Food for thought

[Gina Heitz <brier@oregonsbest.com>]

Hi All,

One of the concerns with any golden is cancer, I got a note from a new 
breeder friend who is trying to figure some things out, aren't we all...  I 
thought I would share this with you, along with my answer to her.  Food for 
thought on diet...

Her Question:

Do you think we'll see an even bigger incidence of goldens dieing from
hemangio given the number of Kirby kids out there? Not that he is the
REASON we have cancer...more like b/c so many CHOSE to breed to him and he
happened to die from it.
Just thought I'd pick your brain.


Last night our first conformation champion died suddenly of cancer. The
autopsy showed that it was hemangiosarcoma. He was Am Can CH Auric's
Dolce's Wildest Dreams CD, by CH Rush Hill's Haagen Dazs and Auric's
Dream of Jeannie OD.


My answer:


I got your question on cancer but just have not had time to answer you.  I 
know you were not blaming Kirby for the cancer.  Just looking at the line 
and the affect and this was the one line you noted by example only, no 
offence taken here, I realize your thirst for knowledge and that you do not 
bash .

I think cancer is a heritable issue, but one I think is a mutation if you 
will brought on by some environmental factors over the years, evolution 
gone bad in my opinion.  As breeders and yes this now includes you :-)))  I 
think it's our responsibility to make an attempt to cut out the causes and 
to look to breeding the strongest of dogs with in the lines, all the lines.

Here is what I am doing as my part in this: not really in order, just as 
they come to me this morning.

1. feed a whole raw diet to best the immune system from the get go:

a. to improve the individual dogs odds.
b. to best the odds for future generations.
c. to hopefully over time repair the damage.

2. look to pedigrees with longevity

a. if a dogs pedigree has dogs in it that are living to be 10+ that is 
good, better is 12+.
b. to assess when ever possible the cause of death even of older dogs, but 
not to obsess over particular dogs.
c. to out cross to lines that appear to have more strength.

Sounds all so simple eh?

Hug,

Gina