09/12/2023
It has been very quiet on the puppy front, so let me update you all re my last litter.
This litter has been like no other. The pups are all in their new homes and absolutely thriving. We have little Maggie out at shows, pups that are amazing family members with kids, and even one clever puppy that knows how to find his mums phone or keys! The quality is outstanding, and every home is well and truly in love with their family member!
However, that road hasn't been entirely smooth sailing. Sometimes, despite all the planning and preparation in the world, nature still throws you a curve ball. This came in the form of x2 of the pups we noticed at a very early age, were a little bit different. As the rest of the litter developed, these 2 hit their milestones a little slower and had different ways of approaching life. As they grew, some sort of hearing impediment became apparent, though any other symptoms began to diminish.
We involved vets from the Animal Referral Hospital here in Canberra where we performed neurological exams amongst other tests like blood work etc. We also went ahead with an MRI on each puppy to really search for any issues. The vets are confident that the issue lies within the cerebellum, however the MRI's showed perfectly normal brains. This means the issue may be down to the cellular level which we do not have the technology to detect it with in Australia. Thankfully, both pups are kicking goals and loving life in their news homes. Proving that they still have plenty of love to give to those around them.
The specialist vets suspect that the cause is hereditary so we have engaged the expertise of Cambridge University and collected DNA from each puppy and some relatives to see if a genetic marker can be identified. We are thinking (and hoping) that it is a recessive gene, needing x2 copies to show up as affected or problematic just like the merle colour gene in other breeds of dogs. Only time will answer that question though.
Could this have been avoided?
No. Sadly not. Whatever condition the puppies have, doesn't appear to exist in any breed of dog. There are no recordings of similar cases, and the specialists have nothing to compare it to. As such, there was no way of knowing that the pairing of the parents would produce puppies with any kind of problem.
What does it mean for mum, dad, and littermates?
Very careful consideration! We are hoping to develop a test prior to breeding again to ensure that we never double up on the gene again. Fingers crossed that happens!
What will life look like for the 2 pups, are they okay?
Yes! They are more than okay, and are doing really well in their homes. Unfortunately we have no way of knowing or guessing what life will bring for them, but everyone is excited to love them for as long as we have them for!
How am I going?
WELL! It has been a very stressful and bumpy road. Many a sleepless night, and lots of tears shed. I could not have made it without the support of wonderful mentors that have been there for me throughout the entire process. My vets have also been AMAZING, and continue to research and work their case. The outpouring of support from my close welshie friends has been so good. With no judgement and instead offers of help and support. I am so grateful to the community around me.
I had quite a few people pull out from taking home a pup from this last litter (as is their right, and the exact reason I shared the details with them!), due to worrying theirs would develop problems later etc. Thankfully our vet is very confident it is congenital, so would be apparent from birth, if there at all. The homes of all the puppies from this litter are some of the best and most genuinely kind people I've met. I feel so blessed to have pups in their homes and am excited for their futures!
As breeders of the fantastic Welshie, it is our responsibility to work toward the betterment of the breed. We are so fortunate to be able to access this modern technology and hope that this research will help to identify a genetic marker that can be used to screen potential parents for what we suspect might be a recessive gene.
Please be kind in your comments, I will answer any questions as best I can with the information available to me. But remember, this is no ones fault, and as of yet, still undiagnosed.
