WoofnHoof

There are some breeds where shunts are more common (yorkies for example) and some breeders are starting to run tests on pups prior to homing. While it is likely in those breeds to have a hereditary component, In most instances it is thought to occur spontaneously, I have a husky who had one. Legally there are currently no requirements to test for this condition, there is no genetic test it is a matter of blood testing when pups are old enough. The only way you would have any legal recourse is if you had evidence that the breeder knew the pup was sick, or that they knowingly bred from lines which have produced pups with shunts previously. Either way the most you can hope for would be a refund of the purchase price, it may help towards the cost of the surgery but may cause further stress to you and your family so you need to weigh it up. All the best for your pup's surgery, and check out this facebook group if you haven't already, lots of help and support there https://www.facebook.com/groups/239254069596394/?ref=share

I may be able to get the full text I'll have a look when I'm back on the computer. Don't be put off by paywalls though, just email the authors or message them on researchgate and most likely they will send you the full text, they don't get any $ from paywalls. Individual studies are rarely likely to provide a definitive answer, they just add to the existing body of knowledge to help inform. Sometimes media grabs leave out all the caveats that the scientists discuss in the paper.

@SarasMum what a great age for your girl! My Sonny is almost 14yo now and he has been very fussy as he's gotten older. I have to rotate because he goes off stuff if he has it too many days in a row. He likes to have a range of options although he has pretty consistently hated the barf patties lol! Such an adventure with the oldies

The thing I find most crazy about the anti-purebreed mentality in the wider community is that even owners of heinz 57 dogs want to know what breeds are in their dog. They don't follow that thought to it's logical conclusion: if they want to know what's in it it's because they want an idea of what traits make the dog what it is. Those traits that were refined by selective breeding. It's a cognitive dissonance that plays out continually, the whole point of purpose breeding is to know the traits and know what to expect. At some level people who are anti-breeder/anti-purebred know this but don't follow that once lines are diluted that degree of predictability becomes smaller and smaller. I know people with a husky x bc, at an intellectual level one could assume that most educated people know genetics is complex, it's not like mixing drinks. But they still expect something to look like a husky and behave like a BC, and get all kinds of frustrated when it shows husky behaviours. It's lazy thinking played out in real time.

Absolutely it is a factor in considering whether to breed, everyone has their own reasons for breeding. I think the OP is really talking to those who limit their programs on the basis of the perception of "overbreeding" which has pervaded both the dog world and the wider public.

Totally agree with this post. I think pure breds have an image problem that has been exploited by cross breeders and byb. The pure breed community is too divided to present a united and clear alternative narrative to combat the inbred and elitist perception. As someone who is not an active part of the dog world, I see exactly 0 information outside of very specific internet searches and DOL. No info at the vets, pet stores etc about purebred dogs and breeders. Living in a regional rural area there is even less opportunity to find out more, no show displays or field days, I couldn't tell you if there were any ANKC breeders in my area for any breed. Maybe if I was in a dog sport or show club I might see something but as the average dog owner the purebred world may as well be on another planet. Simple things like printing out fact sheets and having them in a stand at the local vet and pet store would be a low cost high impact opportunity for the ANKC to promote pure bred dogs and local clubs and breeders. The latest trend for presentation posters is to create a QR code so people can scan it and it opens a page with more info. Again very cheap and easy to implement, just needs a coordinated effort to get them out and visible outside of these closed pure breed spaces. Once upon a time the pet store used to have little books you could buy, one for each breed with pics, info about the history, standard, health etc, those were great although a more expensive option and rare breeds were often harder to find so I think fact sheets are a more practical option for sure. Definitely the wait times are also an issue, I have been thinking of adding a dog and tossing up whether to go on a wait list but I don't like to stuff people around and a lot can happen in a year. It is tricky you don't want there to be an overproduction but if pure breeders don't meet that need then someone else will.

Thanks for the link that's really interesting! I usually have to get nails done at the vets as he's too wriggly for me to do myself especially now ny back is so bad. You can hear in the video he drags that inside hind, I am guessing it's a nerve problem coming from his back but it's only recently it's become more pronounced.

Bit of an update on Sonny he is going really well so I haven't added any more meds as yet. I might have to get him a new harness as he is starting to leave me behind on walks like he used to! This video is from about halfway into a 3km walk

I bought a few cans, old man likes a selection of various things, raw, cooked, can, dry etc. He left most of the first can so will see how the other flavours fare.

Sled dogs are an ancient breed going back at least 10,000 years Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2247127-sled-dogs-are-an-ancient-breed-going-back-at-least-10000-years/#ixzz6Sk2XSByn https://www.newscientist.com/article/2247127-sled-dogs-are-an-ancient-breed-going-back-at-least-10000-years/

Your vet should be able to prescribe a liver diet, my dog had a shunt (congenital) that was repaired surgically but prior to that he was on hills L/D and thrived on it. Lactulose also helps to break down the larger proteins that can cause hepatic episodes when the liver is unable to do it's job. There is a FB group called Liver shunt and MVD/HMD support which has a diet and mediciation protocol with lots of advice for both congential and acquired shunts (your boy sounds likely to be acquired if he's older as congenital is usually picked up earlier). Also chat to @JulesP who has done a fabulous job managing her shunt dog. Hope that helps

Yes EA has been a wreck for many years now, as asal says its surprising it took this long to hit rock bottom. I don't know about comparisons to ANKC as much of EAs problem was that members are not in fact EA members but state branch members, and only the state boards have any say in how EA is run, not the lowly individuals who simply finance it all. But certainly any club no matter whether it is local, state or national is only as good as it's grassroots membership, neglect the masses at your peril, sooner or later viable alternatives will present themselves (see ARC in Vic) and the cash cow runs dry. Interesting times ahead.

Thanks guys will look into the anitol, its good that it's a tablet I can administer because it's virtually impossible to use any of the powders he just refuses to eat anything with powder in it now no matter how cleverly I think I have disguised it lol

Just a quick update and another little video, not much change in the paces but he's still pretty happy in himself so that's good, he actually pings off at a fair pace at the start that's why his rug goes a bit wonky lol. Checked in at the vets the other day, he's lost a little more weight, still in a safe range for a husky but not a good trend when he's eating well so we decided to send some blood away as the in house panel from December was normal so a full panel might show more. Unfortunately his veins were very uncooperative and we could only squeeze a few drops so going to have another try next week. Will update if anything interesting comes of it.

Hi everyone thought I'd post a bit of an update on Sonny. His movement has been improving I have gone without the harness now, as he's gotten older he doesn't pull as much and less likely to wriggle out of the collar these days lol! Thanks for reminding me about the nails @DogsAndTheMob I always struggle with those he has long blood vessels so can be hard to keep them at a good length, he is due for another injection next week so will get the vet nurse to help me trim them again. He has lost a little weight which is concerning, still in a safe weight range but considering he is still eating well it is a worry that he is dropping weight so will ask the vet about that next week too. He was not a fan of the bag idea lol so will have to see about a harness but his back end has been getting stronger so he doesn't seem to be having as many issues. He will be 14 in September so I'm pretty happy with how he is going all things considered, he is still very bright and gets very excited when its time for a walk. His coat doesn't seem to know if it's Arthur or Martha at the moment, probably my fault as I've been leaving the light on for him later as he has been barking of a night so I think his coat decided it was summer! So he was getting a bit cold for the first time ever so I got him a cute panda rug which he hates lol. Anyway here's a bit of video from the other day and a pic

This is a really interesting one, research is starting to look at breed relevant traits and how they impact their lives as pets https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159119301443 Separation-related behaviour indicates the effect of functional breed selection in dogs (Canis familiaris) lPéterPongráczSara AlvarezGómezRitaLenkei Abstract The domestication of dogs resulted in several fundamental behavioural changes as compared to their closest wild living relative, the wolf. While these characteristics are considered to be fairly robust across dogs, dog breeds themselves manifest apparently strong behavioural differences. Thus far the functional roots of breed-specific behaviours are still less understood and supported by empirical research. We hypothesized that historical selection for the level of working interaction intimacy with their handlers, may have resulted in the fundamental differences between the main working dog types and their behavioural reactions when separated from their owner. In our study, dogs from breeds that were originally selected for either cooperative or independent work tasks, were tested in a short outdoor separation test. We included dogs with and without owner-reported separation-related disorder (SRD) to both groups. We found that SRD-status and the breed type were in significant association with various stress related behaviours during separation from the owner. Dogs from cooperative working breeds with SRD barked more frequently, meanwhile barking was less prevalent in independent breeds and also in cooperative breeds without owner-reported SRD symptoms. General movement (showing the dogs’ intention to follow or find the disappearing, then absent owner) was uniformly strongest in cooperative dogs with SRD. Whining appeared most frequently in dogs with SRD, regardless to the breed type. These are the first results that support a functional evolutionary framework behind the association of particular dog breeds with the extent of their stressful reactions to separation from their owner.

Thanks @Deeds sounds similar to the protocol by boy is on, he gets the anti-inflammatory (carprofen) daily and the neurontin (gabapentin) 3x 100mg of a night and 2x 100mg tabs in the morning (been having trouble getting them into him of a morning as he is usually half asleep and doesn't want to eat anything). He has been quite bouncy on walks the last week or so so I'm pretty happy about that, he loves the cooler weather

Sadly no vet acupuncturist here (I’m in Armidale NSW) I have a human massage pad here I might see if he will lay on it he might get some benefit, helps me sometimes. Great idea about using a bag I might even try some horse gear and see if it would do the trick, I would love one of those help em up harnesses they look perfect but none of the suppliers seem to do Afterpay so I’m stuck till I can scrape up enough dough for that. I should be able to get some booties on payday though and the vet is coming out to the horses and give him his synovan so I’ll ask her about tramadol for him.

Awesome thanks for the great ideas everyone I will follow up

Hi everyone been a while since I've been around just hoping to get some outside opinions re lameness in my old boy. Sorry it's a bit of a long story! He has generally been sound although had some intermittent back problems causing weakness in the hind legs, always resolved quickly and probably only an issue a few times over his life. He has been declining the past 6 Months or so, he developed lupus a few years back and it wasn't affecting him much so he wasn't medicated until a few months ago as he had developed persistent inflammation in his gums causing his teeth to deteriorate more quickly than normal. So he is taking imuran (immune suppressant) for that. He had been on loxicom (meloxicam) for a couple of years or so prior to this for arthritis and the vet said there was an issue with the loxicom being given at the same time as the imuran, so he was weaned off of that a few months ago, didn't seem to be a drama the first few weeks he was off it and his appetite improved. He then had an incident where it appears he has slipped a disc and lost the hind end for a few weeks, needed help getting up and generally unhappy. At the same time he had an anal gland abscess so not sure if he threw the back out from trying to lick or scoot, or if reduced mobility contributed to the anal gland issue. At any rate it was obvious he needed anti-inflammatories again so he has been on carprofen for about a month which has helped a lot however he hasn't really bounced back well and is still struggling although his general demeanour is good and he is still happy to go for his little walks, we don't go far just to the end of our little road and back as he gets worn out pretty quick. He has been getting synovan injections monthly for i think about 18 months and responded very well to them much more than he did to the meloxicam. He also gets neurontin pain relief at night, sometimes in the morning too if I can get them into him but he gets annoyed when I poke too many tablets down his neck. I've tried adding some oral supplements to his food (turmeric, rosehip vital etc) but he is not really food motivated so will leave his food if he isn't keen on the taste. I realise there aren't a lot of options left but while he's still happy enough in himself I'm trying to keep him as comfortable as possible so just wondering if anyone out there has any ideas we haven't thought of. I will link a couple of videos from our walks he finds the uneven ground tricky and sometimes loses his footing even with the front legs but I am just wondering if I have missed anything here. TL,DR: lameness in husky, history of back problems, just looking for opinions/ideas, current meds: carprofen, imuran (for lupus), neurontin and synovan.

That is amazing @JulesP !! A testament to your careful management that she has remained so healthy and happy despite the shunts

Just wanted to drop in here and thank @Boronia for this bit of advice, I’d been trawling the forum looking for things to help my husky as he has slowed down a lot with age and arthritis, he hadn’t been getting much relief from pain meds and anti-inflammatories. Started him on the Synovan a few months ago and he is doing much better! Not perfect but he’s much happier and much more comfortable

You need to see a behaviourist and get some assistance with this. If you let us know which town/city you are in people can recommend good professionals in your area.

Swedish vallhunds are super little dogs, very active and intelligent, they are a spitz though so can be a bit independent! The fellow in the pic looks very much like a terrier so certainly snake chasing is a risk but some are more driven than others, breeders will be able to tell you more about their lines though.

https://winter2019.iaabcjournal.org/heritable-breed-behavior/