Pannus - Page 1

Hello all I have 3yr GSD, I have learned that he has Pannus. My Vet. told me this is an inherited issue and rare. The Breeder doesn't seem surprised by this news and is offering to send me information on pannus and how to treat it. Simply put this seems to me to a be a breach of contract. The contract saying "That all dogs sold, regardless of quality, are guaranteed for their lifetime against any inherited or congenital illnesses, including crippling Hip Dysplasia." My question is; Is this normal, am I over reacting? Any advice on this would be greatly appericated.

The bottom line is that no one knows exactly what causes pannus, but it, like everything, is probably genetic at some level. I see it develop in older dogs, but I have also seen it develop in a few younger ones as well. The vets I know who have practiced at lower altitude than I am living at say that when they practiced in other places at lower altitude, they almost never saw this condition. Whether that is coincidence or not, I can not say. What I can say is that it is NOT uncommon, especially at higher altitudes. Some research suggests it is related as well to UV light exposure and that, just as in humans, exposure after a long time can result in eye problems. I have several dogs who have this condition. Many dogs do get it as they age and it is more common in GSDs. It can be treated successfully to minimize the problems, but it can not be cured. It is important that you start treatment right away. I use a combination of prednisolone acetate drops and cyclosporine drops and believe that is the current and most efficacious treatment. I also limit the dogs exposure to sun by making sure they are not outside for prolonged periods during the hours of intense sunlight. If you are rigorous about treatment, your dog should do fine. But do not ignore this condition because if it goes unchecked, and in other rare cases, it can result in blindess. You might also be wise to seek a veterinary eye specialist to make sure the diagnosis is correct as there are several eye diseases common in the GSD. As for your guarantee, you got suckered by someone who gives a guarantee that really is nuts. There is simply no way to predict which dogs will develop such a condition, and like many conditions GSDs can eventually have, I would bet you are now in for a fight about what is and is not genetic. At the most basic level, everything short of an injury, is genetic. This simply means that certain genes must be present in order for a dog or human for that matter, to develop a condition. My advice to you: love your dog and do not get suckered into buying dogs from people who give such guarantees. Often these are people who really know little about the breed and are simply big puppy mills.

as usual hodie says it well, the canine opthamologist that I was acquaited with felt strongly that it had to do alot with the UV rays in the altitude and in addition to the good points hodie makes, this vet also recommends "doggles" for the dog to wear when outside, they are dog sunglasses and most dogs seem to tolerate them from the one's I have seen. As far as the contract, I don't think you have a claim that is solid.

Excellent post Hodie.

Hi,it is not a big issue to control.I did have this happen to a dog and the specialist tried to convince me to do surgury and I got a second opinion from a REAL GENTLEMAN Dr and he simply gave me a drop called CYCLODEX and i got it under control right away.Good luck with your little guy

Tsukimoon, as hodie said, there are still no definitives when it comes to the heritability of pannus, so I don't know if a court would be willing to consider it to be an inherited illness WRT your contract. You would not be able to provide any documentation of the genetics involved in the passage of the disorder from one generation to the next, since that information has not yet been established. A further complication is also the role that both altitude and environments which tend toward high levels and reflection of UV rays play in the development of the problem--an individual dog could go it's entire lifetime without ever showing any sign of pannus while it lived at sea-level and away from sunglare off of water, and then develop the disorder after it's moved with it's owner to someplace such as Denver, CO or San Diego, CA. What IS unusual about your dog's situation is his age; pannus is most commonly seen in senior dogs, usually 6-7 years of age and up. It does occur in younger dogs, however, and it is my personal opinion that dogs which are affected while young should not be used for breeding, and the pairing that created the affected dog should not be repeated in an effort to limit the severity of the disorder within the breed. Limiting the dog's exposure to strong UV rays is very important in getting good control, as is consistent use of the medication prescribed by the vet. Some dogs will require daily treatment, while others only need the drops applied weekly--it all depends on the individual dog. The use of the Doggles is an excellent suggestion as well.

My one dog had this and the specialist said/felt that generally dogs who develop it later in life (after 6-8) is is most often caused by environement (my dog acquired it at 8). When it happens in very young dogs, then they often feel that it can be genetic. In my dogs case, she was an extremely active dog outide (worked my flock and trialed etc) most of her life. She was always outside at 'peak' sun times. She was also out in the harsh elements most of her life. It did not surprise the specialist at all that it showed up in her given her lifestyle. (and I live in a higher elevation area where you see it more often). Having said that you likely will not find any vet/specialist who would 'guarantee' that this was genetic vs acquired. There is just not enough information/evidence out there. It seems to be more common than one thinks.

By the way, Pannus can also affect the dog differently. My dog had it mostly on her third eyelid(s) and not on the eyeball itself. The specialist said she would never go blind with what she had. I used the cyclosprin drops with her. We only used the prednisone to get it under control at the beginning or if it flared up more.

I had it in a police dog, we live at 10k + elevation. With useing the prednisone drops he retired at 10 and is now 12 and still sees fine. One other tip is to limit how long they are outside when there is snow on the ground as it intensifies the light. we have all heard of snow blindness in people. I have also seen dogs with no problems come up to this altitude and get it after a short time of being up here. So would also have to agree alot on this being an enviromental issue though some dogs seem to be more suseptable then others. The vet I use is about a 40 minute drive and at an elevation of under 8k feet and he says that he sees alot more cases from our area at 10k feet then at his elevation. Good luck, and with dilligance your dog can lead a healthy productive life, I know mine did. Mike

IMHO, I wouldn't be so quick to throw eggs at the breeder. Pannus is also thought to be brought on my infection and/or injury. And GSD's have more incidence of Pannus than other breeds. I have a 10 y.o. male with a severe case of Pannus. I live in ALL the wrong conditions:high altitude, dry climate,wind,sand,bright sunny days nearly every day. But, inspite of this, he is a happy healthy boy that gets along just fine. He gets rx eye drops everydan, too,but won't wear Doggles that I bought for him. Please don't be hostile at the breeder. Chances are she meant well.