Litter due - suspect lines? - Page 7

Thank-you for your post, you are right  it is a terrible problem, and it is happening far too often, unfortunately the question that you have asked has no clear cut answer as Epilepsy is a Complex  gene, but after speaking to Chris Hazell (Breed Health Co-ordinator) she is more than willing to speak to you and anyone else on this health problem and any other health issues affecting the Breed. Here is her details posted with permission, hope this will help. http://www.gsdleague.co.uk/CONTACTING%20THE%20GSD%20LEAGUE%20COMMITTEE%20MEMBERS.html   As you have mentioned there are the better Breeders, and they should be commended, but we also agree with what you have said that to to some it is a "business" but if it is,then why not do it right, they are providing a service. In todays commercial world these Breeders ethics would not be tolerated.   The KC assured breeder scheme means exactly what??? Breeding in this country is not governed and until it is, (in my humble opinion) we will continue to have major health issues in this country.   Margaret

Many moons ago during a conversation with malcolm willis, he enlightened me as to just how bad epilepsy is a problem within the german shepherd dog  When hearing about it again being produced all these years later it saddens me.
The older I get the more dumbfounded I become when I see that the lines from the dog megan with epilepsy are still being used today, I feel sorry for the couple that owned her, as I have watched with interest the progression of their plight against a dreadful disease, I would have thought that after the hoo ha created by them, breeders would make at least an attempt at changing their attitudes towards health problems in their dogs, but no, their arrogance abounds.
There can only be one motivation...money.
 
Jeremy
 
 

It does not seem to matter at all, what you say or where you say it, when trying to help people become aware of lines that carry health problems, such as Epilepsy, they will believe what they want to believe and they will certainly do what they want to do, regardless of  the consequences to the dog. I have read many articles written about Epilepsy, from Sheila Rankin, about her dog, Chris Hazel in the GSD league handbook and also Linda Wild and others like Pamela Douglas about her Australian Shepherd.
Our article we knew was not going to change their thinking but it might make others, think and question ,and be that bit more informed. To many there is a lot more health problems than Epilepsy, and that is true, and to many it is not such a big problem as they never really hear anything about it, until it comes up again in a discussion on a forum, that is wrong.
We have recently been informed of yet an other (there are many) GSD suffering with Epilepsy, and yes it is Primary Epilepsy, the lines are terrible and it is so sad to see once again lines that have and are still producing this horrible condition.
The Breeders who do these matings depend on secrecy that this will not be made public, hopefully this will, once the owners give their permission.   We are neither stupid or arrogant enough to think that making our dog Megan, who suffered and died with Epilepsy public, would make these Breeders stop and think about what they are doing, why would they, they had/have more knowledge about these lines than either myself or John, for many years. What we had hoped, was that by making Megan's story public that the Breeders who do care, would be more careful in their choices when mating and to also encourage Pedigree Research, and some of these Breeders have made changes to their breeding programs, and are encouraging others to do the same. We hope that people looking to buy a puppy will now be more informed and be more careful, that is all we can hope for, how could we Not have shared this information, some did not want the pedigree public, as it would scare others who had these lines, were we not scared, did others not have the right to know, or was it simply that these lines would be exposed to the public.
Some who were and still are opposed to us making this public, claimed that we were destroying these lines and dogs deserving of legendary status, (now legendary for the wrong reasons) sadly they themselves were the ones responsible, who by continuing to use these lines that created health problems in turn have destroyed these lines. We were the ones who had a dog with Epilepsy, her KC name was Belgran Follow Your Dream her name was Megan, a white longcoat, with excellent temperament,who before Epilepsy could run the fields with the best of them, who was sharp as a tack, loved obedience and was a joy to have and loved by all, what more could we ask for, only that she was still here with us enjoying her life as it should be, not as ashes in a box,  WHY is this too much to ask??  For this very reason we will not be quiet or go away, to prevent more dogs from going through what our Megan did.

Margaret
For Megan xxx

Hi All
firstly i have also sadly lost a dog with epilepsy some  years ago, she was  9 months old when she died in my arms  Its one of the most heart breaking
, cruel dieseses there is and why i chose to start breeding , in the hope that i could produce strong healthy dogs and do my bit in strenghtening the breed and bringing joy to new owners knowing i have done my best in breeding no inherited dieseses or problems in my lines , which im pleased to say i have achived to date
Unfortunatly there are to many breeders / puppy farms that dont give a dam
I was thrown off of champdogs because i allowed my male to stud a female with bad elbow scores , I did my checks and at the time the hip score was only result showing on the kennel club health checks , so the following year when the guy brought his bitch back for another mating i did'nt bother to check because i had done so the previous year , I was unaware the B.V.A read the scores seperatley and obviously the  bitches owner was not forthcoming with the information
so this i was condemed for , even though champdogs had made the same error with the first litter and allowed the litter to be advertised 
Champdogs also allows un health tested  dogs to advertise  litters , ??????? Case of what you dont know wont hurt you WRONG champdogs
they dictate and proclaim they are setting high standards but id rather have a dog with a risk of dysplacia than with epilepsy any day
SHAME ON THE BREEDERS AND SHAME ON CHAMPDOGS if your going to do something do it properly esspecially when its a life involved
The kennel club is also guilty ,, if they was'nt to allow registrations of puppies from known bad lines then perhaps it would stop breeders using these poor dogs and allowing the infected lines to carry on

  

What a sad state of affairs reading these accounts. I remember reading the articles mentioned and find it quite depressing to still read about more dogs today being put through the mill with this disease. The kennel club really need to take what information that is reported to them and do something about it, if people who own these dogs are willing to put their head on the block, so should the kennel club, at the very least least they should refuse to register pups from known problem lines. Boils down to cash,yet again. Jeremy.

We are sorry to hear about your dog, and she was so young xxx People whose dogs have been diagnosed with Primary Epilepsy need to be Acknowledged and Supported by  the KC. It is so much more difficult when reporting this health problem, as you have many that will try to turn it right around and blame you for your dog having this condition,it is called the Ostrich Syndrome and has been going on for a long time. It was said regarding  Megan that her Epilepsy was due to a bad spaying and that she  fitted on the table,which never happened.  Others have been accused of many other things including letting  a fire fall on their dog, when for a Fact the dog actually fell on the fire while having a Grand-mal seizure. With accusations like these the KC have a Responsibility to people who have Veterinary Proof that their dog is suffering from Primary Epilepsy.
  Margaret

I have found that when you listen to the breeders of dogs with things such as epilepsy, suffering from the "ostrich syndrome" out come the excuses for the dogs problem, so much for the old proverb "we will be available for the life of the pup" hah! Whenever a line throws up a dog with epilepsy or such the breeders who for years have run each other down and attacked their choices of breeding stock, now circle the wagons, and band together against the puppy owner that dares to point out their transgression, covering each others back. how are any diseases going to be addressed unless the kennel club or some organization with any kind of legal power brings into force legislation on breeding to protect the dogs, any fool can put two dogs in a room and they will produce pups, this alone does not make a breeder there is a lot more to it, reports are showing that health problems are not going away or indeed improving in fact they are increasing at an alarming rate. or at least we are getting to hear about more of the incidents.
  Jeremy