Re: Dawn

["Deb & Boyd McFail" <bdmcfail@alaska.net>]

Ilene that is a tremendously wonderful letter you've written, and may I be bold
enough to copy your Low Thyroid letter for my own puppy packets?

I'm as stunned now as you were talking to Doctor Padgett to hear that it's so
widespread throughout the breed. 50%... my gosh, I just can't take it in.

I'm so glad you're going to breed Dawn. I am anxious to see who the sire will be
and of course to share in the puppy joy afterwards!

Rosie goes in at 2:00pm today for her elbow x-rays.... please everyone... cross
your fingers for us? The way my luck has run recently I could use a 'luck
boost'! Pray for clear elbows and then we're home free and anxiously awaiting
our ahem.... 'date' with SeaJay this August (vbg)

Debs

----------
>From: Ilene Cook <asorosgd@ameritech.net>
>To: "brierpups@fast.cs.utah.edu" <brierpups@fast.cs.utah.edu>
>Subject: Dawn
>Date: Fri, Jun 8, 2001, 12:21 PM
>

> 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
>