The information provided here outlines an approach that has been used successfully by the author to reduce the prevalence of clinically expressed canine thyroid disease within susceptible families or breeds. EARLY THYROID DISEASE (THYROIDITIS) COMPENSATORY AND CLINICAL CANINE HYPOTHYROIDISM Most of the confusion about the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease …
What is the immune system? The term “Autoimmune disease” is currently making the rounds among dog breeders and exhibitors and in the veterinary community. Diseases caused by a defective immune system are of particular concern among many purebred fanciers. (Some people use the abbreviation AID for (A)uto (I)mmune (D)isease. Due to possible confusion with AIDS,(acquired …
Translated by Irene Klotz For breed judges, Koermeister and breeders the evaluation of the German Shepherd dog is a daily activity. For all others, it is likely of interest to know how a dog – especially your own – is evaluated. Johann Mayer, Regional Breed Warden of the Bavaria-South Regional Group has compiled some of …
Drawing from our backgrounds in competitive running and conditioning, we have developed a program for preparing dogs to pass the AD in excellent condition. Using this program, we have trained a number of dogs for the AD and all have easily passed. We believe a thorough conditioning program is the key to training a dog …
Revised 2012 German Shepherd Dog Myelopathy, also known as DM for Degenerative (chronic and progressive) Myelopathy (spinal cord disease), or CDRM in the UK, is the first disorder that comes to mind when German Shepherd Dogs and spinal lesions are spoken of together. Almost peculiar to Shepherds, the first symptoms are usually seen at more …
Fading Puppy Syndrome – One Possible Cause: Until relatively recently, canine herpes seemed to be a problem only in the whelping boxes maintained by rank novices in breeding dogs. Experienced breeders could control it, prevent the effects. But it appears that perhaps a different strain of virus may be running rampant and causing more and …
Revised December 2011. An infrequent, puzzling phenomenon is the litter in which many, if not all, of the whelps become strangely deformed sometime in the first two weeks of life. A flattening of the thorax and abdomen, top to bottom, becomes evident about a week after birth from some unknown cause. It apparently happens most …
When I was about 5 1/2 months old, I started to limp a lot. The limping was always worse after walks and play sessions. My parents were very worried about me. They thought that I might have that terrible disease called dysplasia, or maybe OCD… They brought me to the vet to have x-rays done. …
In 1985, the world began to hear about a disease that was affecting cattle in the UK – bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. Variants of the disease – known to affect cattle, sheep and humans – left the brains of its victims riddled with holes and resembling a …
A disorder sometimes easily mistaken for hip dysplasia is Legg Calvé Perthes disease, perhaps more frequently referred to by the dog fancier as Legg Perthes. This is an avascular (pertaining to inadequate blood supply), aseptic (not infected), developmental osteonecrosis (dying of bone tissue) of the femoral head and neck, …