Keeping Track of Health Problems in the Breed - Page 4

Keeping track of the health problems in our breed is an impossible task. I admire and respect the people that endeavour to deal with the problems that are now faced.

The records become meaningless unless everyone participates and, that will never happen. The health problems that we are endeavouring to reduce and eradicate have been brought about by man. The inbreed that so many are following is one of the root causes because apart from stamping in good features it also continues to stamp in all of the bad problems to the point that some, if not all, can no longer be totally eradicated. Testing is not the answer and even now we are testing for so many different problems that rarely existed when breeders were more honest than they are today. Being secretive and, in some cases, falsifying pedigrees is leading this breed down the road to extinction.

The easiest way to eradicate health problems is very inexpensive. Put quite simply all it takes is to avoid using animals whose bloodline carries the known problems. It is time that all breeders take this route, however, because of the inbreed and the system of selecting males and females the easiest solution is negated. So many are following the route of using winners in the showring for this purpose is negative to what is required to follow the breed standard.

As an example I offer the breeding of a top German male who was widely used in his time

· 3, 5 - 3, 5..................................... in V Wilma von der Kisselschlucht

· 2 - 2............................................. in V Xaver von Arminius

· 2 - 2............................................. in V Palme vom Wildsteiger Land

· 3 - 3............................................. in VA5 Fina vom Badsee

· 3 - 3............................................. in V Nick von der Wienerau

· 3 - 3............................................. in VA5 Lasso di Val Sole

· 4 - 4............................................. in V Sara vom Sonnenberg

· 4 - 4............................................. in VA2 Quanto von der Wienerau

· 4 - 4............................................. in V Kuno vom Weidtweg

· 4 - 4............................................. in V Wala von der Sturmwolke

· 4 - 4............................................. in V Flora vom Königsbruch

· 4 - 4............................................. in VA10 Bredo vom Lichtburghof

· 4 - 4............................................. in V Ossi von der Kisselschlucht

· 4 - 4............................................. in V 13 Veit vom Haus Köder

· 5 - 5............................................. in SEL CH (US) V Aßlan vom Klämmle

· 5 - 5............................................. in V Joll vom Bemholt

· 5 - 5............................................. in V Ina vom Klämmle

· 5 - 5............................................. in V Hexe vom Frankenholz

· 5 - 5............................................. in V1 Canto von der Wienerau

· 5 - 5............................................. in V Klodo aus der Eremitenklause

· 5 - 5............................................. in V Yoga von der Wienerau

· 5 - 5............................................. in VA1 Gundo vom Klosterbogen

· 5 - 5............................................. in V Elfe von der Kisselschlucht

· 5 - 5............................................. in V Hera von der Sturmwolke

· 5 - 5............................................. in V Veus von der Silberbuche

· 5 - 5............................................. in VA4 Condor vom Zollgrenzschutz-Haus

· 5 - 5............................................. in V Dolly vom Sonnenberg

· 5 - 5............................................. in V1 Jonny von der Rheinhalle

· 5 - 5............................................. in V Gina vom Sehrenberg

So, do we just take more of the same and accept and expect testing to solve the problems?

Mackenzie

The GSDBBR is not ONLY for DM! It records all  health problems as well as healthy dogs. It has been in existence since 2005.

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I should of had results by now to post, but I screwed up and had to send more money before they send my OFA results.

# Mackenzie.

"The records become meaningless unless everyone participates and, that will never happen."

You're right, almost impossible, yet we will try. Things are changing, animal laws are being tightened, over here breeders become responsible for genetic diseases they could have known off.
Very, very slowly, breeders are seeing the light and coming our way. Even when they are afraid to acknowledge it in public.
Like you we scrutinize the pedigrees, we could give you some famous names who do inherited dwarfism, for example. SNP chips are changing animal genetics rapidly.
Quite an interesting list you've quoted.
It would be a great achievement if we could get breeders not to just look at beauty and convince them that good health is in their own interest if they want to be able to keep on breeding GSD's.
The most "beautiful" dogs are definitely not always the best dogs and a less beautiful dog may still be a "great" GSD.

By NOT trying, we enable those who would not do right by the breed :(. I do not want to be an enabler! When its my time to leave this earth, I want to know I did all I could to make a difference to make for a healthier breed. I owe that to my wonderful German Shepherds. If the breeders choose not to participate, and the people who purchased pets in the litter, particpate, we are still ahead of the game (, as pet people are a lot more honest about their dogs)!.

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Have to say that one time I did try to put my dog's info into the GSDBBR
​& it seemed impossible to log his health details, he didn't have enough wrong
with him !   I wanted to put in his (good) hip status (under the UK scheme),
his Haemophilia A = Clear  result, and something about his blood being
also clear w/r to IBD, based on his participation in a Royal Vet College
study.  He's too old to have had his elbows scored, not been DNA'd for
DM but no trace of it known in his immediate lineage, ditto unimplicated in
pituitary dwarfism, or AF,  and although he is now developing some arthritis, at
the time I tried to register him on BBR he did not have any sign of that either.  
It might have been compounded by my lack of computer skills, but it certainly felt
at that time as though BBR was not a record "for all health problems, and healthy
dogs", because there was nowhere on the site to put such things.  Maybe access
is improved now, three years or so later ?  As he's never been bred from it does
not really matter, in the wider scheme of things, perhaps;  but as someone who
has had both a professional interest in GSDs and an involvement with a kennel
who bred for Show and produced the dog in question, I too wished to be someone
who was conscientious about breed health, but ended up feeling 'locked out'.

WOW. Tried to enter my boy, and too complicated for my poor little brain. (too much wine) 4/2 hips UK 00 Elbows UK haemophilia clear, and pituitary dwarfism ( after 5 1/2 months wait for results) and people wonder why others don't health test??????