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Patellar
Luxation
Miniature
Pinschers are Ranked 34th for Patellar Luxation in the OFA
database. There are different severity of "slipping knees" or
"trick knee" with grade 1 being the mildest and grade 4 the
most crippling.
All our breeding dogs are
OFA Normal of Patellar Luxation and results are viewable online
through OFA.
Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) Type
VI
Research suggest the association between MPS VI and LCP.
All our breeding dogs are in the process of being DNA'd
for MPS VI. Results will be posted throughout
2010.
Legg-Calve-Perthes
Miniature pinschers are ranked 5th for LCP,
LCP
usually affects dogs BEFORE they are 12 months of age and it
is usually VERY crippling, however, mild cases can go
undetected into adulthood. Surgery is available but often
the dog is put to sleep. X rays are controversial
as a "normal" xray diagnosis will not tell you if the
dog will produce an LCP puppy. It is
VERY improtant that your breeder give at least a 2yr
health guarantee that covers LCP.
Colour
Dilution Alopecia or CDA
This affects Blue/tan miniature Pinscher and Fawn/tan
or Isabella Miniature pinscher. Puppies have a normal coat. Onset
varies from approx 6months to 5yrs. The dogs coat goes through a
change and texture is different, the hair becomes brittle, the dog
smells ‘musky’, there is some seborrhea. There is hair loss with the
dog looking "patchy" or completely bald. Only the dilution part of
the dog is affected with the tan markings unaffected. Secondary
infection from inflamed hair follicles is possible. Not all dilutes
are affected but bc the onset varies so greatly it is VERY... VERY important to get a health guarantee
that covers CDA for at least 5-6yrs if
you have your heart set on a dilute minpin. If the breeder
won't give it... RUN the other way!! This condition is incurable!!Dogs affected will need regular
grooming/medical maintenance for life.
>>I DO NOT BREED DILUTE MINPINS<<
Learn about the
Minpin Colours!
Below: Fawn minpin with CDA.
This dog has
balding on her withers, neck & head. Her skin is sore and
inflamed from infected hair Follicles
Many Dilutes I have met have CDA to various degrees.
Not so
Common Health Issues in the MINPIN:
C.E.R.F.
Our
breeding dogs are re-certified on a bi-annual basis.
The next clinic here in Tbay is May 2009 for Tia, Darla
and Raija
Cardiac
Miniature Pinschers are not ranked for Cardiac
disease.
Thyroid
Miniature pinschers are not ranked for Thyroid
disease. However, we test for Thyroid randomly and
at various ages. Test results are available upon request
through our
Vet.
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All this info can be
found on the OFA website and the Great Dane Club of
America Website!
Meet "Diesel":
We know first hand
the devastation of losing a beloved family pet to crippling
hereditary defects.
Diesel Oct 2004- May 19
2010
Diesel 'fell' into our lap when he was about 5
months old. We were not looking to add another dog to our
family... nevermind a farm dog, but here he was and I felt so sorry
for him. Paul and I both agreed we would give him our best
til the pain from HD became too much for him. We
don't know his exact birthdate so we put it the same month as our
daughter. We watched our Young dog grow, each
day more painful than the next. When Diesel should
of been in the prime of his life, he was on Joint and Pain
medication and walked with an ever present limp. At the
end, he couldn't even wag his tail without almost falling
over.
Diesel was a victim... purposly bred, the
sole reason was to make money. Everyday of his short
life I'm reminded that his suffering could of been
prevented with proper breeding practices. I
couldn't imagine how he must have suffered for
his entire short life despite our efforts to make him more
comfortable. In the end it wasn't even his hips and back
legs that gave out on him first... it was his heart at
5yrs young.
Please, Please... research your breeder and do
everything in your power to avoid this costly and
painful experience. We didn't 'buy' Diesel, but I know
there are so many out there that bought thier dog with this
same sad story. Whether done of ignorance or on purpose... it
is the dog that pays the ultimate
price.
Rest pain
free my boy, I'll see you at the Rainbow
bridge.
~Des
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Cardiac
DCM: CARDIOMYOPATHY - is
suspected to be an inherited disease in the Great Dane and current
(preliminary) research indicates that this disease may be sex-linked
in our breed. Research is ongoing. An echocardiogram of the heart
will confirm the disease but will not guarantee that the disease
will not develop in the future. Regular exams on breeding stock are
recommended. There are some congenital heart defects also
occasionally found in the breed.
Congenital heart diseases
in dogs are malformations of the heart or great vessels. They are
are present at birth and may develop more fully during perinatal and
growth periods. The exact modes of inheritance have not been
precisely determined for all cardiovascular malformations.
For
More indepth information Please read this article!
HEART
DISEASE IN THE GREAT
DANE
Elbow
Elbow dysplasia is a general term used to identify an
inherited polygenic disease in the elbow of dogs. Clinical
signs involve lameness which may remain subtle for long periods of
time. No one can predict at what age lameness will occur in a dog
due to a large number of genetic and environmental factors such as
degree of severity of changes, rate of weight gain, amount of
exercise, etc. Subtle changes in gait may be characterized by
excessive inward deviation of the paw which raises the outside of
the paw so that it receives less weight and distributes more
mechanical weight on the outside (lateral) aspect of the elbow joint
away from the lesions located on the inside of the joint. Range of
motion in the elbow is also decreased.
Hips
HIP DYSPLASIA - is an
inherited disease with multi-factorial
expression. Clinically the
disease may be seen as simply poor rear end conformation or lessened
athleticism to such malformation of the hip joint that the dog
becomes crippled. It is recommend that breeding stock be Xrayed as
normal. OVC, OFA and PennHIP all offer certification
programs.
Thyroid
Hypothyroidism in dogs is
generally the result of a heritable disorder of the
immune system. This condition results when the thyroid gland is
not producing enough hormone to adequately maintain the dog's
metabolism. Happily, it is easily treated with thyroid replacement
pills. Thyroid testing (T4, TSH and autoantibodies) on breeding
stock should be performed on a routine basis.
OCD
While the exact mode of
inheritance is unknown, osteochondrosis is considered to be an
inherited disease. In affected individuals there is a
disruption in ossification of the cartilage mold beneath the
articular cartilage of the joint. This results in aseptic
necrosis and when the weakened area collapses, the articular
cartilage fractures resulting in lameness.
OCD has been reported
to occur in the shoulder, elbow, stifle, hock, and spine, and can be
unilateral or bilateral. Most affected dogs that develop
clinical signs are less than one year of age.
OCD is seen in many
breeds but appears to be more common in the larger body type
breeds. It is also seen more frequently in males than
females.
Other Great Dane
related Health Information:
Bloat
GDV: Bloat - is the
number one killer of Great Danes & Great Danes are the #1 breed
at risk for bloat. For reasons not fully understood, in certain
deep-chested breeds in particular, the stomach distends, then has a
tendency to rotate, which cuts off the blood supply to various parts
of the body, as well as effectively shutting down digestion. This
condition is extremely painful as well as a true emergency that is
rapidly life threatening. A dog with a bloated, twisted stomach
(technically called "Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus") will die in
great pain in a matter of hours unless drastic steps are taken:
surgery is normally necessary. The reasons for GDV are
currently not understood, however most would agree that multiple
small meals per day and preventing vigorous exercise around
mealtimes can help reduce the chances of bloat. There is a
surgery called a prophylactic gastropexy ("preventative tack") which
can help prevent some of the more serious aspects of GDV. Discuss
this with your veterinarian and your Dane's
breeder.
HOD and
Pano
these are painful
conditions of the bones that occur during the rapid growth phase of
puppyhood causing lameness and general malaise. By far HOD is the
more serious one and can be deadly. Pano is usually self-limiting
and may not need treatment. HOD stands for Hypertrophic
Osteodystrophy. Pano is short for Panosteitis.
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