aguidetocong

A Guide to Congenital and Heritable Disorders in German Shepherd Dogs

http://www.avar.org/pdf/whatsnew/canineguide.pdf

Published by The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights,

P.O. Box 208, Davis, CA 95617-0208

First printing: August 1994, revised August 1997

Special thanks to: W. Jean Dodds, D.V.M., Susan Hall, D.V.M. and Kay Inks

10. Allergies: same as in humans. Dogs can be allergic to things they come in contact with, eat or inhale.

21. Atopic dermatitis: a skin disease caused by a dog's reaction to an inhalant allergy. (See #81.)

22. Atopy: an allergy caused from things dogs inhale

27. Behavioural Abnormalities: a whole range of abnormal behaviour patterns, such as aggression, panic disorders,etc.

36. Calcinosis circumscripta: the development of lumps of hard calcium deposits in the skin.

38. Cardiomyopathy: a disease of weakened heart muscles. Seen in giant breeds, boxers, American cocker spaniels, and Doberman pinschers.
42. Cataract: as in humans, a change in structure of the lens of the eye leading to cloudiness and usually to blindness.

43a. Cell-mediated immunodeficiency: a deficiency of T-lymphocyte function causing impaired immunity, chronic recurrent infections and stunted growth. Seen in weimaraners and dachshunds.

44. Cellulitis (folliculitis and furunculosis): inflammation and infection of the cells of the skin including the hair follicles and deeper structures.

54. Cleft lip: also called "harelip" a condition where the two halves of the upper lip do not join together. Cleft palate and cleft lip are often seen together.

55. Cleft palate: a condition where the roof of the mouth is not closed and the inside of the nose opens into the mouth.

59. Coloboma: an abnormal development of the eye, usually seen in collies, which can lead to blindness. (See #203.)

65. Corneal dystrophy: an abnormality of the cornea usually characterized by shallow pits in the surface.

72. Cutaneous asthenia: a condition where the skin lacks its normal strength, elasticity and sensation. Also called Ehlers- Danlos syndrome. Seen in several breeds, including English Springer spaniels and boxers. (See #94a.)

72b. Cutaneous vasculopathy: a disease of autosomal recessive inheritance in which young puppies exhibit footpad swelling and depigmentation, with crusting and ulceration of the tips of ears and tail. Seen in German shepherd dogs.

75. Cystinuria: an abnormal excretion of a substance (cystine) in the urine.

79a. Degenerative myelopathy: progressive disorder primarily in German shepherd dogs where the spinal cord degenerates and causes rear limb weakness and incoordination. Can end up with cauda equine syndrome, where the nerve roots at the end of the spinal column become atrophied.

81. Dermatitis, atopic: inflammation and subsequent infection of the skin due to atopy. (See #21, 22.)

83. Dermoid cyst: a small growth composed of skin-like structures.

86. Discoid lupus erythematosus: a form of autoimmune disease affecting the skin.

89. Dwarfism: an abnormality of the normal growth pattern resulting in an undersized individual.

94a. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: a connective tissue disease characterized by loose, hyperextensible and very fragile skin that tears easily. (See #72.)

95. Elbow dysplasia: an abnormal development of the elbow joint.

102. Enostosis: a bony growth within the hollow part of a bone.

103. Entropion: an abnormal rolling in of the eyelid.

105. Eosinophilic panosteitis: a painful inflammatory bone disease of young, rapidly growing dogs, often characterized by increased eosinophils in the blood. (See #231.)

109. Epilepsy: a disease characterized by convulsions (seizures) and/or disturbances of consciousness.

112. Esophageal achalasia: a functional stricture or spasm of the muscles of the oesophagus where it joins the stomach.

114. Eversion of nictitating membrane: a condition where the third eyelid is protruding.

121. Factor VIII deficiency or haemophilia A: the most common severe inherited clotting disorder of humans and nonhuman animals. Inherited as a sex-linked recessive trait (carried by females and manifested in males). Affects most dog breeds.

122. Factor IX deficiency or haemophilia B: same as haemophilia A, but more rare and involves a different clotting factor. Affects about 20 dog breeds.

129a. Fragmented coronoid process: osteochondrosis of the elbow joint. (See #221a.)

130. Furunculosis: an infection of the deeper structures of the skin.

131. Gastric torsion: a condition where the stomach twists, thereby impeding input and output.

137. Glycogen storage disease: a syndrome characterized by an inability to store and utilize carbohydrates. (See #193a.)

140. Granulomatous sebaceous adenitis: a disease of sebaceous (sweat) skin glands characterized by reactive tissue growth and autoimmune destruction of the sebaceous glands. Hair loss occurs and is poorly responsive to treatment. Common in standard poodles, Akitas, Samoyeds and vizslas.

143a. Hemangiosarcoma: a cancer of blood vessels involving liver, spleen or skin.

147. Haemophilia A: a blood clotting disorder due to deficiency of coagulation factor VIII (this is the most common type of haemophilia in dogs). (See #121.)

148. Haemophilia B: a blood clotting disorder due to lack of coagulation factor IX. (See #122.)

149c. Hereditary spinal muscular atrophy: an autosomal dominant degenerative disease of motor neurons characterized by weakness and muscle atrophy with a typical gait, and progressing to dangling of the head and a drooping, paralyzed tail. Severely affected dogs become paralyzed and die by 3-4 months of age. Seen in Brittany spaniels.

152. Hip dysplasia: a developmental malformation or subluxation of the hip joints.

166. Hypothyroidism: a common endocrine disease where the body produces an abnormally low amount of thyroid hormones. An autoimmune destruction of the thyroid gland, which affects more than 50 dog breeds. (See #192, 312.)

168. Immunoglobulin A deficiency: a condition where concentrations of secretory immune globulins are low. Common in Chinese shar peis and beagles.

171a. Inherited ventricular tachycardia: a condition of young German shepherds with very rapid heart rates, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden death.

172. Intestinal malabsorption: a disease where the intestinal tract does not absorb nutrients properly. Also known as protein- losing enteropathy as a consequence of inflammatory bowel disease. In Irish setters there is also a wheat-sensitive enteropathy

180. Keratoacanthoma: a small growth, usually on the face, filled with keratin material.

186. Lens luxation: a condition where the lens in the eye is displaced into an abnormal position.

190a. Lupoid onchodystrophy: (See #218a.)

191. Lymphedema: a disorder where valvular blockage of lymph flow or twisted lymphatic ducts causes an accumulation of fluid to swell tissues with oedema.

192. Lymphocytic thyroiditis: an autoimmune disease causing inflammation and destruction of the thyroid gland, which becomes infiltrated with lymphocytes (white blood cells) and leads to hypothyroidism. This is the most common endocrine disease of the dog and has an inherited predisposition. (See #166, 312.)

193a. Lysosomal 'storage' diseases: a group of progressive multifocal neurologic disorders caused by specific enzyme deficiencies leading to death of nerve cells and accumulation of their respective enzyme substrates in cells. (See #299a.)

194. Malabsorption syndrome: (See #172.)

202b. Mucopolysaccharidosis: an inborn metabolic error of several types leading to storage disease and debilitation. Seen in schipperkes (type IIIb or Sanfilippo syndrome). Seen in miniature pinschers (type VI), German shepherd dogs (type VII). (See #299a.)

203. Multiple colobomas: a developmental abnormality of the structures of the eye

208. Nasal pyoderma: a skin infection of the nose.

213. Neuromuscular atrophy: a condition where the muscles waste away due to lack of proper nerve supply.

214. Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis: a congenital disease where fatty pigments are deposited in the brain and cause brain dysfunction. (See #193a.)

218a. Onchodystrophy: painful symmetrical nail bed disorder causing the nails to fall off; cause unknown. Seen in greyhounds and rottweilers and several other breeds. (See #190a.)

220. Optic nerve hypoplasia: a condition where the optic nerve going from the eye to the brain is too small.

221. Osteochondritis dissecans: a specific form of inflammation of the cartilage of certain joints, which causes arthritis. (See #221a.)

221a. Osteochondrosis: a group of developmental diseases resulting in abnormal formulation of joint cartilage. Commonly involves the shoulder, stifle, hock or elbow. (See #221.)

225. Osteosarcoma: a cancer arising from the cells of the bones.

226. Otitis externa: an infection of the external structures of the ear.

229. Pancreatic insufficiency: a condition where the pancreas does not produce the proper enzymes for digesting food.

230. Pannus: an immunologic eye disease characterized by abnormal growth of tissue over the cornea.

231. Panosteitis: (See #105.)

236. Patent ductus arteriosus: failure of the vessel remnant joining the aorta and pulmonary artery in foetal life to close properly at birth, thereby shunting blood away from the lungs.

238. Pemphigus erythematosus: one of many skin diseases caused by an autoimmune mechanism.

241. Perianal fistulas: a condition characterized by abnormal communications from deeper tissues to the skin surrounding the anus.

243. Persistent right aortic arch: a developmental abnormality where one of the foetal blood vessels near the heart does not atrophy as it should.

247. Pituitary dwarfism: a developmental abnormality resulting in an undersized animal due to a defective pituitary gland.

250. Pododermatitis: a skin infection of the paws.

250b. Polyneuropathy: a progressive polyneuropathy of young dogs leading to neuromuscular atrophy, variable demyelination, paraparesis, exercise intolerance and hyperesthesia. Seen in Alaskan malamutes, Dalmatians, golden retrievers, rottweilers, German shepherd dogs. (See #213.)

256. Progressive retinal atrophy: a disease where the retina slowly deteriorates, producing night blindness.

258a. Protein-losing enteropathy: a relatively common genetically predisposed condition also called inflammatory bowel disease. Vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss are the common signs. Seen in many breeds but mostly in soft-coated Wheaten terriers (in conjunction with #258b), rottweilers, Bernese mountain dogs, German shepherd dogs, golden retrievers, Dalmatians, Akitas, Irish setters, English setters.

266. Renal cortical hypoplasia: a condition where the cortex of the kidney(s) develops incompletely.

270. Retinal dysplasia: a condition where the retina is malformed.

273a. Sebaceous adenitis: (See #140.)

276. Seborrhea: a skin disease with excess scaling of the skin and often an excess of sebum (oil-like substance) and odour.

283. Silica uroliths: stones which are composed primarily from silicone that form in the bladder.

300. Subaortic stenosis: a tightening of the outflow opening for blood to go from the heart into the aorta. Common in golden retrievers and Newfoundlands.

306. Systemic lupus erythematosus: an autoimmune disease where antibodies form against the nuclear protein of cells. Characterized by skin lesions as well as other organ dysfunctions and blood abnormalities.

312. Thyroiditis: an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the thyroid gland. (See #166, 192.)

316. Ulcerative colitis: an autoimmune inflammation of the lining of the colon characterized by formation of ulcers.

320. Ununited anconeal process: a developmental abnormality of one of the bones of the elbow joint causing pain. (See #221a.)

327a. Ventricular tachycardia: a condition where a ventricle of the heart beats too rapidly, leading to varying degrees of cardiac irregularity or syncope.

330. von Willebrand's disease: a type of bleeding disorder caused by defective blood platelet function. Occurs in 59 dog breeds but most often in Doberman pinschers. An autosomal trait affecting both sexes.

German shepherd:

10, 21, 27, 36, 38, 42, 43a, 44, 54, 55, 59, 65, 72, 72b, 75, 79a, 81, 83, 86, 89, 94a, 95, 102, 103, 105, 109, 112, 114, 121, 122, 129a, 130, 131, 137, 140, 143a, 147, 148, 149c, 152, 166, 168, 171a, 180, 186, 190a, 191, 192, 193a, 194, 202b, 208, 214a, 218a, 220, 221, 221a, 225, 226, 229, 230, 231, 236, 238, 241, 243, 247, 250, 250b, 256, 258a, 266, 270, 273a, 276, 283, 299b, 300, 306, 312, 316, 320, 327a, 330