September
26, 2000
PREPARED
BY: Judy
Huston
Health
and Genetics Chair
American
White Shepherd Association
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and
foremost, I want to acknowledge Dr. George Padgett for his
devotion and commitment to helping to prevent serious
genetic diseases in dogs. Without Dr. Padgett there would be
no survey and no possibility of making the kind of progress
we can make in our quest to breed healthy White Shepherds.
His book is written in a style that most dog breeders and
pet owners can understand. It includes a step-by-step method
to help breed clubs improve the health of their breeds. Dr.
Padgett made himself available every step of the way,
beginning with doing our first seminar at the 1999 AWSA
National right through conducting our Results Seminar on
September 26, 2000. From all of us and all of our White
Shepherd friends, we thank you Dr. Padgett!
Finally,
I acknowledge EVERYONE who took the time to complete the
survey and return it to either Sue Martin or to me. Thanks
to Sue Martin of the Scottish Terrier Club of America for
allowing the first batch of surveys to be returned to her
home and thereby maintain anonymity. And to my husband, Dick,
whose on-going support is obvious to everyone who knows him
and who would sing out as he came in the door from the Post
Office, "You’ve got surveys."
EXPLANATION OF THE
SURVEY
RESULTS CHART
General
We have
1,000 dogs in our survey. Approximately 34% of these dogs
came from breeders; the remaining 66% came from pet owners.
Of the 1,000 dogs, 40% (401 dogs) were affected with one or
more of the 57 Genetic Defects listed on the chart;
conversely 60% (599 dogs) were unaffected. All of the
genetic traits listed on the chart were reported in at least
one dog. Remember that in Dr. Padgett’s book, "The Control
of Canine Genetic Disease," he listed 138 diseases for the
German Shepherd Dog. So, while 57 diseases for our dogs may
seem like a lot, it falls way short of 138.
An
important number to remember is 7.1! This represents the
average number of defects carried in each of our dogs. Does
this surprise anyone? What this means is that whether you
know it or not, your beautiful dog carries the genes to pass
along, on an average of 7.1 different genetic defects to its
offspring. Dr. Padgett’s work and the results of this survey
will help you to identify these traits and breed healthier
dogs.
Explanation of Columns
The
first column is the number of dogs reported with "diagnosed
genetic conditions." If there was doubt that a vet diagnosed
the condition, it couldn’t be included. There were many
other conditions affecting our dogs that are not genetic
and, therefore, are not included in this chart (see the list
later in this report).
The
second column is the Mode of Inheritance. "Und" means
undetermined. "R" means it is a recessive trait. ‘Poly’
means Polygenic (more than one gene is involved), "D" means
dominant and the one with a "?" indicates there is still
uncertainty about the mode of inheritance.
The
third column indicates the % of dogs affected with the
disease per 100 dogs. For example 1.0 signifies 1 in 100
dogs is affected with the disease.
The
fourth column is the one you will want to learn to use
and become very familiar with. This column was figured by
using the Hardy-Weinberg Law. Based on this law, a formula
was used to determine a guesstimate of carrier frequency in
our general population of White Shepherds. One way to
interpret the meaning of this column is to understand that
if you randomly pick a dog for your bitch, this column
indicates the risk that the dog you pick will be a carrier
of a particular disease. For example, the risk for
Esophageal Hypomobility in the general population of White
Shepherds is 6.2%. If you have picked a mate that you know
based on your research is "clear" for that disease, you
reduce the risk to zero.
Worksheet
Following
the chart is a page entitled "Using the Genetic Trait
Worksheet." I put this together when I was trying to find
the best mate for Kyra. Dr. Padgett thought the worksheet
was helpful and so I decided to include it with the report.
I’ve included a blank one you can copy and one with an
example of a hypothetical pair of dogs: "Beauty and the
Beast." I’ve also included the chart from Dr. Padgett’s book
(with his permission, of course) that shows you the risk
your dog carries if it is related to an affected dog. The
numbers you see next to the genetic traits on the worksheet
are derived from this chart. I strongly recommend that
you buy a copy of Dr. Padgett’s book so you will have all
the tools at your fingertips.
Research
After you
have researched your bitch’s pedigree and discovered, on
average of 7.1 defects, you then call the prospective owner
of the dog you are considering. Obviously, after watching
Dr. Padgett’s video and reading this report, they will
either have their list ready or be working on it. (We hope!)
Then you go to the chart listing all our WS conditions and
find the carrier frequency. You write this % in the
appropriate column. It is highly likely that the two canines
will not have all the diseases in common. For any disease
your bitch carries that the dog does not, the carrier risk
becomes zero, less than the carrier risk for the general
population. For those diseases they both carry, you need to
see whether their risk is lower than the risk of a random
mate (the carrier frequency column), and or decide that the
risk is one you are willing to take.
If you
decide the risk is one you think you are willing to take,
use the formula to determine the risk of each puppy being
affected with the disease. Then, make your decision.
Keeping
Records
If you
have been a breeder who has kept records of all diseases
thrown by your dogs, you are ahead of the game. If you have
not, you will have to gather records, go back through the
pedigrees, call other breeders, and call puppy buyers. The
good news is that you only have to do this once and from
then on, keep good records. Since we buy dogs from each
other, we can help each other gather the information. The
biggest job that you have to do is go back and call every
puppy buyer you can locate and find out whether your puppy
is healthy or whether it is affected with one or more
genetic defects. Some are easy to pinpoint like the missing
teeth, umbilical hernias, etc. Others need to have been
diagnosed by a veterinarian. There are at least a dozen more
probable cases of hip dysplasia that we could not include
because the dog had not been diagnosed by a vet. Once you
accumulate this data, you will have the facts you need right
at your fingertips to help make good breeding decisions.
Summary
The
bottom line is that dogs have defects just like we do. We
can’t make good breeding decisions if we don’t know what
defects they carry. We can’t know what they carry unless we
tell each other and/or register the diseases in an open
registry like Genetic Disease Control. We won’t reduce the
incidence of disease in our dogs until we make some of these
changes. Information on the Genetic Disease Control Registry
follows the Worksheet.
PET
OWNERS (NON BREEDERS)
I think
you may find the previous information about our breed quite
interesting. Since you are not a breeder, however, you may
think it doesn’t really affect you -- or does it? If the
information could help you in selecting your next puppy, how
would it help?
It would
help because you are now a more informed buyer. Any breeder
who would tell you there are no genetic defects in their
line would not be telling you the truth. I don’t mean they
would necessarily be telling you an untruth – some of them
did not have the knowledge to determine these risks before
we did this survey. How do you know this for sure? Because,
as a result of this survey, we "KNOW" that each one of our
dogs carries on the average of 7.1 genetic defects. And, you
would know that if your breeder selected a breeding pair
that didn’t carry the SAME genetic defects, the puppy you
buy from that litter is probably going to be healthy. Your
breeder would even be able to tell you the likelihood the
puppy may have an Umbilical Hernia or Missing Teeth in the
event both dogs did carry these defects but were otherwise
very compatible. Or, if you’ve had the good fortune of
living with a healthy dog from a breeder you trust, you know
that breeder is a good bet to buy from again.
The
breeder you want to run away from and don’t go back to would
be the one who tells you they have totally healthy lines and
have never had any genetic defects. It could be they don’t
follow-up on their dogs.
In the
near future we plan to provide a list of White Shepherd
Genetic conditions that you can take with you when you take
your puppy to the vet. Now that we know exactly what affects
our dogs, maybe we can help take the guesswork out of a
diagnosis.
AMERICAN
WHITE SHEPHERD ASSOCIATION
2000
HEALTH SURVEY RESULTS CHART
Digestive
System
Digestive System |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Esophageal Hypomobility |
1 |
Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Gastric Dilatation – Volvulus
|
5 |
Und |
0.5/ 100 |
13.2 |
Idiopathic Canine Colitis
|
6 |
Und |
0.6/ 100 |
14.2 |
Megaesophagus -- Esophageal
Achalasia |
1 |
R Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Perianal Fistula (Anal
Furunculosis) |
1 |
Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Small Intestinal Bacterial
Overgrowth Syndrome |
7 |
Und |
0.7/ 100 |
15.5 |
Behavioral Problems
Behavioral Problems |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100
|
Guesstimate % Carrier
Frequency |
Aggressiveness (Excessive) |
16 |
Und |
1.6/ 100 |
22.6 |
Cancer
Cancer |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Breast |
4 |
Und |
0.4/ 100 |
11.8 |
Malignant Histiocytosis
|
1 |
Poly/Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Hemangeo-carcinoma |
3 |
Und |
0.3/ 100 |
10.5 |
Hormones
- Endocrine Disease
Hormones - Endocrine Disease |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Hypothyroidism --Autoimmune Thyroiditis |
6 |
R Und |
0.6/ 100 |
14.2 |
Primary Hypo-adrenocorticism (Addison’s
Disease) |
2 |
Und |
0.2/ 100 |
8.4 |
Heart and
Vascular System
Heart
and Vascular System |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Inherited Ventricular Tachycardia |
1 |
Poly |
0.1/100 |
6.2 |
Mitral Valve Defect (MVD Mitral
Stenosis) |
1 |
Und |
0.1/100 |
6.2 |
Patent Ductas Arteriosus PDA
|
3 |
Poly |
0.3/ 100 |
10.5 |
Pulmonic Stenosis PS |
1 |
Poly |
0.1/100 |
6.2 |
Subaortic Stenosis |
5 |
Poly |
0.5/ 100 |
13.2 |
Immune
System Diseases
Immune System Diseases |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Atopic & Contact Dermatitis |
16 |
Und |
1.6/ 100 |
22.6 |
Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
|
1 |
Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Demodicosis Demodex |
11 |
Und |
1.1/ 100 |
18 |
Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE)
|
1 |
Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Skin
Diseases - Allergies
Skin Diseases - Allergies |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Acral
Mutilation Syndrome |
3 |
Und |
0.3/ 100 |
10.5 |
Dudley Nose |
8 |
Und |
0.8/ 100 |
16.2 |
GSD Pyoderma |
3 |
Und |
0.3/ 100 |
10.5 |
GSD Footpad Syndrome |
4 |
Und |
0.4/ 100 |
11.8 |
Pemphigus Foliaceus |
1 |
Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Primary Seborrhea |
2 |
Und |
0.2/ 100 |
8.4 |
Umbilical Hernia |
39 |
R Poly |
3.9/ 100 |
32.0 |
Vitiligo |
3 |
Und |
0.3/ 100 |
10.5 |
Liver -
Pancreas
Liver - Pancreas |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency |
5 |
R |
0.5/ 100 |
13.2 |
Fibrotic Myopathy |
1 |
Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Nervous
System Diseases
Nervous System Diseases |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Degenerative Myelopathy |
5 |
Und |
0.5/ 100 |
13.2 |
Epilepsy |
7 |
R Und |
0.7/ 100 |
15.5 |
Eyes
Eyes |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Cataracts |
2 |
R Und |
0.2/ 100 |
8.4 |
Corneal Dystrophy |
1 |
R |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Dermoid |
1 |
R? Und |
0.1/100 |
6.2 |
Eversion of the Nictitating
Membrane |
1 |
R Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Imperforate Lacrimal Punctum
|
12 |
Und |
1.2/ 100 |
19.6 |
Pannus (Superficial Stromal
Keratitis) |
4 |
Und |
0.4/ 100 |
11.8 |
Reproductive Diseases
Reproductive Diseases |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Cryptorchidism |
12 |
R/ Und |
1.2/ 100 |
19.6 |
Skeletal
Diseases
Skeletal Diseases |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Cleft
Lip/Cleft Palate |
2 |
Poly Und |
0.2/ 100 |
8.4 |
Dwarfism, Pituitary |
1 |
R Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Ears not standing |
11 |
Und |
1.1/ 100 |
18.0 |
Hip Dysplasia |
49 |
Poly |
4.9/ 100 |
34.3 |
Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy
|
1 |
Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Lumbosacral Malarticulation
|
1 |
Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Lumbosacral Stenosis (Spinal
Stenosis) |
2 |
Und |
0.2/ 100 |
8.4 |
Luxation of the Tarsal,
Metatarsal, & Intertarsal Joints |
2 |
Und |
0.2/ 100 |
8.4 |
Missing Teeth |
36 |
R/ Und |
3.6/ 100 |
30.0 |
OCD - Elbow Dysplasia FCP - OC
|
13 |
Poly |
1.3/ 100 |
19.6 |
OCD - Elbow Dysplasia (UAP)
|
4 |
Und |
0.4/ 100 |
11.8 |
OCD - Degenerative Joint Disease
|
11 |
|
1.1/ 100 |
18.0 |
Overshot Jaw |
1 |
R Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Panosteitis |
53 |
Und |
5.3/ 100 |
35.4 |
Premature Closure of the Ulna
|
1 |
R |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Spondylosis Deformans
|
2 |
Poly |
0.2/ 100 |
8.4 |
Urinary
System Diseases
Urinary System Diseases |
Affected Dogs |
Mode of Inheritance |
Frequency % per 100 |
Guesstimate % Carrier Frequency
|
Hypospadias |
1 |
Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
Uroliths (Struvite) |
1 |
Und |
0.1/ 100 |
6.2 |
TOTAL
DOGS IN SURVEY: 1000
AFFECTED
DOGS: 401 (40%)
UNAFFECTED DOGS: 599 (60%)
% of Dogs
reported belonging to breeders: Approximately 34%
% of Dogs
reported belonging to nonbreeders: Approximately 66%
NON-GENETIC
PROBLEMS
General
The
oldest dog reported in our survey period was 18 years old.
The same person had a White that lived to be 21 but had died
prior to the start of the survey period.
The
following is a list of problems that are not genetic
in origin; therefore they are not included in the survey. If
detail is wanted, feel free to contact me.
Allergies
Lick
sores, bacterial skin infections, nose rash, and hot spots
were reported.
Anal
Gland Problems
A female
and three males were reported to have anal gland problems.
Benign
Tumors
Three
females and four males were reported with benign tumors or
cysts.
Cancer
Dr.
Padgett points out that one out of four dogs will develop
cancer – same as us. The one cancer known to be genetic and
the two suspected of being genetic are reported on our
Survey Chart. Others reported were brain cancer,
Hemagiopericytoma, Pancreatic, site specific cancer, Bone
Cancer, Lymphoma, Colon Cancer, Fibrosarcoma, blood vessels
and spleen, Liver Cancer, spine, growths on lip, mouth, gums,
nose, leg, lung, and type unknown.
Ears
Dogs
reported with ear infections, ear mites, and ear aches.
Eyes
Reports
of eyes that tear, epithelial folds, itchy eyes, and runny
eyes.
Heart
Infection
of lining of the heart reported, a couple of murmurs with no
attendant problems, congestive heart failure, and heart
disease without a specific diagnosis.
Intestinal
A female
with Small Intestinal Malabsorption reported and three with
nervous stomachs.
Lyme
Disease
Three
dogs reported with Lyme disease
Reproductive
Females
with bacterial infections of reproductive organs, split
heats, abnormally long heat cycles, erratic seasons,
pyrometria, constant yeast infections, unable to reproduce,
brittle uterus, endometriosis and fissures reported. Males
with prostate problems requiring neutering.
Spine
Spinal
deterioration after age 11, embolism on spine, and spinal
instability reported.
Stool
Eaters
Three
female Stool Eaters
Virus
A female
died within 48 hours of becoming ill; vets believed she had
CoonHound Virus
Weight
Management
A male
cannot keep on weight
Worms,
etc
Giardia,
ringworm, coccidia, Parvo and bouts with worms reported.
Miscellaneous
Sporadic
vomiting, Valley Fever, kidney failure due to dehydration,
internal bleeding, strangles, unhealed sore, inflamed liver,
RACL, torn meniscus, skull improperly closed, anterior
cruciate ligaments torn, and hematomas reported.
NERVOUS –
FEARFUL – SHY – TIMID
In his
book, Dr. Padgett lists three categories under Behavioral
Diseases. According to his sources, the GSD has a
pre-disposition to one of them. That one is Aggression,
which is defined as extremely assertive or forceful with
other dogs and people, may attack without reasonable
provocation. Sixteen dogs in our survey were reported to be
aggressive (some just dog aggressive) and included in this
category in the survey.
Some of
our breeders feel that the timid or soft dog is another
category of behavior that may also be genetic in origin.
Since this was not a trait determined to be genetic for the
GSD by Dr. Padgett’s sources, we could not include it in our
survey. Even though this category could not be included on
the list of Genetic Traits of the White Shepherd, I included
a category of Nervous/Fearful so we could at least see what
kind of responses we’d get. This category was checked off 75
times but often with qualifying remarks. "My dog is only
fearful at first; he is fine once he gets used to you," "he’s
always been shy" and other similar remarks. Most of this is
extremely subjective as opposed to a somewhat easier task of
identifying an aggressive dog.
The 75
dogs reported in the Nervous/Fearful category indicates that
7.5% of our dogs have this trait (described a number of ways
by people). If this is, in fact, a genetic trait, we have a
carrier rate of 39.4%. If, after we as a Club discuss the
Genetic Defects and feel we have a problem, we need to
decide together how to approach it and reduce the number of
affected dogs. This could be one of those traits that might
be worthwhile to pinpoint on a geneticists pedigree to see
where it occurs and from which lines of dogs.
Some
questions we need to ask are: Were they properly socialized?
Some of the timid or soft dogs from pet owners may, in fact,
be a result of poor socialization. But we don’t know that.
On the other hand, if a very young puppy showed shy/timid/fearful/nervous
behavior, could this be genetic in origin? Do we expect
kennel dogs to exhibit shy, fearful behavior – or only
certain lines from certain parents? Do the same questions
apply to the aggressive dogs? Were the aggressive dogs born
this way or made this way?
TABLE 5.6
RISK OF
BEING A CARRIER IF RELATED TO AN AFFECTED DOG
(AUTOSOMAL
RECESSIVE TRAIT)*
Relationship |
Degree of Relationship
|
Minimum Carrier Risk |
Parent, Progeny |
1 |
100% |
Full Brother / Sister
|
1 |
66.6% |
Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles,
Half-brothers or sisters, Grandchildren |
2 |
50.0% |
Niece, Nephew |
2 |
33.3% |
Great-grandparent, First Cousins,
Half-aunts and uncles, Great-grandchildren
|
3 |
25.0% |
Great-great-grandparents, First
Cousin once removed, Second Cousins |
- |
12.5% |
Great-great-great grandparent,
First Cousin twice removed, Third Cousins
|
- |
6.25% |
*This
chart is used for Autosomal Recessive Traits as well as
Polygenic Traits – the risk for the Polygenic Trait will be
"at least" this percentage.
GENETIC
DISEASE CONTROL
OPEN
REGISTRY
In an
Open Registry, all data on an animal is made available to
breeders, whether the dog is phenotypically normal or is
affected with one or more disease. In contrast, a Closed
Registry, such as OFA, releases information only on those
dogs that are phenotypically normal (phenotype is what you
see when you look at the dog).
The
Institute for Genetic Disease Control (GDC) began operations
in 1990. It has both an open disease registry and a research
registry. It collects data able to be of use to a breeder in
selecting animals for breeding. When sufficient data becomes
available, all dogs are placed in an open registry and all
information is made available to breeders.
It
provides the following data:
All data
it has on the dog for which you request information and his/her
offspring.
Any
information it has on his/her full brothers and sisters and
half-brothers and sisters (all offspring of the parents of
the dog.
Any
information it has on the parents, their full brothers and
sisters and half-brothers and sisters (all offspring of the
grandparents of the dog).
Any
information it has on the grandparents.
In this
way, an inquiry results in full data on the family of the
dog you are interested in, including all titles that the
dog, his parents and his grandparents have earned that are
on file.
We need
to prioritize Genetic Defects and we need to decide as a
Club that we will register our breed and our dogs with the
GDC. I am currently in communication with staff at GDC to
determine what steps we need to take to get this task
underway. I will keep you informed.
~ Judy
Huston
|