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Crested Health
Issues
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Shambhala
Cresteds
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As with any breed of dog, there are health issues
due to genetics to consider. That does NOT mean that each individual
dog has or carries these genes only that it's possible for them to
arise. It DOES NOT suggest that any breed is free from, more
susceptible to or less effected. There are NO guarantees in life,
even tested-clear parents can produce pups with problems. Due to
careful, selective breeding and testing, can these problems,
eventually, be resolved.
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Dry-Eye -
Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (KCS) is a Latin medical term used
to describe a condition of decreased tear production. The term
technically means “inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva from
drying.” When the watery part of the tears is not produced in
adequate amounts, the eye becomes chronically inflamed, and scarring
and pigmentation of the cornea may lead to a decrease in vision.
Another commonly used term to describe this disease is “dry
eye.” Numerous breeds of dogs are at risk for developing KCS
including the West Highland White Terrier, English Bulldog, Pug,
Shih Tzu, American Cocker Spaniel, Lhasa Apso, Pekingese and Chinese
Cresteds. If left untreated, KCS is a potentially vision threatening
disease. It may lead to painful corneal ulcerations in the acute
stage of the disease. In chronic KCS, vision may be impaired because
of scarring of the cornea. |
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Glaucoma -
Glaucoma is an elevation of the pressure within the eye that
is incompatible with normal function of the eye. It is a disorder of
the outflow of fluid (aqueous humor) from the eye and not a disease
of overproduction of fluid within the eye. Sudden, high elevations
of pressure within the eye are common in the dog and can occur
without warning over several hours. These acute elevations in
pressure can cause devastating and irreparable damage to the retina
(which acts like the film a the camera) and the optic nerve (which
sends information from the eye to the brain). The causes
of glaucoma are both primary (spontaneous, probably inherited) and
secondary (arise in association with other diseases within the eye)
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Progressive Retinal
Degeneration - Progressive retinal degeneration or
atrophy (PRD/PRA) represents a group of inherited eye diseases
characterized by abnormal development (dysplasia) or premature
degeneration (deterioration) of the retina. In the United Kingdom a
type of retinal degeneration is occasionally seen that affects the
retinal layer behind the photoreceptors, and this disease is called
central PRA. However, in the United States, PRA is primarily a
disease of the light detecting cells of the retina (photoreceptors)
and is called generalized PRA. |
| There are two types of photoreceptors in the
retina and these are the light-sensitive rods and cones. They are
responsible for detecting light and converting it into an electrical
signal that travels to the brain. When the photoreceptor cells
deteriorate, vision is lost because the animal has no way to
generate an image from the light reaching the retina. The
degenerative form of PRA/PRD in dogs initially affects the rods. The
rods are responsible for dim light vision; therefore, the dog loses
its nighttime vision first. The disorder is progressive and
eventually the cones are affected. Over time, the dog slowly goes
completely blind. The disease affects both eyes at the same time.
In the dysplastic forms of
the disease the rods of both eyes never develop properly, so the dog
is born with poor dim light vision, and the cones rapidly degenerate
as the puppy ages. The onset of blindness is much more rapid than
with the degenerative forms, and the puppies are usually blind
before one year of age. |
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Retinal Detachment - Retinal detachment is the
separation of the retina, the innermost tunic layer of the back of
the eye, from the underlying pigmented epithelium and choroid. The
choroid is the darkly colored, vascular layer that furnishes
nutrition to the retina. Retinal detachment in dogs occurs most
often from the accumulation of fluid under the retina, due to some
pathologic process either in the eye or somewhere else in the body.
Therefore, in most dogs, the presence of a retinal detachment is
often a sign of a serious underlying disease. The underlying disease
may be more of a threat to the health of the dog than the actual
detachment. Retinal detachments can occur in one or both eyes. The
age of onset varies widely and depends upon the underlying cause or
ocular problem.
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Treatments -Simple To
Sophisticated - Treatment
for eye
ailments can range from simple (but careful) removal of foreign
material and administration of infection-fighting drugs to complex
surgery.
Cyclosporine ointment stimulates tear production for treatment of "Dry
Eye". To remove cataracts, veterinary ophthalmologists use
phacoemulsification, an ultrasound technique that shatters the
damaged lens and removes the pieces. Treatments for glaucoma
include medications to decrease eyeball pressure and surgery to
drain fluid from within the eye. In the future, drugs that block the
amino acid glutamate may help treat the nerve damage glaucoma
causes. In cases of retinal detachment or hemorrhage, vision is
sometimes restored after veterinarians treat the underlying problem
- such as high blood pressure. While most canine eye ailments are
treatable, unfortunately there are no treatments for PRA. This fact
underscores the importance of preventing dogs that carry PRA genes
from breeding. |
| When you gaze into your dogs eyes seeking solace, inspiration
or assurance that you are loved, return the favor; look for signs of
eye trouble and if something seems amiss, call your veterinarian.
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Lateral Patella Luxation - Lateral patella
luxation (LPL) is a condition in which the patella, or knee-cap, no
longer glides within its natural groove in the femur, the upper bone
of the stifle or knee joint. It becomes displaced to the outside of
the joint and can be partial or complete, intermittent or permanent.
LPL can occur as a result of trauma, develop during the first year
of an animal’s life in large and giant breeds of dogs or occur when
they are more mature in small breeds.
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| Medial patella luxation (MPL) is more common in
all breeds of dog than LPL. LPL is seen in large and giant breeds
more frequently than small breeds of dog, such as Great Danes, St.
Bernards and Irish wolfhounds. In the large and giant breeds, LPL is
more common in both knees. Animals may show symptoms during the
first year of life, particularly if the abnormality is severe, or
any time later in their life if the problem is lower grade and leads
to a more progressive, chronic lameness. Traumatic patella luxation
can occur at any age and is usually secondary to being hit by a
car. Lameness can vary
from an occasional hitch of the leg, like an intermittent skipping,
to a persistent weight bearing lameness. Traumatic luxations are
more likely to result in a non-weight bearing lameness.
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Hypoglycemia - Hypoglycemia is defined as a blood glucose or
blood sugar concentration of less than 70 milligrams per
deciliter(mg/dl) of blood. Symptoms depend on how quickly the blood
glucose concentration decreases but rarely occur until it falls
below 50 mg/dl. Symptoms
reflect the rate of decrease of the blood glucose concentration, the
underlying cause of hypoglycemia, and the chronicity of the problem.
One common form of hypoglycemia is called juvenile hypoglycemia
because it occurs in puppies less than three months of age. Juvenile
hypoglycemia is common in puppies because they have not fully
developed the ability to regulate their blood glucose concentration
and have a high requirement for glucose. Stress, cold, malnutrition,
and intestinal parasites are problems that may precipitate a bout of
juvenile hypoglycemia. Toy breed dogs less than three months of age
are most commonly affected. |
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Hypothyroidism - Hypothyroidism is a disorder of the thyroid gland, which is
the butterfly-shaped glandular organ located in the neck just below
the voicebox. This gland is responsible for producing and secreting
thyroid hormone (thyroxine), which affects nearly all body systems.
Thyroxine is the hormone that is primarily responsible for
regulating the metabolic rate of many different tissues in the body.
In hypothyroidism, not enough thyroxine is produced, which causes
the metabolism of these tissues to slow down. |
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Colitis - Colitis is an inflammation
of the colon, or large intestine. It may be acute, with sudden onset
and short duration, or chronic, that is present for at least two to
three weeks or exhibiting a pattern of episodic recurrence.
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Diabetes Mellitus - Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic condition in which a
deficiency of the hormone insulin impairs the body’s ability to
metabolize sugar. It is one of the most common endocrine (hormonal)
diseases of dogs. There are two types of diabetes mellitus in dogs.
Type I DM occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin. This
can be the result of destruction of the cells in the pancreas that
normally produce insulin. Type II DM occurs when enough insulin is
produced but something interferes with its ability to be utilized by
the body. Dogs nearly always have the type I variety.
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Heart Murmurs - All veterinarians will have
been schooled in auscultation, which in this context is listening to
your dog’s heart with a stethescope. The vet is listening to the
heart rate and rhythm, for any extra or unusual heart beats, and for
the sound of murmurs or other abnormal sounds. In dogs, two heart
sounds are normally heard. The first sound (known as S1) is
associated with the closure of the atrioventricular (AV) valves,
which separate the atria from the ventricles. The AV valve on the
right side of the heart is known as the tricuspid valve, and the
corresponding valve on the left side is called the mitral valve. The
second sound (known as S2) is audible with the closure of the
semilunar valves. The semilunar valves separate the right ventricle
from the pulmonary artery (leading to the lungs) and the left
ventricle from the aorta (taking blood back out to the rest of the
body). These valves are designed to be one-way, and to force the
blood to flow in only a single direction (forward) during n ormal
cardiac function. |
| *Grade 1
– a very soft murmur that can only
be detected after very careful auscultation – the lowest intensity
that can be
heard
*Grade 2 – a soft murmur that is
readily evident (restricted to a localized
area)
*Grade 3 – a moderately intense murmur not associated
with a palpable precordial thrill (vibration) – immediately audible
when auscultation
begins
*Grade 4 – a loud murmur; a
palpable precordial thrill is not present or is
intermittent
*Grade 5 – a loud cardiac murmur associated with a
palpable precordial thrill; the murmur is not audible when the
stethoscope is lifted from the chest
wall
*Grade 6 – a loud cardiac murmur associated with a
palpable precordial thrill; the murmur is audible even when the
stethoscope is lifted from the chest
wall
http://siriusdog.com/articles/cavalier-heart.htm
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Genetics of
Deafness - Congenital deafness in dogs (or other animals) can be
acquired [caused by intrauterine infections, ototoxic drugs like
gentamicin, liver disorders, or other toxic exposures before or soon
after birth] or inherited. Inherited deafness can be caused by a
gene defect that is autosomal dominant, recessive, sex-linked,
mitochondrial, or may involve multiple genes (more on this later).
It is usually impossible to determine the cause of congenital
deafness unless a clear problem has been observed in the breed, or
carefully planned breedings are performed. In this article I will
discuss what is currently known about the genetics of deafness in
dogs so that breeders can make the best informed decisions possible
when attempting to reduce or eliminate deafness. http://www.lsu.edu/deafness/genetics.htm
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Pyoderma - Pyoderma is a bacterial
infection of the skin. Pyoderma can be divided into surface
pyodermas (infection on the skin surface), superficial pyoderma
(infection within the skin) or deep pyoderma (infection under the
skin). The health impact from pyoderma can range from mild
with superficial pyoderma to severe with deep pyoderma. Superficial
and surface pyodermas can cause intense itching leading to
discomfort. The underlying cause of the pyoderma may also have a
negative health impact on the dog, depending on the disease. http://www.petplace.com/dogs/pyoderma-in-dogs-bacterial-skin-infection-pus-in-the-skin/page1.aspx
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Solar Dermatitis - Solar Dermatitis is a skin
disease which is caused by exposure to the sun, i.e., sunburn. It
occurs mainly in the white non-pigmented (all exposed body areas of
the hairless dogs and cats) areas and the ear flaps are mostly
commonly affected. Other areas may be less commonly affected are the
nose and eyelids. (unless they are pink in natural color). Prolong
sunlight exposure should be avoided. ALWAYS use a sunscreen of
SPF-45 or better!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_cancer
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"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful
and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be
worthy of such devotion."
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LaraShambhalaCC@aol.com
with
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2008 *SHAMBHALA CRESTEDS-HAIRLESSDOGS.COM*TM
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