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A small group of Afghan
Hound owners, including myself attended the CIMDA (Canine Immune Mediated
Disease Awareness which is a support group Beardie Collie Breeders/Owners
founded primarily by) Seminar at Coventry in June.
In view of the current health survey being carried out by the Breed Council,
it was disappointing that so few from the Afghan fraternity took this
opportunity to come along and listen to experts in their field speaking
about autoimmune disease and the genetic in-Put, Possibly those who have
said to me in the past that they have no personal knowledge of specific AI
conditions in their dogs, might have learned a little more about this very
complex subject. Additionally a rare Opportunity was missed, Jean Dodds over
from the U.S.A., interrupting her holiday in Venice, spoke so eloquently on
her speciality, Canine HypoThyroid Disease; Jean is internationally
recognised as an expert in her field of veterinary medicine, Auto-Immune
Disease(s) Those of us who have heard her presentations before were aware
that we were in for a very interesting day. Sara Gould, from Cambridge Vet
School, another excellent speaker who talks to you as an equal and is very
practical in putting over a complex subject, gave us an insight into some of
the more commonly aware auto-immune disorders, age, the risks, trigger
factors, diagnosis, treatments and prognosis and of work currently being
undertaken at Cambridge. Information on the AI Disease survey currently
being undertaken at Cambridge, is included here in the following article
that Jo Tucker has given permission to be reproduced in this magazine,
please do assist if anyone reading this who has dog suffering from an
auto-immune disease and may not be aware of the survey. 1 have suggested to
Bob Margraine who is conducting the Breed Council Health Questionnaire, that
owners participating who likewise report experience with an AID in any of
their dogs (past and present), be asked if they would also consider
participating in this project.
Jeff Sampson's excellent presentation on the genetics of dog breeding and
the implications for the future, 1 felt personally was the best 1 have heard
him give, and 1 have heard Jeff speak on a number of occasions, including
Afghan 2000 when 1 shared the platform with him in discussing
Genetic/related Health matters and the Afghan Hound.
Jeff suggested that whilst line breeding is recognised as a fundamental part
of pure bred breeding, specifically to maintain type, it can also present
unwanted side effects and the chance of producing recessive alleles which
are involved in perpetuating inherited disease patterns and in-breeding
depression. Popular sire(s) may dominate litter registrations, this must
lead to a reduction in genetic variation. Whilst one would not suggest that
certain dogs should not continually be used at stud, we as dog breeders
should be a little more aware of careful selection and alter-natives, such
as like to like, where dogs are similar but not closely related, to think
about the dog rather than personal ego. Honesty, open-mindness and
encouragement for such with more thought to the long term than in the
immediate glories and achievement of the show ring.
All three speakers emphasised the role that owners and breeders might
contribute in trying to reduce the incidence of auto-immune diseases, now
and in the future with so many advances in technology, both for diagnosis,
screening and testing.
All this made for a most interesting and informative day with audience
interaction. Jo Tucker who is the driving force behind CIMDA, had worked so
hard with her "team" to make this such a successful event, a packed house
audience with delegates from all Breeds, a few vets and several travelling
from mainland Europe, and as Jo said to me after, that even a seminar about
a serious topic can be a good day out and a sociable event.
I include here some of the subject matter for information
When dealing with AI disease we must consider the genetic predisposition;
age, gender: and environmental influences.
In many cases the actual cause of the illness is not identifiable but there
may be a pattern of events. those "Trigger Factors" that could influence the
outcome.
Certain auto-immune diseases have a high prevalence in certain breeds or in
"Family Lines".
Some pale/dilute/colour dogs appear susceptible to certain "triggers".
Many of these auto-immune diseases present in middle age (so these dogs may
have already contributed to a breeding programme).
Some are more common in bitches.
Environmental Factors noted from documented case histories .... That many
cases of auto-immune anaemia's occur in the summer months.
A definitive diagnosis is not always easy to reach but certain tests may
prove conclusive for treatments to be commenced.
Treatment is not curative. the aims of all treatment is Control of the
disease process and this be very successful.
In many conditions it does buy Time ... Quality Time .... for the affected
dog and this is very important. Treatments generally involve the use of a
"cocktail” specific drugs. Some dogs may be able to be weaned off their
drugs but relapses do occur and dogs are frequently maintained on various
levels of medication throughout their lives
Testing is Very Important, some tests may throw up false negatives so always
be prepared to have your vets repeat.
Test Bitches between heat cycles, viz 12 weeks from the onset of the season
(count from the first day of the season)
Diagnosis of Hypo-Thyroid Disease, in its early stages can be difficult to
detect on a clinical assessment but blood tests will indicate.
Those dogs even presenting negative should be re-tested every year if there
are plans to breed with them. Hypothyroid disease generally presents between
3 - 5 years of age but it is also being seen in younger dogs, (1 - 2 Years
of age). Tests for screening for thyroiditis do now exist.
Dogs with this disease can be affected for years before developing any
significant signs of illness indeed the diagnosis might be difficult at an
early stage even with some sick dogs, this is an auto-immune disease, it may
not be until the thyroid gland is the hormone produced. so necessary for the
regulation of body metabolism, is so depleted, which will progress to affect
many other vital organs, that the dog may show signs and more obvious
symptoms….and some that may be not so obvious to this disease process.
Cardiac arrhythmia’s cardio-myopathy, gastro-intestinal disorders,
neurological conditions and behavioural changes, especially aggression can
all predispose thyroid disfunction. In studies in America, results have
indicated a significant existence in thyroid disfunction and seizure related
disorders and to some dog/human aggression presenting at puberty.
Repetitive vaccination can be a "Trigger" to a number of AI diseases.
Antibody Titre Testing may prove a more valuable tool in determining your
dog's vaccination needs. Research has shown that once an animal's titre
level stabilises, it is more likely to remain constant for many years. Some
owners of dogs with auto-immune disease subscribe to the view that if you
are suppressing the immune system with the drugs to control the disease, the
last thing that you want to do is to stimulate the system by vaccination.
There is far less risk associated with taking blood samples for a titre test
than giving the dog unnecessary vaccination .... The protocol for vaccines
is changing here in the U.K. Intervet are about to announce their new
recommendations (September 2002) that Boosters should now be given every 2
years and not annually. In the U.S.A., all the vet colleges recommend
re-vaccinating every 3 years.
A titre reading is a means of testing a blood sample taken from the dog for
circulating anti-bodies against specific diseases (viz
CPV..Distemper:Hepatitis) but it does not measure cell memory mediated
immunity. Titre Testing is relatively inexpensive (£24/26 Cambridge and
Glasgow). When dealing with any auto-immune disorder nothing is in black and
white, there will always remain grey areas.
From my own experiences, and from that relayed to me by others, I would
always advise that if you are in any doubts about the direction that is
being undertaken by your vet in dealing with any unresponding
symptoms/illness, to seek referral for a second opinion. It would seem that
"Rat poisoning" or exposure to some unknown chemical is frequently diagnosed
for what could be really one of the Bleeding auto-immune conditions, such as
haemolytic anaemia or thrombocytopenia (this is a platelet disease) or Von
Willbrands Disease.
Many of these diseases are not common, but neither are they uncommon and
they are certainly not New! They have possibly been with us for years, we
just know more about them and are learning more with advances in both human
and veterinary medicine. 1 first learned about AI anaemia and
thrombocytopenia as long ago as 1986 when I attended a Bristol Vet School
Breeders weekend. In the research that was being undertaken at this
particular school 2 Afghan Hounds (both bitches) were documented ... 1 wrote
about the condition in one of the Southern magazines around that time. Both
Bristol and Cambridge are now seeing an increase in the number of Afghan
Hounds being referred to them with auto-immune disease.
My own Nureyev was diagnosed with Hypo-Thyroid disease in 1999 and remained
well and controlled on medication (Soloxine). With regular blood testing we
were able to monitor his thyroid function and review his medication as
necessary, generally it was an upward curve, -he medication frequently
needed adjustments but he remained a happy and active dog. Unfortunately he
went on to develop the polyglandular auto-immune syndrome *in the last few
months of his life and despite the best of veterinary care and advice from
specialist experts in both the U.K. and the U.S.A., when it became all too
obvious that his quality of life was fading it was kinder to say goodbye but
we had 3 very good years and he was by then 11 years old. In complete
contrast my young dog Dance Master was only 3 years old when he became ill
and whilst it was all to obvious that his immune system was severely
compromised we were never able to confirm a positive diagnosis for a named
condition "label" and this is something that is being seen with a number of
dogs in a variety of breeds, some may respond to drug therapy, others go
into a period of remission, others go down hill very rapidly, despite the
best of efforts and this is devastating for their owners.
There is a great "Pool of Information" available at this time, from a
variety of sources, much is practical information/help from owners who have
"Been There”…. We each need to share our experiences, although 1 know, and
at times can understand, why some may be reluctant to come forward and speak
about such matters ... but it does not help anyone in the long term when, as
1 have found, individual owners/breeders either go on the immediate
defensive if questions are raised about bloodlines or like minded
individuals start damning specifically named dogs or breeding lines and seem
to gain some pleasure in attempting to "Witch Hunt" or "Point Fingers" at
those who are prepared to stand and admit to a problem in their effort not
to perpetuate it ... We must be prepared to share our experiences, even the
painful ones, in the short term it offers a means of support to owners who
suddenly find themselves coping with the unknown. Even some members of the
veterinary profession may not always recognise or have the experience in
dealing with some of these diseases and such are too frequently mis-diagnosed.
In the long term we will all be contributing to the future well being of our
breed's perpetuation and existence resulting in happy and healthy dogs to be
enjoyed as we have enjoyed them, for many more future generations.
One final comment, it is no crime to have bred a dog that has developed a
significant health problem, these are living individual creatures, but it is
a crime to bury your head in the sand as if it had never happened and ignore
the issue.
Polyglandular Auto-Immunity
Individuals genetically susceptible to auto-immune thyroid disease may also
become more susceptible to immune mediated diseases affecting other target
tissues and organs, especially the bone marrow, liver adrenal gland,
pancreas, skin, kidney, joints, bowel and central nervous system. The
resulting polyglandular auto-immune syndrome of humans is becoming more
commonly recognised in the dog, and probably occurs in other species as
well. This syndrome tends to run in families and is believed to have an
inherited basis. Multiple endocrine glands and non-endocrine systems become
involved in a systemic immune mediated process ... in short the body system
starts to destroy itself, the auto-antibodies are destroying all vital
functions.
Sylvia Evans, September
2002
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