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by Sunsilver on 18 March 2013 - 11:03
German Shepherd inherited ventricular arrhythmia is a particularly heartbreaking disease, because there are usually no visible signs or symptoms until your puppy falls over dead, or fails to wake up from a nap.
The ISSR Shiloh shepherd club has had a number of dogs affected by this disease, as genetically, these dogs are about 98% GSD, and GSDVIA is fairly common in the American showline GSDs from which the Shilohs (mostly) came. One of the most heartbreaking cases was Gracie.
When breed founder, Ma Shiloh (Tina Barber) was dying from lung cancer, one of the club members volunteered to stay by her side and provide nursing care during her final days. The nurse had specialist training in palliative care, and the family was very grateful for her services.
Out of gratitude, Ma gave the nurse a Shiloh pup, which they named Gracie.
Ma passed away shortly afterwards. Gracie passed in her sleep at the age of 8 months. Her owner was so heartbroken that she decided to do something about it.
Thus, The Gracie Initiative: http://www.shilohshepherds.info/Gracie.pdf In order to read the document, right click on the margin, and select "rotate clockwise", then use the bar at the bottom of the page to enlarge it.
If you are concerned about this disease affecting your pup, you can ask a veterinary cardiologist to do a 24 hour Holter monitor test.
If I were breeding American showlines, this is something I would certainly look into. The gene that carries the trait is dominant, so it is easy to eliminate it from the gene pool with testing.
I don't think it's so much of a problem with the German line dogs. If I'm wrong about this, please correct me!
The ISSR Shiloh shepherd club has had a number of dogs affected by this disease, as genetically, these dogs are about 98% GSD, and GSDVIA is fairly common in the American showline GSDs from which the Shilohs (mostly) came. One of the most heartbreaking cases was Gracie.
When breed founder, Ma Shiloh (Tina Barber) was dying from lung cancer, one of the club members volunteered to stay by her side and provide nursing care during her final days. The nurse had specialist training in palliative care, and the family was very grateful for her services.
Out of gratitude, Ma gave the nurse a Shiloh pup, which they named Gracie.
Ma passed away shortly afterwards. Gracie passed in her sleep at the age of 8 months. Her owner was so heartbroken that she decided to do something about it.
Thus, The Gracie Initiative: http://www.shilohshepherds.info/Gracie.pdf In order to read the document, right click on the margin, and select "rotate clockwise", then use the bar at the bottom of the page to enlarge it.
If you are concerned about this disease affecting your pup, you can ask a veterinary cardiologist to do a 24 hour Holter monitor test.
If I were breeding American showlines, this is something I would certainly look into. The gene that carries the trait is dominant, so it is easy to eliminate it from the gene pool with testing.
I don't think it's so much of a problem with the German line dogs. If I'm wrong about this, please correct me!
by eddyelevation on 18 March 2013 - 19:03
btw u say they are 98% pure GSD. what is the other 2%?
by Sunsilver on 18 March 2013 - 21:03
The Shilohs split away from the GSD when Tina did an outcross to a dog that was a mix of GSD and giant malamute.
There were also outcrosses to a white GSD, Hoofprint Orbit, and a long haired black GSD from German herding lines, Artus vom Sohrewald. He was registered with the Altdeutscher Schaeferhund Verband, not the SV, but his ancestors were all SV working lines.
There were also outcrosses to a white GSD, Hoofprint Orbit, and a long haired black GSD from German herding lines, Artus vom Sohrewald. He was registered with the Altdeutscher Schaeferhund Verband, not the SV, but his ancestors were all SV working lines.
by eddyelevation on 18 March 2013 - 21:03
thank you....so they basically are gsd's?
by Sunsilver on 19 March 2013 - 00:03
No, Eddy, they can't be GSDs if they are crosse with a dog that's part malamute!
Some people CLAIM they are GSDs but they are NOT. They have their own registry and breed standard.
Shilohs aren't popular on this board, so if you want to know more, Google is your friend.
Some people CLAIM they are GSDs but they are NOT. They have their own registry and breed standard.
Shilohs aren't popular on this board, so if you want to know more, Google is your friend.
by eddyelevation on 19 March 2013 - 00:03
ok thanks.........
by Rik on 19 March 2013 - 10:03
I think it was more the people who wanted to present them as "old fashioned, oversized" GSD bred the way the GSD was intended that was not popular. I think most folks realize the dogs themselves have no control over this.
never heard of this condition so thanks for the heads up.
Rik
never heard of this condition so thanks for the heads up.
Rik
by Sunsilver on 19 March 2013 - 12:03
Rik, you don't know the half of it, I'm afraid. There are several competing registries out there that broke with the breed founder, and are doing their own thing, backcrossing their Shilohs to GSDs, and still calling them Shilohs. Others have introduced flock-guardian type herding dogs, and there's rumors that one breeder has introduced wolf blood to his dogs. Add to that Tina Barber's bulldog protectiveness of HER breed, and you've got a situation that makes AKC politics pale by comparison!
Anyway, this thread is about a serious health issue, and what can be done to fix it, so let's leave the politics out of it!
Anyway, this thread is about a serious health issue, and what can be done to fix it, so let's leave the politics out of it!
by Markobytes on 19 March 2013 - 16:03
I do know off Shilohs that the AKC has registered them as pedigreed GSDs.
by Sunsilver on 19 March 2013 - 17:03
[sigh!] 
Let's not go there, okay?
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