given bloodline without problems. The trick is to do due diligence with recent ancestors and hope to breed healthy pups. When a given pair has produced poor health or hip or elbow problems, tweak ears etc,. hen responsible breeders do not breed that same pair again. Unfortunately, because for some it is all about money, there are breeders who do breed pairs known to produce serious problems in not just one, but several pups from a litter. The best one can do is hope that who you deal with is honest, ethical and responsible. Good luck finding out who those breeders are. Too many learn the hard way.

about PANNUS -- 15+ years ago the word was it's not heriditary -- but guess what -- My bitch produced it (one puppy in a litter of 12) and then another daughter of hers that was clear - produced it in a totally different line - E. German - and of course it was in the one we kept - for breeding - and by the time we found out -- HER daughter had it !! and it didn't show up until after she had a litter - but I don't think any of those had it -- but we're talking 3 known cases in around 100 puppies produced by 4 generations - It's still not a good thing if you have to spend time/money at the specialist's and put those darn drops in every day for 8-10 years from the time it's discovered !! None of the old girls lost their vision - it was "controlled" at a hugh expense over their lifetime - but what ya gonna do ? Pay the vet !! Listen to HODIE -- HONEST, ETHICAL RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS -- AND THE PROBLEM IS FINDING THEM - and I'd like to think that was me - when I sold that puppy that came down with PANNUS 2 years later -- who knew !! If you breed a dog with cancer who had parents and grandparents with Cancer - I can say you're responsible for putting more Cancer on the street. But if you're breeding healthy animals, with no prior konwledge of cancer in the families - and a puppy comes up with a tumor 8 years later -- I don't think you can hang the breeder for that one.

Pineridge, I am curious as to what altitude you live at. There is almost certainly a problem with UV exposure at high altitude, but of course, in the end, everything comes back to some sort of genetic predisposition except for injury. Something like Pannus is VERY hard to predict, again because of the UV exposure component. However, for example, yesterday I heard from a reliable source about a breeder who had paired two dogs and produced a litter where the majority of the litter had elbow and hip problems, so severe that surgery was done on pups. I could not believe it when the breeder put those same two dogs together again and, of course, produced and sold pups with similar hip and elbow problems. Really sad, and really unethical. I agree that there are simply things no breeder can be responsible for, as in your illustration of a pup coming up with a tumor at 8 years with no prior history in the parents. Cancer, in dogs, just as in humans, is very, very common. But, as in Manx cats, there are certain bloodlines that are well know for this affliction.