Pituitary Dwarfism page on Jacquenetta website - Page 19

I just read through this thread and found myself confused...I understand the condition, and the premise of testing the dogs you breed from to ensure that they don't pass on the condition.

Then there's the issue of leaving the "affected" dogs in the breeding pool...Mate only carrier to clear, or clear to clear, to reduce the incidence of PD showing up in the offspring.  I'm no geneticist, but if you breed a carrier to a carrier, you will get some pups that will show the condition.  Carrier to non carrier, some of the pups will be carriers, clear to clear, none of the pups should be carriers.

But what if the tests offer false positives or false negatives?  What if a dog is never used as a stud, his good qualities never offered to the breed, because of a paper that says he carries the genetic material for PD, when in fact he does not?  Or a good bitch, for that matter?

Someone earlier in this thread asked why it was that only Brits were speaking up on this thread about PD...Did other countries not know of the condition, or were they sweeping it under the rug?

I can't answer that question, as I don't breed GSDs here in the USA, but what I can tell you is that there are nine pages of the same four or five people repeating the same things to each other, progressively getting more and more irritated and angry with each other.  That's probably why no one else has joined this conversation.  You're all just snipping at each other.

Do I think that breeding stock should be tested?  I believe that they should be tested for the conditions that we know can destroy their lives, such as HD.  But I'm not one hundred percent sure of the accuracy of DNA testing.  It's so new, even in humans.  We know there is a margin for error in science, and that some tests have a much larger margin of error than others.  With that in mind, test your stock if you can afford to spend the money, but I'd make sure I had the testing done by more than one lab, at least two and maybe a third, just to be sure.  If they all agree that my dog is affected, then I know it's for sure.  But if you get two different test results, then you know something is off.

But personally, I do think there are probably bigger issues with the GSD than PD...HD is a huge problem, and still not being improved much, even with all the testing being done.   Allergies and immune disorders are on the rise, caused by vaccines, environmental factors, and food, as well as genetic flaws, and conditions like EPI and others are also too common.  So PD wouldn't really register on my radar with all the other issues out there.  Selective breeding has given us the genetic bottleneck we have now, and all the wonderful problems our beloved GSD's are afflicted with, and I don't see that changing any time soon...

Just the opinion of an American GSD owner...

Crys

 Crys: very good post, touching on very important aspects.

Yes Mo its nice to see that David has decided to put the article back on his site.

My puppy, the daughter of one of the great GSD dogs of North America, suffers from pituitary dwarfism syndrome. She weighs 6 lbs at 12 weeks of age, and exhibits all the symptoms of the condition, including the fox-like appearance, perfectly proportioned limbs and paws, wide set erect ears, and rapidly thinning coat. My problem is with the breeder.

Obviously, the puppy's weight at 8 weeks (4.7 lbs), coupled with its abnormal and emaciated appearance, should have raised the concern of the breeder, but it did not prevent him from finalizing the sale. After several weeks, and subsequent to being confronted with all of the developing health concerns, he steadfastly claimed that the reason for the lack of growth was because I fed the dog only canned puppy Wellness and did not use kibble (which she rejected). After looking at numerous pictures, he still maintained a growth spurt would occur at any time. He is dubious of the diagnosis since his dogs never had PDS in any of their lines.

The devastating effect of raising this puppy, although loved and adored, takes its toll. We will have to begin three times weekly hormone shots immediately, as she is rapidly losing her coat and has already exhibited signs of orthopedic distress. How this breeder can live with himself is beyond me. We want nothing from him, not a replacement nor a refund; just never to deal with his kind again.

The breeder is John Henkel of Wilhendorf kennels, and the sire was Teejay, 4X NASS VA1.