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EALTH TESTS RECOMMENDED BEFORE BREEDING YOUR POODLE
TOY POODLES Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) PRA Progressive Retinal Atrophy DNA test you can usually get this done with Terry Grimes at UCD Veterinary collage in Clonskeagh Dublin 14, you should contact UCD directly to arrange an appointment as Terry is not always there, there are of course other places, so please contact your local vet for further information There are several different forms of PRA which differ in the age of onset and rate of progression of the disease. Some breeds get it very early on in life, others later. Usually the photoreceptors in the retinas develop after birth around 2 months. The retinas of dogs with PRA either have arrested development (retinal dysplasia) or early degeneration of the photoreceptors. Retinal dysplastic dogs are usually affected within two months of birth and may be completely blind by one year. Dogs with retinal degeneration are affected from one year to eight years of age and the symptoms progress slowly. PRA worsens over time. The affected animal experiences night blindness initially because the rods are affected first. The condition progresses to failed daytime vision. Patellar Luxation Because of the strong genetic relationships, it is not recommended that a dog with Patellar luxation be used for breeding. What is a normal knee and its action? The patella is the bone we usually called the knee cap. There is a groove in the end of the femur (another bone in the upper leg) which allows the patella to move up and down freely when the knee joint is straight or bent. the patella guides the action of the quadriceps muscle in the lower leg. The patella also protects the knee joint. Looking at the lower front portion of the femur (the thigh bone) in a normal dog, you will notice two bony ridges that form a deep groove in which the patella is supposed to slide up and down. These structures limit the patella’s movement to one restricted place, and in so doing, control the activity of the quadriceps muscle. The entire system is constantly lubricated by joint fluid. It works so that there is total freedom of motion What happens when the patellar luxates: In some dogs, because of malformation or an accident, the ridges forming the patella groove are not prominent, and not deep enough groove is created. In a dog with shallow grooves, the patellar will luxate (pop out of the groove) sideways, or towards the inside. This causes the leg to lock up and the dog is left limping or trying to straighten the leg. When the patella luxates from the groove of the femur, it usually cannot return to its normal position until the quadriceps muscle relaxes and increases in length. This explains why the affected dog may be forced to hold his leg up for a few minutes or so after the initial incident. While the muscles are contracted and the patella is luxated from its correct position, the joint is held in the flexed or bent po MINIATURE/MEDIUM POODLES Same requirements as Toy Poodles with the addition of: Hip Dysplasia BVA or Penn HIP Evaluation. It is difficult to get Penn HIP Evaluation in Ireland at the moment, although there were some vets in the west of Ireland doing this kind of hip score a few years back, a little bit of research and you may find a vet that still does them, it believed to be very accurate as it is done by computer and not the human eye. There is a new DNA test for Miniature Poodle Dwarfism (www.projectdog.org). Preliminary research suggests that about 10 percent of Minis carry the mutation that causes this disease and that it is not limited to a few bloodlines, in the states, no research has been done in Ireland to the best of my knowledge and I don’t believe there has been cases of it reported here to date, thankfully. STANDARD POODLES Hip Dysplasia: Hip dysplasia is an inherited polygenetic disease that manifests itself in a malformation of the hip joint in which the ball and socket do not properly fit together. Mildly dysplastic dogs may not exhibit any outward signs. Moderate to severe cases may exhibit rear-end lameness and/or discomfort when getting up. Arthritis often occurs over time from wearing on the hip joint. Young dogs, five to ten months, may be affected, and older dogs may develop chronic degenerative joint disease. Atrial Septal Defects in Standard Poodles Canine atrial septal defect (ASD) is a relatively rare congenital heart malformation in which the heart has a hole between its upper chambers. Some breeds considered at increased risk for ASD include Boxer, Doberman Pinscher, Samoyed and Newfoundland. The malformation has recently been recognized among Standard Poodles and seems to run in families, suggesting a genetic cause. Although dogs with ASD may have no symptoms if the hole is small, ASD signs might include coughing, trouble breathing, exercise intolerance and possibly collapse or fainting–even death from heart failure. Surgery can repair the hole in dogs suffering ASD symptoms. Please find below a list of other diseases which may affect poodles Entropion Entropion is an abnormality of the eyelids in which the eyelid rolls inward. This inward rolling often causes the hair on the surface of the eyelid to rub against the cornea resulting in pain, corneal ulcers, perforations, or pigment developing on the cornea which can interfere with vision. What are the signs of entropion? Most dogs will squint, hold the eye shut, and tear excessively (epiphora) though some patients will develop a mucoid discharge. Interestingly, many flat-faced dogs with medial entropion (involving the corner of the eyes near the nose) exhibit no obvious signs of discomfort. In most cases, both eyes are affected. It is usually diagnosed in puppies under 1 year of age. But can occur in older dogs, this is a very painful condition for your dog and veterinary intervention is needed, this is mostly hereditary and dogs with this should not be bred from. Thyroid Evaluation Hypoadrenocorticism In hypoadrenocorticism the adrenal glands under-produce hormones. The cause of this disease in standard poodles is unknown but it may be the result of an autoimmune process (in which the immune system is triggered to cause damage to part of the body). There is clearly a genetic factor in the onset of the disease. Usually dogs with hypoadrenocorticism suffer from a lack of two types of hormones - corticosteroids and mineralocorticoids – and suffer from the disease consequences of the hormonal disturbances. The exact signs shown vary greatly and are often intermittent in the earlier stages of the disease. Symptoms include: lethargy/depression, not eating, vomiting, weakness and weight loss. Other signs, seen less often, include: dehydration, diarrhoea, hypothermia, shaking, increased drinking and urination, a weak pulse and low heart rate, abdominal pain and intestinal bleeding (Kintzer and Petersen 1995). Dwarfism-Osteochondrodysplasia A successful collaboration between breeders and researchers resulted in the identification of the gene mutation that causes a crippling dwarfism in Miniature Poodles. A test is now available to identify carriers of the disease.Although it is commonly referred to as 'dwarf' dogs in the USA, it involves much more than short stature - in addition to stunted growth, affected dogs often exhibit misshapen limbs, shortened and bent long bones, enlarged joints, extended hind limbs flattening of the rib cage. Dwarfism-OC has a simple autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. NEWS-Neonatal Encephalopathy with Seizures Neonatal encephalopathy with seizures ( NEWS ) is a recessive developmental brain disease. Affected pups exhibit extreme weakness, and those that survive the first week generally develop progressively worse ataxia, or inability to move properly. This is often accompanied by severe seizures. None have survived to 7 weeks of age. The mutation which causes this disease was identified by a research team at the University of Missouri led by Drs. Gary Johnson, and Dennis O'Brien. The test offered by Vetgen is based on their discovery. Animals with no copies of the mutation (clear), and those with only one copy (carriers) show no signs of the disease. Sebaceous Adenitis (SA) Evaluation from an approved dermatopathologist For Standard Poodles To date there is no positive test to determine if you dog will carry SA, when the test is carried out the results may be negative, that is not to say your dog will not get it in the future. As the gene that affects the dog has not been recognised to date. Neonatal Encephalopathy with Seizures (NEWS) This will only effect puppies if both parents carry the gene, in that case the whole litter will be lost and there is nothing that can be done, if however, a dog that is being used at stud has NE and the bitch who will be whelping the pups does not carry the gene, the pups will be fine, but some may carry the gene, this is one of those important tests to avoid this possibly happening, to see if the parents are carriers or not vonWillebrand’s Disease (vWD) Von Willebrand’s disease (vWD) is a blood disease caused by a deficiency of von Willebrand Factor (vWF), an adhesive glycoprotein in the blood required for normal platelet binding (i.e., clotting) at the sites of small blood vessel injuries. In addition, vWF is a carrier protein for coagulation Factor VIII (necessary for blood to clot). A lack of vWF impairs platelet stickiness and clumping. Like haemophilia in humans, this condition can lead to excessive bleeding following an injury, due to the lack of clotting. VWF is an autosomal (non-sex-linked) trait, which both males and females express and transmit genetically and with equal frequency. The expression pattern of the severe forms (Types 2 and 3 vWD) is recessive while the milder form (Type 1 vWD) appears to be recessive or incompletely dominant. This is the most common hereditary blood clotting disorder in dogs. Cushings Disease There are 3 forms of Cushings Disease. Most dogs have the more common form, Pituitary Dependent PD. With this form the dogs have a slow growing form of cancer that is located in the pituitary gland. This causes the adrenal glands to produce too much cortisol because the tumor triggers too much ACTH to be produced. The next form is the Non Pituitary. Here there is a tumor in one or both of the adrenal glands. Here also too much cortisol is produced as a result of the tumor. The tumor is often malignant and is called an Adenocarcinoma. It is aggressive and it can spread to other parts of the body and organs. The non-cancerous tumor is called Adenoma. The last form comes from dogs being on long term use of “Cortisone”. This drug comes in many forms and can cause problems with its long term use. This long term usage makes the body think it has more cortisone than it really does leading the body to misread the actual amount it has. There are many warning signs of Cushings. Some of the more common ones are: excessive appetite, drinking large amounts of water, frequent urination, large pot belly, thin skin, hair loss on the body, thinning of hair and drastic change of texture of hair. This is usually seen in older dogs, but can begin much earlier in life. It can be very slow in progressing. There are tests to tell you if your dog has Cushings. If you suspect it, call your vet and get proper testing done to get a correct diagnosis. Addison’s Disease Addison’s disease is also known as hypoadrenocorticism. It is an insufficient production of adrenal hormones by the adrenal gland. Since these hormones are essential for life, this is an extremely serious disease and it must be treated as such. Adrenal insufficiency can be primary or secondary. Primary adrenocorticism affects salt/potassium balance in the body and glucorticoid as well. Secondary adrenocorticism usually only affects the glucocorticoids. It is not known why primary adrenocorticism occurs but it may be an immune mediated process. Secondary adrenocorticism probably occurs most often when prednisone or other cortisone being administered for medical reasons are suddenly withdrawn. It can occur as a result of pituitary cancer or some other process that interferes with production of hormones that stimulate the adrenal glands. Most dogs with Addison’s disease initially have gastrointestinal disturbances like vomiting. Lethargy is also a common early sign. Poor appetite can occur as well. These are pretty vague signs and it is extremely easy to miss this disease. More severe signs occur when a dog with hypoadrenocorticism is stressed or when potassium levels get high enough to interfere with heart function. Dogs with this problem will sometimes suffer severe shock symptoms when stressed, which can lead to a rapid death. When potassium levels get high heart arrythmias occur or even heart stoppage which also is fatal. In some cases, especially secondary Addison’s disease, there are no detectable electrolyte changes. This disease can be picked up by changes in the ratio between sodium or potassium by accident at times. When this happens it is still extremely important to treat for it. It is confirmed by an ACTH response test — administration of this hormone should stimulate production of adrenal hormones. If this does not occur then hypoadrenocorticism is present. In cases in which the electrolyte levels are normal this is the only test for the problem and it will be missed unless it is looked for specifically. At times this disease can be hard to differentiate from renal failure because the symptoms and even the blood work can be similar, so the ACTH response test may be necessary to differentiate them. Chronic Active Hepatitis Chronic active hepatitis is a liver disease where there is inflammation of the liver and death of liver tissue present. Dogs that are affected with this disease develop a slow, progressive liver failure. Researchers have found in some breeds a familial predisposition to the disease. In Bedlington Terriers, the disease has been found to be the result of an autosomal recessive gene, and there is a marker test to test for it. In Dobermans, the disease seems to affect more females than males. Symptoms of the illness usually don’t appear in the dogs’ early years, not until there is significant damage to the liver. Usually CAH appears around 5-7 years of age. Some of the early signs of CAH are loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, vomiting yellowish bile, weight loss, depression, increased water intake, increased urination, and sluggishness. As the disease gets worse, jaundice may appear (the whites of the dogs eyes will appear yellowish), and clotting problems may occur. Fluids can build up in the abdominal area, so that a dog may look like it’s in whelp. Behavioral changes may occur, such as the dog might stand and stare at the wall, or in a corner, or just stand and be confused. All of this is due to toxins that have built up in the body that used to be metabolized by the liver. In some breeds copper will build up in the liver. This will vary from breed to breed. Copper will be stored in larger than normal amounts in the liver. Yearly blood screening is always important to the health of your dog. To have a yearly baseline to judge future blood tests can prove to be valuable in assessing the health of your dog. One of the first signs of liver trouble would be an elevated ALT. To further define liver problems, a vet will usually perform a liver biopsy. This would give a definite diagnosis of CAH. This would determine to what extent the liver is damaged as well as establishing copper levels, if any. A vet will often do a guided needle biopsy, with the assistance of an ultrasound, to visualize the area of the liver in to determine which area to biopsy. This test is usually accompanied by bile acids tests before and after to complete a correct diagnosis. Dogs can often be treated with medications and special diet, depending on how damaged the liver is when diagnosed with CAH. The dog will never be cured but can be maintained for a time if the condition is caught early and treated properly. Each dog’s case will vary. Bloat Your standard poodle runs the risk of bloat which is also known as GDV (Gastric Dialatation-Volvulus) . Sometimes called overfeeding or overeating syndrome. Basically when the dog has eaten, food and or gas stretches the stomach several times its normal size and the stomach sometimes twists causing a blockage and cutting off blood supply, the reason for this is not yet know, some people think it is exercise after eating and others think it is because the dog has eaten too fast and has gulped down large amount of air with their food, either way it is something that has to be dealt with immediately or it will result in death of your dog, The extended stomach can be seen by the owner, (thus the name bloat) your dog will have abdominal pain, vomiting and generally restless, sometime drooling. The only action you must take is immediate veterinary assistance, in most cases it is a matter or surgery, returning the stomach to it proper position and possibly attaching it internally with stitches to the abdominal cavity. Or your dog may have gastric dilation and not full on Bloat and in this case it may be possible to treat by inserting a tube into the stomach and releasing the gas or fluid. Some ways that have been suggested in helping your dog to avoid Bloat are to feed them twice or indeed three times a day, smaller amounts. Do not exercise your dog immediately after eating and if possible, teach you dog from a puppy, not to rush its food. Atrial Septal Defects in Standard Poodles Canine atrial septal defect (ASD) is a relatively rare congenital heart malformation in which the heart has a hole between its upper chambers. Some breeds considered at increased risk for ASD include Boxer, Doberman Pinscher, Samoyed and Newfoundland. The malformation has recently been recognized among Standard Poodles and seems to run in families, suggesting a genetic cause. Although dogs with ASD may have no symptoms if the hole is small, ASD signs might include coughing, trouble breathing, exercise intolerance and possibly collapse or fainting–even death from heart failure. Surgery can repair the hole in dogs suffering ASD symptoms. Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) DM is a progressive disease of the spinal cord and has a typical onset between the ages of eight and fourteen years. Clinical signs of the disease may include dragging the rear feet, wobbling when walking, or falling over. The dog may find it difficult to stand and may eventually have no use of the rear legs. Unfortunately, there is not a cure for the disease, nor are there treatments to slow the progression of DM. DM does not cause pain to the dog. Please note that there is a low incidence of DM in Standard Poodles at this writing. It is advisable, however, to have breeding animals tested and to consider their DM status as one factor in making breeding decisions. We hope that this information is of value to you in the future, if you are planning a litter, and please remember that The Poodle Club of Ireland is here to help with your questions, if we can in any way related to your poodle. and its care. www.laboklin.co.uk https://www.laboklin.co.uk/laboklin/showGeneticTest.jsp?testID=8621 https://animalgenetics.com/dog-tests/ bundle of genetic health tests for your dog. UCD Vet hospital For hip scoring.01 7166000 |