Health Testing? - Page 4

Ain't it the truth?

Just my 2 cents................for all the people that are against the American dogs and how SOME of the American "breeders" do, then I advise you to get the GSDCA's club mag, The Review, and one just might be surprised how many dogs are tested and what they are tested for---and for hips, just how many Excellents there are these days as compared to other lines. I am throwing this in because as a proud member of the GSDCA, I just get tired of every little question turning into a pissing match.

--- >OK, I see where this breed is headed, right down the shitter

Its been going that way for years :( This not new news. I have written articles for the Quarterly and the GSD Review over the years, mentioning this in many of the articles. Having spent nealry $100,000 over the past 2 years on my dogs health roblems, I can personally attest to that.

Marjorie
http://www.gsdbbr.org The German Shepherd Dog Breed Betterment Registry (a health registry for registered German Shepherds)
BE PROACTIVE!
http://mzjf.com --> The Degenerative Myelopathy Support Group http://www.mzjf.info/hgate Heaven's Gate

I am a fan of testing for everything that is available. Why not? It can let you know if there are issues so that you can start advanced treatment. And if breeding is your goal then why not test? Why add to the problem?

--- >  I am throwing this in because as a proud member of the GSDCA, I just get tired of every little question turning into a pissing match.

People have a right to diasgree. That doesnt make it  a pissing match.Each person has a right to express their views. Nobody agrees on everthing.

I was a member of the Club for many years. I left the Club- its strictly a political organization and I do not believe they have the best interest of the breed at heart. They have no desire to be educated- that right from the horse's mouth.. I find them to be an exasperating organization that does nothing but bitch about how the entries at shows are dropping.They do NOTHING when abuse cases are brought before them , even with documentation.  The ethics committee takes no action. They circle the wagons and they cover for breeders who abuse their dogs and do nothing about it, even when presented with facts and notarized statements. It got to the point where I felt embarassed to be a part of the club, so I resigned. I did serve on the Health Committee of the Club and co-authored the 2006-2007 Health and Genetics Blue  book. It was the first time it was brought back in years, that year. However, if one is not in the political *in crowd*, no headway can be made on any issues. IMHO, they are all afraid of each other. I have never been so disapppointed in an organization in my life. Some h igh level officers of the  Club even supported the application of a major puppy miller to join the club!

There was one show where a breeder kicked her dog because it lost in the ring. I was not present or I would have reported it. People who witnessed it did not do anything or report it to the AKC rep at the show. I did attempt to submit notarized statements to the Ethics Committe from people who witnessed the beating (and other incidents in which this breeder not only abused her dogs, but euthanized other's dogs, as well that were in her care her). The abuser was a bigtime powerful breeder with many champions and the Ethics Committee would not take my complaint because I personally did not witness it, even though, as stated, I had notarized acounts from witnesses. The witnesses, themselves, were afraid to file the complaint, due to potential backlash.No one would do anything at the show because of the breeder's power. This is not an organization I would be proud to be a part of.  Any organization that does nothing, when presented with proof of abuse, by witnesses, has absolutely NO credibility with me. I was told by someone in the Club to hit my dog with a tide bottle full of stones, when he acted out. IMHO, thats abuse! I work in rescue, and that doesnt fly with me. There is never an excuse to hit an animal unless one is defending oneself from an attack.. An organization that does nothing to breeders who abuse their dogs should disband! Again, JMHO, but I cannot understand how people who profess to love this breed can turn a blind eye to disgusting behavior, and cover for each other :( What price, Glory????? I guess you have a right to be proud, but I was not proud at all. I was embarassed and mortified by what was definitely NOT acceptable behavior. Well it wasnt acceptable to me, at any rate. It was horrifying!

When Europe is referred to, are you generally referencing Germany? In the UK some testing is done in addition to Hips and Elbows. It's growing, but slowly, but in a lot of cases is held back by Germany not testing. Germany has always steadfastly refused to test for anything more than hips/elbows.  In some cases they deny that certain conditions even exist. Haemophilia A being a case in point. See Mackenzie's comment on the Epilepsy thread, that Germany do not consider it as existing in German lines any more.. Neither do they acknowledge dwarfism in German lines despite the fact that a German dwarf GSD publicly attended a Sieger show for many years and certainly I know of dwarfs produced from WGSL dogs in the UK! 

This puts many in a difficult position. They wish to stud to VA dogs, yet those dogs are untested, so what is the point of testing their own dogs, when you can only have half of the picture?  Personally, if I were a breeder I would not use the dog, but some must have their V or VA's in their pedigrees.  IMO this holds back the whole breed from a healthier future. Consequently what may be in many German bloodlines is unknown until they produce a problem, although as per Mackenzies post on the Epilepsy question thread one of this year's VA dogs has many well known epileptic producers back in the pedigree.

Good post, Abby - u took the words "Haemophilia A" right out of my mouth !  I was about
to say this is one test that NEVER gets mentioned on this largely American board -
although I HAVE seen occasional references to "the Canto problem".
Now we have some people in the UK wondering if there is any point in Haemo testing
anymore cos we've seen so few cases in recent years ...

What bcrawford said.

German breeders only xray hips and elbows because their dogs still sell like hotcakes , not because their dogs are generally any hardier or healthier than their relatives whelped in the US.  Many here would rather take a chance on a German dog than pay a lot more for a dog whelped in the US from parents with more health tests and written guarantees. That's their choice.

Marj and I probably know many of the same breeders; like everything else in life, some are honest and try to do the best they can while others are only interested in selling dogs. I've been taken by an ASL/GSL breeder and I've been taken by German line breeder, have also spent an awful lot of money on health issues in my GSD's and have had a lot of heartbreak connected with those dogs. Still I think that the good breeders in the US by far outnumber the bad ones.

Breed Specific Core to the CHIC philosophy is the realization that each breed has different health concerns. Not all diseases have known modes of inheritance, nor do all diseases have screening tests. Some screening tests are based on phenotypic evaluation, others on genetic testing. With all these variables, a key element of CHIC is to customize or tailor the CHIC requirements to the needs of each breed. These unique requirements are established through input from the parent club prior to the breed's entry into the CHIC program. Breed specific requirements typically consist of the inherited diseases that are of the greatest concern and for which some screening test is available. Each parent club also drives specific screening protocols. As an example, one parent club may allow cardiac exams to be performed by a general practitioner. Another parent club may require the exam to be performed by a board certified cardiologist. A club may also use the CHIC program to maintain information on other health issues for anecdotal purposes. Later, as screening tests become available, the disease may be added to the breed specific requirements.

From the CHIC webpage.