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Re: Dawn





Deb & Boyd McFail wrote:
> 
> 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?

Yes! I wish all breeders of all breeds would get on the bandwagon and
educate their puppy owners. When I think of the people that make
frequent and costly visits to the vet for reoccurring ear infections and
allergy problems. Has their vet EVER checked the dogs thyroid? And here
is the poor dog suffering needlessly. My other reason for being on my
bandwagon is what I have been through with Dawn. First sign of a problem
was a swollen vulva, even when she was out of her season. Now for our
pet people, who spay, they would never notice this. Not my point though.
I took her to three different vets for this problem, and they all
ignored my concerns. Second problem. Dawn became anemic. So bad she
could hardly walk. Again, taken to one, two, and then a third vet, a
specialist to see what was wrong. The first two just said that sometimes
dogs get anemic. No big deal. The third one did every blood test in the
world, except a thyroid. He found that she had things in her blood that
signified allergies. It took a dog handler that was showing Dawn to ask,
have you checked her thyroid? Not one vet suggested it, or considered
it. If I, a experienced dog person, missed these signs, how are our pet
people to learn them and be aware of them?
> 
> 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.

It is widespread through every breed, some higher than our goldens! Also
in the mixed breeds. It is just a very common problem. Remember though,
not all goldens have it, or have the markers for it. Just because a dog
has a marker, it doesn't mean he will progress to the disease. He or she
could though, pass it to their offspring. Fifty percent are clear and
free of this problem. We have to look at the good side of this. Through
better breeding, and being aware of this, we can get rid of it. One day,
there will be a test for markers. Every breeder is waiting for that
time. This will allow us to breed affected dogs, to non affected dogs,
and clean up problems that exist.

> 
> 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!

To make a decision like this, you have to look at what attributes the
dog will be bringing forth to the breed, and what are the chances of
clearing up the problem. Dawn is a very beautiful, conformationally
correct bitch, with a sweet golden personality, and with all her
clearances. We are looking at the possibility of breeding her to Rocket,
from the Moon litter. Gina is as honest as they come, we know the
pedigree on Scarlette side is clean, we know Pebwin doesn't have a low
thyroid problem. Gina is helping me contact the other breeders to learn
all we can about the pedigree further back. 
 
> 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)

Big prayers going out to you from Michigan! I hope they reach you in
time! SeaJay? Great!! 

                                    Ilene

> 
> 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
> >

-- 
Ilene Cook
asorosgd@ameritech.net
http://asoros.tripod.com/asoros.html