Yorkie Health and Genetics

23/06/2024

It's Sunday and I wrote a zinger this morning, Dear God, I am trying. 😇

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/PoHreyzejhxJoS3g/

DISTEMPER made the news again with the Ugliest Dog Contest won by a Pekinese yesterday. At ten weeks old, while in a foster home the pup contracted Distemper. Now eight years old the dog has travelled from Oregon five times to be recognized. It is odd to me is that routine vaccination of puppies is the norm, especially for puppies and the distemper vaccine creates antibodies immediately, even after exposure. It's one of the best vaccines in that regard. (Effect of Vaccination with Recombinant Canine Distemper Virus Vaccine Immediately before Exposure under Shelter-Like Conditions, 2006). It's the unanswered looming question.

And then there is a study from Spain investigating disease resistance that looked at antibodies in vaccinated and unvaccinated dogs. Age was not mentioned but it was interesting that "CDV antibodies were present in 95.5% (63/66) of the vaccinated and 87.0% (40/46) of the non-vaccinated dogs." It echoes that distemper is not always deadly. (Serum Antibody Titers against Distemper, Parvovirus and In-fectious Hepatitis in Dogs from Central Spain, 2024)

Research rarely looks at disease resistance. Will that ever be a focus? For those that understand that vaccination is not a panacea it would be a very welcome aspect to champion natural immunity which will always be superior. Rabies has no natural immunity.

In 1970 I worked with a fellow groomer in Santa Barba for a few months. She had a little yorkie who had survived Distemper, one she nursed back to health. Ichabod (Ichy) was a riotous little clown. It is one of the nuggets I have retained over the years.

What would have prevented any of the issues the "uglies dog", a nomograph and a titer. It's high time it becomes the norm and a strong immune system makes headlines. Below is the link to the article that embraces the use of nomographs and titers and is recommended by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. The veterinary industry needs to catch up instead of endlessly promoting vaccination and thereby creating a false narrative.


https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/wild-thang-lives-name-finally-crowned-worlds-ugliest-dog-years-falling-short

https://titersforpets.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Canine-nomograph-evaluation-improves-puppy-immunization-CAVIDS.pdf

27/05/2024

SEIZURES - A comprehensive article
"Outside of the brain – certain medications like flea treatments, vaccination, ingestion of poisons, low blood sugar levels.
Inside of the brain – damage, tumor, infection.
Idiopathic – meaning there is no underlying medical reason causing functional problems in the brain … but something causes the neurons to over-fire."

Idiopathic epilepsy in dogs is brought on with no underlying medical reason. Can dog food cause seizures? Learn more ...

23/05/2024

https://www.facebook.com/civtedu/posts/pfbid02Jd2AtckaWhPs6DYvWav1nTY2u5mDBiRwyddC11y9pWmi2faA85bswE1kGpezdyF8l

This interesting case report is from CIVT's very own Dr Neal Sivula. Most of you will recognise Dr Sivula as our fabulous Podcast Host, he's also a Course Tutor and the Webinar Program Coordinator.

His report describes the treatment of an oral soft tissue sarcoma in a Yorkshire Terrier with an oral herbal medicine formula, nutritional supplements, acupuncture, and chiropractic adjustments. The herbal medicine was well tolerated and the patient's tumor began resolving after two months of treatment.

You can read it here:https://civtedu.org/documents/QYdEgB0jiYWTxnEMdGIK.pdf

​​​​​​​​



​​​​​​​​​​

18/05/2024

BREED HEALTH and MANAGEMENT
It's as hard as you want to make it. Feed right, keep right, breed right. Immune function and diversity are kind of important. If you love your breed than you will spend time understanding how important management is. You will understand that you can not fix everything on your own terms. All the accolades and show standings either will support management or they won't. Know the difference. Support the difference.


Pictured is a now 14 year old yorkie that eats a fresh diet, mindful of her kidney disease. She is on blood pressure meds and supplements. She is a research contributor multiple times over. If you feed kibble look for ones that are the least processed avoiding synthetic vitamins. A finnish study showed that dogs feed a good quality kibble with fresh toppers had the same bloodwork as all formulated fresh fed.

15/05/2024

AKC is a registry that has expanded (which has partnered with industry). It is NOT a requirement to use their DNA program which misses the whole part of diversifying and breed management. The only requirement for DNA. Health is NOT about managing a few mutations. When dogs are selected for breeding more frequently, then an ID is required. Parentage can also be determined when dogs are Embarked. Care enough to understand. . If you need to cut back, find another way to do it. We should be pretty used to cutting back by now. Rant Over.

14/05/2024

12 minutes discussing temperment change when microbiome replacement therapy is used. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zarOBQn9Spc

Diet with lectins removed from legumes. https://www.mbrt.life/donors-diet.html

Animal Nutrition Nutrition is a huge part of a pet’s health and well-being. Paying attention to proper diets and limited medications helps keep the whole body balanced. We want to feed the microbes...

12/05/2024

Just a little neurotoxins can't hurt, right? 🤬https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib/posts/pfbid0ZpLnwK3fyPgZhDwxHwqGH8TJRdWw3JAqQpNBJnU2YgEq4xBYG782CyHdNqGMs5Bdl

09/05/2024

I will never purchase anything from their kingdom. They added a pharmacy and promote UTD. Local purveyors only! Chewy made brownie points sending flowers to customers. I am not so easily impressed. How they got my address, who knows, but guessing the AKC who sticks their heads in the sand too. and every other critter and human.

07/05/2024

DENTAL HEALTH
Would understanding what creates healthy dentition be meaningful? Of course it would. You can not always tell by looking either. The Embark survey asks about retained puppy teeth. The survey should be more specific for Toy breeds but you can write it in for now. Listen starting at 11 minutes on Yorkies and Maltese.
Dental radiographs may drive a veterinary dentists decisions but finances are another factor. Certainly small breeds that produce great dentition is a worthy goal.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live?ref=watch_permalink&v=1163916067947644

04/05/2024

PEANUT Memories
This is a pedigree chart of Peanut. I was able to trace back to early pedigrees and almost to Huddersfield Ben, a prominent founder of yorkies. We learn so very much with each dog and Peanut did that in spades. Over vaccinated as a puppy she developed focal seizures that remain silent but eventual graduate in frequency and impact. The heavier connecting lines show how powerful the influence of particular dogs were. Now we have the power to bring in outlier genes. The plain little bitch who was not satisfied with living in a kitchen. The longer you stay involved, the smaller one part of the dog world becomes. Norm Patton on my right and Lynn McKee. Lynn knew who I was decades before I knew her. Hope we can shift to tracking health and genetics in the future.

04/05/2024

The goal is to reduce the genetic COI over time and that is done with litter planning. It's a long term solution for our breed. Much appreciation to all those on this path. To evaluate this with one cycle is a disservice. Full research link below.
Where we go from here, everyone plays a role.

"Abstract
Background
Dog breeds are known for their distinctive body shape, size, coat color, head type and behaviors, features that are relatively similar across members of a breed. Unfortunately, dog breeds are also characterized by distinct predispositions to disease. We explored the relationships between inbreeding, morphology and health using genotype based inbreeding estimates, body weight and insurance data for morbidity.

Results
The average inbreeding based on genotype across 227 breeds was Fadj = 0.249 (95% CI 0.235–0.263). There were significant differences in morbidity between breeds with low and high inbreeding (H = 16.49, P = 0.0004). There was also a significant difference in morbidity between brachycephalic breeds and non-brachycephalic breeds (P = 0.0048) and between functionally distinct groups of breeds (H = 14.95 P < 0.0001). Morbidity was modeled using robust regression analysis and both body weight (P < 0.0001) and inbreeding (P = 0.013) were significant (r2 = 0.77). Smaller less in**ed breeds were healthier than larger more in**ed breeds.

Conclusions
In this study, body size and inbreeding along with deleterious morphologies contributed to increases in necessary health care in dogs."

Full link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40575-021-00111-4

03/05/2024

Degenerative Myelopathy DM SOD1 - DON'T GET STUCK!
The danger of over reacting to one identified gene. As time goes on more relevant clues will emerge. You don't look at the steering wheel first when you are investing in a car.

When you see dogs in wheel chairs is due to injury.

Find out more: https://www.instituteofcaninebiology.org/blog/the-lessons-from-sod1-and-degenerative-myelopathy

02/05/2024

I like posts that tell you about the origins of a movement. The term Purebred is both revered and despised. Unless a breed developed over hundreds of years in a geographic area (called a land race), they were all developed and are now all capable of being fully managed to avoid genetic inbreeding, and mutations. We don't really know which ones are protective because that's not what is focused on. Purebred, I will take to mean that those involved are doing it out of love and with a PURE heart. Life is fragile. Purebred dogs have done more for human health than most can realize. My little Beazer with a midline defect contributed several times. Today Danika Bannasch is working on clefts in children. Cancer, dysbiosis and Legg Calves Perthes are all conditions where DNA samples help fuel discovery. I don't believe for one minute that 95% of health issues in dogs can be addressed with food and nutraceuticals alone. Thank a purebred dog but know who among breeders is contributing.

https://www.facebook.com/NationalPurebredDogDay/posts/pfbid02uUGeXUkkwtVRY4tiP2W1yFUtr9JzcdvyJYCHQD89nrwyqdrsHbA76zwCpQ1jZWAdl

We've had a few people point out to us today that May 1 is also International Doodle Day.

We read that International Doodle Dog Day was scheduled to happen on May 1st just this past year. (though another source says it was in 2017). How interesting that May 1 was chosen.

Just for clarity: National Purebred Dog Day was conceived of in 2013, and was officially recognized by the State of Colorado in 2015. Since then, the states of Maine, Georgia, West Virginia and Connecticut have also acknowledged May 1 as National Purebred Dog Day. If you would like to have your own state recognize this day, holler at us. We can help.

We also found this paragraph about this doodle day: "Today, the poodle has been mixed with at least 44 different breeds. From Labradoodles, Goldendoodles, and Aussiedoodles, to sheep doodles, these mixed breed dogs have truly captured the hearts of fur parents around the world."

We're not in competition with a mixed breed for May 1 anymore than we are competing with Lei Day, International Workers' Day, Loyalty Day, Global Love Day, Executive Coaching Day, Frequent Fliers Day, the Great American Grump Out, International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day, Mother Goose Day, National Mantra Day - and so many others that use May 1 to bring attention to their particular interest.

So enjoy the day, get your glorious breeds out there and share the fact that purebred dogs have a legacy and heritage while offering predictability and diversity. Are we lucky to love them, or what?

Photo is of Sarah Krueger's Nederlandse Kooikerhondje from 2022

30/04/2024

PSA Did this person go to the Parent Club? Facebook and trends have left their mark. While all DNA will help with discoveries, there is a lot more of this on social media than top breeders of show dogs posting about their participation and joint solution solving. " I like the way that XYZ shows mutations". 🥹 If you are part of the solution and filling out your surveys - Shout it out!

29/04/2024

By now we should have some data on the incidence. Are there any cases other than dog's with spinal injuries? The concern being over simplifed interpretations that believe breeding for clear is the goal.

Did you know Embark for Breeders offers four breed-specific genetic health tests for the Yorkshire Terrier? The most common genetic health risk among Embark-tested Yorkshire Terriers in North America is Degenerative Myelopathy, DM (SOD1A).

Based on Embark-tested Yorkshire Terriers that have opted into research, here’s a snapshot of the breed today: 78.2% of dogs tested clear; 19.8% tested as carriers; and 1.7% at risk for Degenerative Myelopathy, DM (SOD1A).

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Up5aYQ

29/04/2024

Matchmaker is Embark’s advanced, custom breeding tool that makes it easy to find potential mates and view predicted average litter COI.

29/04/2024

Revisiting Titer Data - Assumptions make data less reliable and there were assumptions in this data. It's all perspective. at minimum

29/04/2024

Buy a dog, save a breed.

📸: National Purebred Dog Day

26/04/2024

PESTICIDES
Stay safe out there, look for alternatives. The kill everything mentality is making things worse. Regeneration of our farmlands is starting to grow. One feature is working toward zero pesticides. When farmers realize that it is economically feasible to foster healthy soils and improve production. Working together will help foster change. Research everything.

A common herbicide spray can mean cancer in dogs, even if you don't use it in your yard. It also affects human health. Here's what you need to know.

22/04/2024

Someone need to back off trying to squeeze into the DNA business. AKC officially launched their idea. Remember you own your Embark Sample and data which in combination is powerful PLUS you are aware enough to know that controlling inbreeding and addressing immune health is really important.

This is the recent post that shows the imporance of managing genetic COI - https://www.vet.cornell.edu/news/20240222/study-points-inbreeding-factor-thoroughbred-pregnancy-losses

AKC's rollout = https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeding/introducing-akc-dna-health/?sc_src=email_784241&sc_lid=46290298&sc_uid=FVgeVnYaII&sc_llid=239478&sc_eh=5b8ef47ff8ed0a161

22/04/2024

CBD
This did notHing for my hyper pup that no longer gets car sick but it did settle my senior so she was not up at night. It also helps boost the effectiveness of vaccination. Look for products that have quality processing and independent analysis. More links in comments.

Unleashing the Benefits of CBD for Dogs: Enhancing Canine Wellness, Easing Anxiety, and Supporting Joint Health

21/04/2024

The Veterinary school dropout that went on to clear distemper in a clinc she set up.
Ezekiel 47:12 ESV
"And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”

purchase: http://www.der.org/films/juliette-of-the-herbs.htmlJuliette of the Herbs is a beautifully filmed lyrical portrait of the life and work of Juliette ...

21/04/2024

Goes double for littles.

20/04/2024

How veterinary medicine has changed.
BE PREPARED