Keeping Track of Health Problems in the Breed - Page 2

Very beautiful girl!
Thank you for sharing

Thank you :)
 

Bump!
 

Bump because DH and I were talking today about Jack Flash and Missie T and their battle with DM, and how they loved to swim. I looked up at the clouds and it looked like a German Shepherd in the water swimming, with its ears back (mine always did that to keep the water out of their ears). I pointed it out to DH and he saw it, as well. It was so strange that we were taking about it and a cloud appeared in that shape... I dont hold much hope for people to be forthcoming, re health issues, anymore and I have basically given up on the breed and the people in the breed, but it was too much of a coincidence, today, that we mentioned the swimming, in relation to DM,  and there it was, in the sky, where they now run free. I am burning out, fighting losing battles, but this was so amazing.....
 

Bump for the dog that will be using Missie T's Help 'em up Harness :(

Bump!
 

It just stinks that after all this time, there are still so many health problems in the breed.

99% of the breeders are responsible,  and are doing the right things when it comes to the German Shepherd with testing for DM  in the Sire and Dam before the actual breeding takes place. (Breeders that I know anyway.)
It's the people or breeder wannabe that just don't care that are doing the damage.
LET THE BUYER BEWARE and DO YOUR HOMEWORK.... and TAKE YOUR TIME to do the research on all the breeders and their dogs if possible.
If it sounds too good to be true...it probably is!!

My second German Shepherd, Dana had DM. It was heartbreaking after a while. She lived to be 12 but was PTS because she could not get up one morning, so I took her to the vet and you could see in her eyes that she was ready so I was with her, and let her go with dignity. Still hurts!!

I pray one day that this disease will be gone,  but the breeders have to keep testing.

Dawn
 

I wish they would take track of perinal fistulas. When does it show up? How many dogs are affected by it? What combinations produce it?

Do a search on the GSDBBR with perianal fistulas as the search query. You will be able to bring up dogs that have had that problem, that were entered on the GSDBBR and have a look at their pedigrees.

     Dawn, one of the problems is the test for DM does not appear to test for the form of DM that afflicts GSDs. Worst yet the results are advertised as the dog being DM clear which may be not the case at all. The test is a Great Leap Forward for The breeds it was developed for, Corgis and Boxers, but it may prove detrimental to German Shepherd Dogs if we believe the answer to DM has been solved. I have seen websites of GSD breeders that go on about how responsible they are in using breeding dogs that have been tested DM clear when the rest of their breeding program is haphazard. I have seen one breeder that has gone as far as raving how responsible she is for using dogs tested as DM clear when her stud dog does not even have a hip certification for HD. The breeders probably don't even know there is a problem but OFA is aware of the problem and are acting in my my opinion irresponsibly. OFA covers itself by advertising the test as being optional, you would think the test should be mandatory. 
     Marjorie has done some remarkable work on this issue and to date her breed registry might be the best tool to combat DM. With the 100 year anniversary of the GSDCA at hand the organization needs to step in and use what power it has to get the research funded for GSD DM as the Corgi and Boxer breeds did for the form of DM that afflicts their breeds.