Health Screens, what they are and why they are important
Preferred pre breeding health screens for the Dogue de Bordeaux are:
◾Hip scoring (Penn Hip and/or OFA)
◾OFA Heart certification (preferably by a Canine Cardiologist with an echo cardiogram)
◾OFA Elbows
◾OFA Shoulders
Optional health testing includes:
◾OFA Patella (knee certification)
◾CERF (eye certification)
◾Vwd (Von Willebrans Disease)
◾Thyroid Testing
Each of the above health testing methods is can be utilized to help improve in those areas that we cannot see by just looking at a dog. They are there to help the breeder KNOW what their dogue is on the inside to help them make a more informed decision regarding the individual dogue. We have probably all heard people say things like “my dogue lays like a frog, (flat on it’s belly, legs extended out behind them), so it MUST have good hips”, or “my dog can run super fast and stop on a dime, so it doesn’t have hip dysplasia” or even “my dog can jump into my raised SUV, so it has to have good hips”. This is NOT true! The things a dog can do depend on it’s muscling and condition and how the individual dog is built, not whether it has good hips or not. To think that just “looking” at a dog you can tell if it has good hips/elbows/shoulders/heart is very unreasonable, you cannot “see” the inside of the dog. You will not know without the health testing! It’s up to each of us to have as much information on the status of a dog before we breed it if we want to try to improve our breed for the future.
Some people consider the Dogue de Bordeaux to be “Functionally Dysplastic”, meaning it has hip dysplasia, but they function with no problem and it likely may not affect them until they are old and grey and other areas of their bodies start breaking down, if it ever affects them at all. There are numerous breeds that are also considered “functionally dysplastic”. Bulldogs, Clumber Spaniels are just a few. This does NOT mean that we, as breeders, should not try to improve our breed. It means we should be responsible enough to KNOW what we have so we can make an informed decision on breeding that specific dog (and what to breed it to that will help improve the offspring) or not breeding that dog.
Hips
Hip scoring is important for several reasons. If you know what you have, you pretty much “know” what you can breed it to that likely will help improve the hips on the next generation. Some people prefer OFA, some people prefer Penn Hip. There are huge differences between the two, even though both are x-rays of the hips. Both organizations are not for profit and have a similar goal, to improve the health of pure bred dogs.
◾OFA – Orthopedic Foundation of America is an open database of health testing results. OFA Hip testing is done either with or without anesthetic. Without anesthetic is often not as good as a reading than with anesthetic because the dog is awake and could struggle or tense up, not allowing the legs to be in proper position for x-rays. Without anesthetic is safer, less risk for the dog because whenever a dog is under, there is always a risk of complications. The only x-rays taken are that of the extended view. There are different ratings for OFA for the hips, Excellent, Good, Fair, Mild, Moderate, Severe as compared to a “perfect” hip on a generic dog. Once OFA receives the x-rays from your vet, they will send them off to 3 different Board Certified Radiologists who will give their interpretation of what the hips rate as compared to the perfect hip. The results are then put together for your dogs “rating”. Some breeders feel OFA is best and only dogs with excellent, good or fair ratings be bred.
◾Penn Hip – University of Pennsylvania has developed the Penn Hip method of hip scoring. Penn Hip testing is only done under general anesthetic by a vet who has been specially trained in this method of hip scoring. It consists of three separate radiographs: the distraction view, the compression view and the hip-extended view. The distraction view and compression view are used to obtain accurate and precise measurements of joint laxity and congruity. The hip-extended view is used to obtain supplementary information regarding the existence of degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the hip joint. (The hip-extended view is the conventional radiographic view used to evaluate the integrity of the canine hip joint.). The percentage a dogs hips come out of the socket from the distracted view to compressed view is the score for that hip (if a score is .37L/.81R, the left side comes out of the socket 37% and the right side comes out 81%). The Degenerative Joint Disease (if any) is also measured with the extended view and rated as either none, mild, moderate or severe. The scores for that dog are then put into a database and again “rated” on how they compare to the rest of the breed, giving you the percentile of where your dog is compared to the rest of the breed. Some breeders feel Penn Hip is best and will breed to dogs with similar or better scores than theirs or will breed tight hips to looser hips to try to improve the next generation.
As with everything, neither method is “prefect”, but both have their advantages and disadvantages, each breeder will chose the method they feel is best for their dogs. Both methods of hip scoring have shown the ability to improve future generations of pure bred dogs though Penn Hip has been shown to improve hips much faster than OFA. In other countries there are different methods of hip scoring.
Hearts
OFA Heart Certification. The heart is probably the single most important organ of any dog, any breed. If it does not function, the dog dies. Heart Disease, unfortunately, is rampant in the Dogue de Bordeaux with Sub Aortic Stenosis and Dilated Cardiomyopathy the leading cause of death in the breed. Congenital heart diseases in dogs are malformations of the heart or great vessels. The lesions characterizing congenital heart defects are present at birth and may develop more fully during perinatal and growth periods. Many congenital heart defects are thought to be genetically transmitted from parents to offspring; however, the exact modes of inheritance have not been precisely determined for all cardiovascular malformations.
Conditions genetic in nature and are often present at birth.
Puppies can be born with certain congenital heart disease. Some are treatable, some are not. Sometimes, juvenile mild heart murmurs are only present because the heart was not completely developed at birth and they are often outgrown, but not always.
◾Hole in the Heart (Atrial Septal Defect) – When there is a hole connecting the heart’s two upper chambers. This canine congenital heart disease can be repaired with surgery in the same way a human heart can be treated. The procedure is performed by inserting a catheter through the dogs arm or neck.
◾Patent Ductus Arteriosus – When in the womb there is a blood vessel that directs blood away from the lungs. If this blood vessel doesn’t close when born, patent ductus arteriosus occurs.
◾Pulmonic Stenosis – When there is a blocked connection between the right side of the heart and the lungs.
◾Aortic Stenosis – When there is a blocked connection between the left side of the heart and your dog’s body.
◾Mitral Dysplasia – A leaky mitral valve causes this condition and is being seen with increasing frequency in Bull Terriers and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. When a mitral valve leaks, the left ventricle of the heart contracts causing some blood to leak backward into the left atrium (called Mitral Regurgitation).
◾Mitral Stenosis – If the mitral valve is narrow and leaks, blood has trouble passing from the left atrium to the left ventricle (where the blood pumps).
◾DCM (Dilated Cardio myopathy) – In this disease the ventricular section of the heart becomes enlarged or dilated. The dog may retain fluid in the chest cavity. DCM is believed to be both a genetic heart disease or can be an acquired heart disease.
Types of Congenital Heart Disease in a Dog
Unlike human heart disease, the Veterinary community does not understand the genetic defect necessary to pass heart disease from one generation to the next. The most common congenital heart defect in dogs are:
◾PVS (Pulmonic Valve Stenosis) – has been demonstrated to be genetic in some breed. Pulmonic valve stenosis (PS) is a stenosis (valve narrowing) or dysplasia (abnormal cell development) of the actual valve, rather than a subvalvular lesion (a mass in the valve).
◾DCM (Dilated Cardio myopathy) – In this disease the ventricular section of the heart becomes enlarged or dilated. The dog may retain fluid in the chest cavity. DCM is believed to be both a genetic heart disease or can be an acquired heart disease.
◾SAS (Subvalvular arotic senosis) – Stenosis means that there is a narrowing of valves in the heart. This disease has been demonstrated to be genetically passed down. Diagnosed by finding a heart murmur and then a check for other symptoms. This disease if very difficult to diagnose and is done with a test called doppler echocardiographic identification which will show a problem with blood flow in the left ventricular.
Types of Acquired Heart Disease in Dogs
Acquired heart disease can be caused by numerous different things including obesity, parasites, lack of quality diet or infections.
◾DCM (Dilated Cardio myopathy) – In this disease the ventricular section of the heart becomes enlarged or dilated. The dog may retain fluid in the chest cavity. DCM is believed to be both a genetic heart disease or can be an acquired heart disease
◾MVD (Mitral Valve Disease) – There are four valves in a dogs heart. One of the valves in the mitral valve (MV). In chronic valvular disease the heart valves do not close in the right way, causing problems with the way blood flows through the heart and leaks. This often occurs with advanced age from wear and tear.
◾Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) – This condition is due to an electrical problem in the heart.
◾Myocardial Disease – When the heart gets weak and then enlarges.
◾Pericardial Disease – There is a sac that surrounds the heart and protects it. If the sac fills with fluid, it doesn’t pump efficiently.
◾Heart Arrhythmia – A healthy dog’s body automatically changes its heartbeat. Like a human, if a dog is active, the heart beats faster, and at rest it beats slower. If you dog has heart arrhythmia canine, your dog cannot regulate its heart beat as well as it should.
Heart Disease can be life threatening and often is hereditary, passed on from generation to generation. The only way to know for sure if you dog is currently clear from heart disease is to have an echocardiogram performed. Any type of murmur must be investigated as soon as it’s found. Since some heart diseases are acquired, it is optimum to keep your dog in good health, not allow it to get over weight, feed it a premium food and take the dog into the vet annually for a complete exam, including blood work. There is currently a blood test available for early detection of heart disease, but, at this time, it does not appear to be a helpful tool for giant breed dog owners because it measures a certain chemical produced naturally by all dogs, since giant breed dogs have larger hearts, it is suggested that they produce more of this chemical than smaller breed dogs.
Elbows
Elbow dysplasia is a general term used to identify an inherited polygenic disease in the elbow of dogs. Three specific etiologies make up this disease and they can occur independently or in conjunction with one another. These etiologies include:
1.Pathology involving the medial coronoid of the ulna (FCP)
2.Osteochondritis of the medial humeral condyle in the elbow joint (OCD)
3.Ununited anconeal process (UAP)
Studies have shown the inherited polygenetic traits causing these etiologies are independent of one another. Clinical signs involve lameness which may remain subtle for long periods of time. No one can predict at what age lameness will occur in a dog due to a large number of genetic and environmental factors such as degree of severity of changes, rate of weight gain, amount of exercise, etc. Subtle changes in gait may be characterized by excessive inward deviation of the paw which raises the outside of the paw so that it receives less weight and distributes more mechanical weight on the outside (lateral) aspect of the elbow joint away from the lesions located on the inside of the joint. Range of motion in the elbow is also decreased.
For elbow evaluations, there are no grades for a radiographically normal elbow. The only grades involved are for abnormal elbows with radiographic changes associated with secondary degenerative joint disease. Like the hip certification, the OFA will not certify a normal elbow until the dog is 2 years of age. The OFA also accepts preliminary elbow radiographs. To date, there are no long term studies for preliminary elbow examinations like there are for hips, however, preliminary screening for elbows along with hips can also provide valuable information to the breeder.
◾Grade I Elbow Dysplasia Minimal bone change along anconeal process of ulna (less than 3mm).
◾Grade II Elbow Dysplasia Additional bone proliferation along anconeal process (3-5 mm) and subchondral bone changes (trochlear notch sclerosis).
◾Grade III Elbow Dysplasia Well developed degenerative joint disease with bone proliferation along anconeal process being greater than than 5 mm.
Typically, grade 1 elbows, the dogs show absolutely no symptoms of elbow dysplasia, and quite often, never will. Grade 2 elbows may or may not show symptoms such as limping. Grade 3 elbows, there is almost always symptoms of limping, crying, difficulty pulling themselves up, difficulty or not wanting to move. Some breeders will breed dogs with mild grade one elbow dysplasia, generally only to either certified normal or also grade one mates, depending on what that combination would actually contribute to the gene pool for future generations. Grade 2 elbows can be bred, but it is generally not practiced to breed them to other dogs with any elbow dysplasia. Grade 3 dogs should not be bred. Our breed is front heavy, they do bear a lot of weight on their elbows, we must take great care not to breed dogs that may not live a long, pain free life due to severe elbow dysplasia.
Shoulders
While the exact mode of inheritance is unknown, osteochondrosis is considered to be an inherited disease. In affected individuals there is a disruption in ossification of the cartilage mold beneath the articular cartilage of the joint. This results in aseptic necrosis and when the weakened area collapses, the articular cartilage fractures resulting in lameness.
OCD has been reported to occur in the shoulder, elbow, stifle, hock, and spine, and can be unilateral or bilateral. Most affected dogs that develop clinical signs are less than one year of age.
OCD is seen in many breeds but appears to be more common in the larger body type breeds. It is also seen more frequently in males than females.
Symptoms of OCD are limping and painful movement. Typically, dogs with OCD should not be bred. Some dogs with OCD from known/documented injury have been bred.
Optional Health testing recommended for the DDB because they can be affected by these health issues.
Patellas
The patella, or kneecap, is part of the stifle joint (knee). In patellar luxation, the kneecap luxates, or pops out of place, either in a medial or lateral position. Two types of luxation may effect the Dogue de Bordeaux.
Bilaterall involvement is most common, but unilateral is not uncommon. Animals can be affected by the time they are 8 weeks of age. The most notable finding is a knock-knee (genu valgum) stance. The patella is usually reducible, and laxity of the medial collateral ligament may be evident. The medial retinacular tissues of the stifle joint are often thickened, and the foot can be seen to twist laterally as weight is placed on the limb.
Medial Luxation
Although the luxation may not be present at birth, the anatomical deformities that cause these luxations are present at that time and are responsible for subsequent recurrent patellar luxation. Patellar luxation should be considered an inherited disease.
Clinical Signs Three classes of patients are identifiable:
◾Neonates and older puppies often show clinical signs of abnormal hind-leg carriage and function from the time they start walking; these present grades 3 and 4 generally.
◾Young to mature animals with grade 2 to 3 luxations usually have exhibited abnormal or intermittently abnormal gaits all their lives but are presented when the problem symptomatically worsens.
◾Older animals with grade 1 and 2 luxations may exhibit sudden signs of lameness because of further breakdown of soft tissues as result of minor trauma or because of worsening of degenerative joint disease pain.
Signs vary dramatically with the degree of luxation. In grades 1 and 2, lameness is evident only when the patella is in the luxated position. The leg is carried with the stifle joint flexed but may be touched to the ground every third or fourth step at fast gaits. Grade 3 and 4 animals exhibit a crouching, bowlegged stance (genu varum) with the feet turned inward and with most of the weight transferred to the front legs.
Permanent luxation renders the quadriceps ineffective in extending the stifle. Extension of the stifle will allow reduction of the luxation in grades 1 and 2. Pain is present in some cases, especially when chondromalacia of the patella and femoral condyle is present. Most animals; however, seem to show little irritation upon palpation.
Lateral Luxation
Also called genu valgum, this condition is usually seen in the large and giant breeds. A genetic pattern has been noted, with Great Danes, St. Bernard’s, and Irish Wolfhounds being the most commonly affected. Components of hip dysplasia, such as coxa valga (increased angle of inclination of the femoral neck) and increased anteversion of the femoral neck, are related to lateral patellar luxation. These deformities cause internal rotation of the femur with lateral torsion and valgus deformity of the distal femur, which displaces the quadriceps mechanism and patella laterally.
Clinical Signs Bilateral involvement is most common. Animals appear to be affected by the time they are 5 to 6 months of age. The most notable finding is a knock-knee (genu valgum) stance. The patella is usually reducible, and laxity of the medial collateral ligament may be evident. The medial retinacular tissues of the stifle joint are often thickened, and the foot can often be seen to twist laterally as weight is placed on the limb.
EYES
There are several eye conditions that can affect the Dogue de Bordeaux. Some are very serious and may require surgery or can cause blindness. Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) is a database for eye clearances and diseases. Common eye conditions in the dogue are as follows.
◾PRA – Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is the name given to a group of hereditary retinal diseases in dogs. Although there are several classifications of the disease according to the age of onset of the disease and the types of retinal pathology which occur, almost all forms of PRA eventually lead to complete blindness. In some breeds of dogs, the disease begins very early in life (as early as 6 weeks of age.) In this type of PRA, there is a problem with the initial development of the rods and cones (the light receptor cells in the retina). The puppies with this disease often show behavioral signs associated with decreased vision as early as 12 weeks of age and may become completely blind by 1 to 2 years of age.
◾PPM-Persistent Pupillary Membranes (PPM), persistent blood vessel remnants in the anterior chamber of the eye which fail to regress normally in the neonatal period. These strands may bridge from iris to iris, iris to cornea, iris to lens, or form sheets of tissue in the anterior chamber. The last three forms pose the greatest threat to vision and when severe, vision impairment or blindness may occur.
◾Entropian and Ectropian – There are numerous eyelid disorders in dogs. Entropian (rolling inwards), and ectropian (drooping or rolling outward) are the most common and, although they are considered abnormal eyelid conformations, are characteristics of many breeds.
◾Cataract – Cataract is a common term used to describe changes in the lens of the eye that we usually attribute to older age, and call an “aging change.” Many people have surgery to remove cataracts and we all know someone who has had cataract surgery, if we haven’t had to undergo the procedure ourselves. It has a very high success rate in people, has few complications and is even an outpatient procedure performed under local anesthesia. This disease also occurs as an aging change in the eyes of dogs. Cataracts diagnosed in younger dogs are from genetic causes. This means that dogs can inherit cataracts as a “disease” from their parents.
◾ Distichiasis – Distichiasis is a condition where eyelashes emerge from the ducts of glands within the eyelid (Meibomian gland) which does not normally produce hairs. These “extra” eyelashes often rub on the surface of the eye and may cause irritation. The severity of the problem and the need for treatment vary from patient to patient. Some patients may have only a few distichia (abnormal hairs) on a single eyelid, while others may have several distichia present on all four eyelids. Although some patients live their entire lives without being bothered by their distichia, others require medical or surgical treatment to alleviate irritation caused by the hairs rubbing on the cornea.
Von Willebrans Disease
VWD, Von Willebrand disease is an inherited bleeding disorder. It affects the blood’s ability to clot. If the blood doesn’t clot, the dog can have heavy, hard-to-stop bleeding after an injury. The bleeding can damage internal organs or even be life threatening. Testing for VWD is a simple blood test sent to a lab for testing.
Thyroid
Canine Thyroid disease is an autoimmune disease that often affects the Dogue de Bordeaux. The Thyroid gland has a number of functions, but is most well known for regulating your dog’s metabolic rate.While there is a genetic predisposition for thyroid disorders, environmental factors such as pollutants and allergies probably play a role as well. There are 2 types of thyroid disease in dogs.
◾Hypothyroid – In hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland is underactive, and unable to secrete enough thyroid hormone. This, in turn, decreases your dog’s metabolism. Most cases of hypothyroidism stem from the dog’s own immune system attacking the tissues of the thyroid gland. This condition is called autoimmune thyroiditis. The dog’s own system attempts to compensate for this at first by secreting more and more of the thyroid hormone, but eventually the gland is unable to keep up with the attacks on its tissue, and the dog becomes hypothyroid and symptomatic. Symptoms of Hypothyroid disease are:
◾Lethargic behavior such as a lack of interest in play, frequent napping, tiring out on long walks
◾Weight gain, sometimes without an apparent gain in appetite
◾Bacterial infections of the skin
◾Dry skin
◾Hair loss, especially on the trunk or tail (“rat’s tail”)
◾Discoloration or thickening of the skin where hair loss has occurred
◾Cold intolerance/seeking out warm places to lie down
◾Slow heart rate
◾Chronic ear infections
◾Severe behavioral changes such as unprovoked aggression, head tilt, seizures, anxiety and/or compulsivity
◾Depression
◾Hyperthyroid – Hyperthyroid Disease is an excess of the thyroid hormone, thyroxin. Thyroxin determines how quickly your pet burns fuel and makes energy. Because every cell in the body burns fuel, every cell is affected by Hyperthyroid Disease, but the first sign we often notice is how thin the pet is despite having a ravenous appetite. Symptoms of Hyperthyroid disease are:
◾Weight loss, decreased muscle mass, emaciation, weakness
◾Increased appetite
◾Tachycardia (rapid heart) and hypertension (high blood pressure)
◾Heart murmur and/or arrhythmias, secondary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (heart muscle thickening with compromised cardiac performance, possible congestive heart failure)
◾Poor hair coat; self-induced patchy alopecia
◾General irritability
Thyroid disease can also effect reproduction. Dogs may not produce quality semen. Bitches may not be able to conceive or may absorb their litters. Thyroid disease can be difficult to diagnose because the thyroid gland may produce different amounts of hormone throughout the day. Thyroid testing is a blood draw that your vet can process or send to an outside lab for OFA Certification.
Other Health issues known in the Dogue de Bordeaux include:
◾Juvenile Onset Kidney Disease (genetic)
◾Epilepsy (idiopathic, genetic and secondary)
◾Wobblers Syndrome (genetic)
◾Mega Esophagus (both genetic and acquired, both with and without Myasthenia Gravis)
◾Addisons Disease (immune mediated)
◾Cushings Disease (Immune mediated)
◾Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Immune mediated)
◾Colitis (immune mediated)The basis of health testing is to know what your dog is on the inside. It helps the breeder make more informed decisions regarding breeding or not breeding a specific dog and if planning to breed that dog, which dogs, health wise may be a better match for their dog to hopefully improve the overall health of the next generation. Health testing should go hand in hand with the standard and conformation. Health testing is not an end all/be all. It is simply a tool to help breeders improve the breed for future generations. If a dogue has great health testing results, but does not fit the standard well or offer something other than health (such as type and conformation) to the gene pool, it likely shouldn’t be bred. If a dogue has a couple of average or mediocre health testing results, but the rest great, that fits the standard well and has a lot to offer the gene pool, it may be bred responsibly to a dogue that has better health testing results that also has attributes that are likely to improve the breed. A dogue with genetic and/or immune mediated diseases should not be bred as they will likely pass on the weakened immune systems to their offspring. A dogue that is a health nightmare and has many areas that need improvement, no matter how well it fits into the standard, likely should not be bred from.
Conclusion
The basis of health testing is to know what your dog is on the inside. It helps the breeder make more informed decisions regarding breeding or not breeding a specific dog and if planning to breed that dog, which dogs, health wise may be a better match for their dog to hopefully improve the overall health of the next generation. Health testing should go hand in hand with the standard and conformation. Health testing is not an end all/be all. It is simply a tool to help breeders improve the breed for future generations. If a dogue has great health testing results, but does not fit the standard well or offer something other than health (such as type and conformation) to the gene pool, it likely shouldn’t be bred. If a dogue has a couple of average or mediocre health testing results, but the rest great, that fits the standard well and has a lot to offer the gene pool, it may be bred responsibly to a dogue that has better health testing results that also has attributes that are likely to improve the breed. A dogue with genetic and/or immune mediated diseases should not be bred as they will likely pass on the weakened immune systems to their offspring. A dogue that is a health nightmare and has many areas that need improvement, no matter how well it fits into the standard, likely should not be bred from.