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Wobblers vWD Bloat Dcm CHD
Cervical Vertebral Instability (CVI) - also known as "Wobblers"
Cervical Vertebral Instability (CVI), commonly known as "Wobblers" is the compression on the spinal cord between the 5th, 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae located in the neck. It usually develops gradually and is seen in the affected canine typically between 7 and 8 years of age.
Some will tell you that the only accurate tool in diagnosis is a myelogram - where dye is injected into the dog's spinal column and Radiological pictures taken. Myelogram's are extremely dangerous ( dog's have died as a result of this procedure and should only be used as an absolute necessity.
The early visual signs that the dog may have Wobblers is the dragging of hind feet causing abnormal wear to the dog's toenails. The hind legs will often be awkward and sway, making the animal walk like he is drunk - thus the name "Wobblers"., eventually affecting all four limbs.
Occasionally, in serious cases, there is a rapid decline in the dog's condition. This is associated with extreme pain, arching of the neck, and the dog is unable to raise his head higher than shoulder level. All four legs become very stiff and walking is impossible.
Treatment for this disease can include pain medication and rest, surgery, through to alternative treatments are available
Note: Very few Dobermanns will be affected by "Wobblers", and the extreme cases are rare.
VON WILLERBRANDS DISEASE
What should a breeder do with the test results. There are three possible results CLEAR, CARRIER and AFFECTED.
The Dobermann owner and breeder should view vWD as a significant health risk.
CLEAR
This indicates that the gene is not present in the dog. Therefore, when used for breeding, a Clear will not pass on the diseased gene.
CARRIER
This indicates that one copy of the disease gene is present in the dog, but that it will not exhibit disease symptoms. Carriers will not have medical problems as a result. Dogs with carrier status will pass on the disease gene 50% of the time.
AFFECTED
This indicates that two copies of the diseased gene are present in the dog. Unfortunately, the disease will medically affect the dog.
IDEAL MATING
Clear to Clear
100% Clear Puppies
SAFE BREEDING
Clear to Carrier
50% Clear/ 50% Carrier puppies
Clear to Affected 100% Carrier puppies
NOT RECOMMENDED FOR BREEDING AS SOME OR ALL PUPPIES WILL BE AFFECTED
Carrier to Carrier
25% Affected puppies
Carrier to Affected 50% Affected puppies
Affected to Affected 100% Affected puppies
Bloat (Gastric Torsion)
This condition affects mainly large deep-chested breeds of dogs and is a very serious and life threatening condition. It warrants immediate veterinary attention and quite often surgical intervention to prevent recurrence. It is expensive to treat due to the need for intensive care and surgery.
Bloat appears to be caused by a combination of a number of factors.
Feeding one large meal a day causes stretching of the stomach wall and damage to the nervous supply to the stomach. Research suggests that the stomach has a "pacemaker" (just like the heart) which co-ordinates the contractions and emptying of the stomach. If the pacemaker is damaged by stretching of the stomach wall, uncoordinated stomach contractions and emptying occur. I feed my adults on 2 meals per day , Feeding dogs with elevated feeding stands is another good preventative. .
Exercised dogs, being very thirsty and hungry, may gulp both food and water down together in a short time. Avoid this by not feeding your Dobermann for at least an hour and a half before or two hours after exercise.
Although not proven, dry dog foods have been suggested to be a cause of bloat. The food swells up and stretches the stomach wall . To avoid this, if you feed your Dobermann dry food then soak in hot water for at least 5 minutes before feeding. When the hot water hits the biscuits you can see the gas escaping.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease of the heart muscle which causes the heart to enlarge and not function properly. The occurrence of DCM usually increases with age and typically has an age of onset between 4 and 10 years. The cause is still unknown although many factors strongly suggest a genetic cause.
It usually affects both the left and right sides of the heart with either side being more severely affected. Typically both the lower chamber and the upper chamber enlarge and lose their ability to contract and pump blood out to the body or the lungs.
Treatment is aimed at improving the heart's function and controlling the signs of congestive heart failure. Drugs are used to help the heart contract better, diuretics can help control and prevent accumulation of fluid in or around the lungs. Drugs that control cardiac arrhythmias are used as well.
It is important for you to monitor your dog's overall attitude and outward signs, so that if you notice any heavy/laboured breathing, coughing, fainting spells, restlessness or profound lethargy, arrangements can be made to see your regular veterinarian quickly.
CHD
Dysplasia literally means abnormal, so hip dysplasia literally translates as abnormal formation of the hip socket. The hip is a ball and socket joint, in a normal hip the ball fits snugly into the socket, forming a pivot point. Dogs which have a genetic predisposition for hip dysplasia are born with normal hips. However, as the dog grows, the structure of the hip joint becomes badly formed, and the ball no longer fits snugly into the socket and therefore does not rotate smoothly.
Although this problem is more common in larger breeds, smaller breed dogs and mongrels are not immune from it. Ultimately, the end result arthritis and a painful and crippling degenerative joint disease.
The severity of the symptoms obviously depends upon the degree of the dysplasia. More often than not the dog becomes lame and may be unwilling to run and play as much as he used to. He often starts to have trouble getting up or climbing stairs. If and older dog, he may perform a "bunny hop" when running, or walk with a "waddle" and become reluctant to exercise.
There are many diseases which display the same symptoms as hip dysplasia, therefore the only true way to diagnose hip dysplasia is by a complete physical and neurological examination, and then x-ray of the hips.
Hip dysplasia is a multifactorial trait, which means that a number of different factors can contribute to it. However, hip dysplasia is basically a genetic trait and will not develop if the hereditary factor is not there to begin with.
Nutrition is the greatest contribution. Puppies should be kept lean and not fat, obviously a puppy which is carrying round too much weight will exacerbate any degeneration of the joint. Research has also shown that giving a diet too high in protein and calcium also exacerbates the condition. Rapid growth in a young puppy also contributes, and, in most cases, the rapid growth rate is directly related to feeding a high calorie diet to puppies. Over supplementation of calcium has likewise been shown to be a major factor in the development of skeletal disease in puppies.
Exercise is the other main contribution. Many people over-exercise young puppies, or give them the wrong type of exercise. The wrong type of exercise can include forced running for any distance and too much exercise on tarmac or other hard surfaces. Up to at least six months of age, exercise on hard surfaces should be kept at a minimum. Correct exercise for puppies includes running and playing in the garden or in a park, although games that involve jumping and very rough play should be avoided, and the puppy should be allowed to rest as soon as he has had enough and must not "over-do" it. Swimming is an excellent form of exercise which builds up the muscles without putting stress on the joints.
The treatment depends a lot upon the severity of the hip dysplasia and the age of the dog concerned, and veterinary treatment must be sought.
Any dog with hip dysplasia should be kept fit and trim as any excess weight will obviously aggravate the condition, but good muscle tone will help to support the dog's weight. Swimming is an excellent form of exercise which builds up the muscle without stress to the joints.
Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and carprofen, can often help manage pain. Research has shown that Vitamin C can also reduce the inflammation in the affected joints. Some people have also reported success with holistic medicines.
However, in some dogs the arthritis in the joint can become so painful that if cannot be controlled medically. When the pain becomes this bad, there are various surgical procedures which can be done to relieve the pain. Each procedure has its pros and cons, and different veterinary surgeons may have more experience, and therefore be more skilled, with a particular type of surgery.
One such procedure is called a femoral head osteotomy. This involves removing the head and neck of the femur so that the bone does not contact bone, and a fibrous scar tissue then forms a "false" joint. As the dog's muscles must be strong enough to support the dog's weight on the false joint, regular exercise is very important. Another surgical procedure is hip replacement. This is the same as the human hip replacement, the diseased joint is taken out and an artificial joint is inserted
Hip dysplasia is an inherited disease with a polygenic (influenced by more than one gene) mode of inheritance. Total elimination of Canine Hip Dysplasia is an unrealistic goal, but by selectively breeding dogs with good hips, breeders can reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia. In this respect, the British Veterinary Association, along with The Kennel Club, run a scheme to test for hip dysplasia, which should aid the breeder when choosing breeding stock.
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