GSD Health Articles
ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION
So where are we in the UK? "Well the answer is still quite a long way behind the Americans and some top European specialists like Catharina Linde Forsberg in Sweden. But there are some really eminent Vets in the UK field – Angelika von Heimandahl in Cambridge, Hector Heathcote in Surrey and Prof Gary England in Nottingham."
Click here to view THE KENNEL CLUB RULES ON ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION
LONG TERM HEALTH RISKS & BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH SPAY OR NEUTER IN DOGS
Ms Sanborn has reviewed the veterinary medical literature in an exhaustive and scholarly treatise, attempting to unravel the complexities of the subject. More than 50 peer-reviewed papers were examined to assess the health impacts of spay / neuter in female and male dogs, respectively. One cannot ignore the findings of increased risk from osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, hypothyroidism, and other less frequently occurring diseases associated with neutering male dogs. It would be irresponsible of the veterinary profession and the pet owning community to fail to weigh the relative costs and benefits of neutering on the animal’s health and well-being. The decision for females may be more complex, further emphasizing the need for individualized veterinary medical decisions, not standard operating procedures for all patients.
ABNORMALITIES DURING GESTATION
UNDERSTANDING DOGS TEMPERAMENT
What is meant when we speak about the temperament of a dog? This term is very often used, but very little understood by the users. It is however clear that by using the term an attempt is being made to define or describe certain attributes of the dog’s behaviour. What specifically is being described?
TVS, CAUDAL EQUINA SYNDROME, AND SPONDYLOSIS
Some website and magazine editors have asked for a treatment of orthopedic and non-orthopedic spinal disorders, specifically the syndrome (meaning a collection of symptoms) called cauda equina or CES. While not all involve bones and articulating joints directly, there are several problems that yield symptoms that could be mistaken for those of HD (or other disorders that produce lameness) and the miscellaneous vertebral malformations that compress the spinal cord. Several, including dural ossification, are mentioned in the chapter on spinal disorders in my up-coming book on canine orthopedic disorders. Three are discussed in this article, although CES might actually comprise several disorders instead of just one.
CANINE HERPES - MORE THAN A NEONATAL RISK?
by Fred Lanting. 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 is running rampant and causing more and different problems for breeders.
PANOSTEITIS
One of the main reasons for a young dog to be “pulled” from a show, or excused from the ring, is the sudden lameness of a condition known as panosteitis, familiarly labelled “pano” by many breeders. Of some 130+ breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club and hundreds more by some other registries, a dozen or so have been reported to be affected.
ELBOW DYSPLASIA
In the Second Quarter 2000, the SENNtinel, official publication of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America, carried a reprint on Elbow Dysplasia by Dr. Henry DeBoer, a prolific magazine writer, schutzhund enthusiast, and all-around “working dog guy”. His topic should have been of great interest to Swiss people because ED is at a high incidence in the breed. Unfortunately, there were a couple of minor errors in his piece. Besides clearing up those, I would like to give some additional information on the disorder's) in the elbow.