Radius Curvus

[Saffioraire]

Just did a quick Google search but it didn't really show up with what I was after.

Has anyone had much experience with Radius Curvus and in terms of it's mode of inheritance?

It seems to me it is more of an environmental problem, or a genetic problem which is triggered by environmental situations, but I couldn't see much that suggested it had the capacity to be completely Genetic and present in dogs without the influence of environment being a factor.

I don't have a dog with this problem so I am not going it through it personally, but I have heard it may be "in the lines" of a dog I was watching (which it may or may not be of course, as the info was second hand), so I am interested to hear what peoples experiences have been.

Thanks

[espinay2]

Genetically, Radius Curvus can be associated with Chondrodysplaysia (dwarfism). BUT, not all cases of radius curvus will be as a result of this form of dwarfism.

There appears to be more than one cause, with injury or incorrect diet (under or over supplementation for example) being others.

http://www.cardicomm...dius_Curvus.pdf

http://www.genetics..../index_eng.html

http://pets.groups.y...es/message/5292

http://sonic.net/~cd...ther_breeds.htm

Chondrodysplasia is rare in GSD (there is also Pituitary Dwarfism, which is different), but does exist:

http://www.gsdcouncilaustralia.org/veterinary.htm#chondroplasia

http://www.sid.ir/en...15920070411.pdf

http://www.rhosyngsd...=article&sid=32

http://www.dogstuff....as_lanting.html

http://www.rhosyngsd...=article&sid=36

Note that in humans there are known to be multiple causes: http://boneandspine....lung-deformity/

Edited August 13, 2012 by espinay2

[Saffioraire]

THANK YOU!

Time to get reading. The thing that is so hard with these problems is that because the mode of inheritance and the actual level of genetics involved can be so undefined, it is hard to ascertain the level of risk involved in a bloodline where only one or two dogs have become symptomatic - and the line in question is 2 or 3 generations back, and the dog who is being blamed is a well used sire yet this is the first I've heard of it.....

I feel like LOL!!!

[dancinbcs]

The couple of cases I have heard of in my breed were related but a change of diet fixed the problem before it became a serious issue. My guess is that some puppies inherit a need for different nutrients to their siblings for correct growth.

[Saffioraire]

The couple of cases I have heard of in my breed were related but a change of diet fixed the problem before it became a serious issue. My guess is that some puppies inherit a need for different nutrients to their siblings for correct growth.

Thanks for that, pretty interesting point really and another spanner in the mix.

Aside from the actual trait being Genetic / or not Genetic, there is the possibility that a predisposition to another trait (ie. the way nutrients are/ are not absorbed during digestion) can lead to a deficiency causing secondary Radius curvus? I don't know really but it's an interesting point you make none the less.

I suppose then my question would be then also how far to people go in breeding selection criteria? Of course there are dogs who are better than others, and some carry or are affected by particular ailments etc... but how far do you go in terms of the possible genetic issues that may or may not be in a line because " once there was a few pups affected by a different ailment that is linked to a more severe one" or "the sire has never produced the ailment but the litter sister has".... etc, etc. I'm not talking about detectable ailments here like HD/ED/Eyes/Ears, I mean ones you can't test for and there is no known mode of genetic inheritance nor how clearly genetics is linked and could possible be brought about mostly by environment. It is no secret that you can have as many clear pups as you like and still have a recessive gene or a mutant gene etc... so where do people draw the line between a calculated risk and throwing the baby out with the bathwater?

(Again I am NOT dealing with this issue myself, just trying to get a feel for how other breeders draw together their acceptable breeding stock - the responsibility of these decisions is quite serious at the end of the day)