Dawn

[Ilene Cook <asorosgd@ameritech.net>]

Hi all,
 I felt the need to share this with you, with Gina's permission. As a
breeder, I sometimes do not want to step in on her turf. But, over the
past couple of days, I have talked with a couple of genetic specialists
about Dawns low thyroid problem. One that I talked to is world renown,
and his advice is respected by every vet, breeder and veterinary
teaching facility. He is the "king" of doggie genetics. I was shocked at
what he told me, and I share that with you now. 
 In purebred dogs, as within all of us humans, we are not perfect. It
doesn't exist. Perfect just doesn't. We may need glasses, or braces or
just something minor, but we are not perfect. In purebred dogs, the
hardest thing for a breeder to deal with, are the "Hidden Markers" for
genetic disease. We can check our breeding stock for hips, elbows,
thyroid, eye and heart problems, but....that is no guarantee that the
dogs do not have hidden markers for the disease. The only way to know
that hasn't been invented yet, so it is up to us breeders to do our
homework the best possible way, and search the familial trees of our
stock. We are also given the hardship of having to depend on the
"honesty" of other breeders, and pray that they are telling the truth.
Dr. Padgett advised me to not place Dawn, and to go ahead and breed her
to clear stock. He did caution that this is will not be easy with golden
retrievers, as fifty percent of goldens either are positive for thyroid
disease, or positive for the hidden markers. I have to proceed
cautiously, depend on the help and honesty of other breeders, and find a
clean pedigree for low thyroid, to proceed with Dawn's breeding. He told
me knowing she has it, is better than it being hidden. For example,
breeding two dogs with hidden markers, would result in a worse
situation, than breeding a positive dog, to a clear dog. Enough of that
for now. Because of what I learned about low thyroid in dogs, I am
sharing with you below a letter that will now go home with all my
puppies. Not JUST Dawn's, but every puppy I sell. Considering that fifty
percent of Goldens are tainted with the low thyroid marker, I feel that
educating my clients on what to look out for as their dog gets older,
will make for a better life, and better health for their dog. Because so
many vets ignore the signs of thyroid disease, I feel, as a breeder,
that educating the puppy buyers themselves will go along way to them
getting a correct diagnosis if low thyroid ever pops up. Please read on
for my letter.

                        Low Thyroid

 Hypothyroidism is the most common endocrine disease in dogs. In all
breeds, and in the mixed breeds. Over fifty percent of the dogs in this
world carry the gene marker for it. Ten percent of Golden Retrievers are
directly affected with it. Which also means that the other forty percent
carry the hidden markers. Because as of today there is no genetic
testing to find markers for low thyroid, we as breeders can never
guarantee that our puppies won't someday be affected with low thyroid.
Low thyroid will not show signs until the dog is between two and five
years old. As a genetic problem, it does fall into the bottom of the
list. It is not curable, but the easiest to treat, with medication, the
dog will live a normal productive life with no problems  because of it.
This does not mean that we at Asoro's do not consider this problem very
highly in our breeding stock. We research the lines for this problem as
well as all the others. This letter is for the future benefit of our
puppies and to bring to you the signs to be aware of should your Golden
ever develop them.
 
  1) Extreme weight gain.

  2) Frequent ear infections

  3) Allergy problems (skin and or feet)

  4) Lethargy (tiredness or laziness)

 If a dog has these symptoms, you should have your vet draw a MSU
thyroid panel. There is many vets that will incorrectly and or
misdiagnose these problems. Please keep in mind that these symptoms may
not occur until your dog is older than six or seven years. Sometimes
later. This again, is to bring to you an awareness of the symptoms of
low thyroid, and to store them in the back of your mind should you ever
have these problems occur. 
And please, notify us, so we may be aware of what breedings we have done
that had them in them. This information will help us to determine future
breedings and help to limit the number of Goldens with this problem.
-- 
Ilene Cook
asorosgd@ameritech.net
http://asoros.tripod.com/asoros.html