Golden Retrievers and Italian Spinones

Mid-Atlantic Area

Hereditary Problems --
The vast majority of dogs of all breeds (as well as mixed breeds) can live long, healthy lives if given proper care and routine veterinary attention. Nevertheless, any dog can fall victim to a wide range of acquired problems, just as humans can, that range from acne to viral diseases, from allergies to cancer and so on. In addition, each breed of dogs has its own particular hereditary problems; some minor, some impairing, and some possibly fatal. Some may show a very strong hereditary basis and others not much more than a tendency to run in families. The Golden Retriever is no exception and unfortunately the problems multiply as the breed continues to increase in popularity and there is an increase in indiscriminate breeding. Failure to screen for hereditary problems before breeding often results in the doubling up of unfavorable genes, and the results are distressing for the buyer and dog alike. The following, while not all-inclusive, are some of the more common hereditary problems that may be encountered in Goldens.

HEART DISEASE
Hereditary heart disease, most commonly Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis (SAS), is known to occur in the Golden Retriever breed. All prospective breeding animals should be examined by a board certified veterinary cardiologist. If a murmur is detected through auscultation (listening with a stethoscope), additional diagnostic tests are available and may be recommended. However, even if the results are negative, this does not rule out heart disease, as some mild but hereditary forms may be undetectable except on necropsy. Animals with hereditary heart disease should not be used for breeding. There are additional topics such as hypothyroidism, seizure disorders and other orthopedic disorders for which routine screening of Golden Retrievers is not performed. This may be because acceptable examination standards have not yet been developed or because the incidence of the defect is low in the Golden Retriever breed. Potential buyers should feel free to ask the breeder about these, or any subjects of concern to them. The exchange of such information is an expected and customary practice. <

Cerebellar Ataxia a Genetic Disease identified in the Spinoni Italiani
This year, an inherited disease which manifests itself as a Cerebellar Ataxia, or abnormal gait originating from a problem in a part of the brain, was identified in Spinoni. It was brought to light in Great Britain, when an eagerly awaited and carefully planned litter was born to Christine Bennet and Pat Wilkinson. Initially normal, the puppies began to have problems getting up at about 5 months, and by 11 months, after Christine's puppy had won Best in Show, the puppy was dead, and another no longer could walk and was euthanized. Largely through the sustained efforts of Ms. Wilkinson who was able to enlist the help of a well known geneticist, Dr Bruce Cattanach, and equally known neurologist at the Royal Veterinary College, Dr. Simon Wheeler, much has been identified about this disease through the study of the live animals and their post mortum tissue, as well as intense investigation of the pedigrees of affected animals. Their conclusions are these: 1. This particular Cerebellar Ataxia (henceforth in this article, "CA") is inherited as an autosomal recessive gene. This means that a puppy must have inherited a copy of the abnormal gene from both the sire and the dam for the puppy to display the disease. It means that both parents carried the gene, but did not suffer from the disease. A litter from a mating of two carriers will produce on average 25% puppies who will die of the disease, 50% who are well but are carriers and if mated will pass on the gene to 50% of their offspring, and 25% totally normal pups. 2. There have been 13 affected pups to date from 7 litters, all but three born in England, and those three born to the same parents in Denmark. Examination of these pedigrees has lead those studying the problem to conclude that Trusco Del Angelo del Summano del (at) Gaeston was the first identified carrier. A list and the pedigrees (4 generations) of all of the known carriers (based on their having affected puppies) was released to us by the British Spinoni Club (ISCGB) and is included below. Unfortunately one of those carriers, Gaeston Vin de Pero, was shipped to the United States, where he fathered about eight litters (an estimated 100 dogs). 3. There is no way to tell at this time if a dog is a carrier other than if when mated to a carrier it produces affected puppies. Mating a dog with unknown carrier status to a known carrier to see if affected pups are born is called a "test breeding" because the birth of affected pups would define the dog in question as a carrier. This method is fraught with difficulties and ethical issues: to gain a 90% confidence interval that your dog is not a carrier, a litter with a minimum of eleven unaffected pups and no affected pups must be born. To be 98% certain your female is not a carrier you must have 16 unaffected pups. * If your dog is a carrier you will probably have affected puppies and these cannot be identified until about 6 months or later (remember that "Best in Show" pup). There is then the problem of neutering before placement, socializing and catering to an entire litter until you can be assured you are not giving someone a pup that is going to die by the time it is one year old, etc. However, as a result of research methods becoming available over the last year or so, a DNA test can be developed and by means of a blood or cheek swab sample tell you in a few days if the dog is a carrier, no matter what the dog's age. Thus breeding stock could be defined before a breeding, puppies cleared virtually at birth. The problem is that it takes 1-2 years to isolate the gene to develop the test assuming all the owners of related dogs are honest and forthcoming with information about pedigrees and health status of their animals. And it takes money to do the research involved in the gene isolation, lots of it, and most of it from ordinary people. 4. Symptoms of the disease: (Amended from Dr. Simon Wheeler's article, "Ataxia in the Spinone," and private communications with Pat Wilkinson.) Initially, pups are normal. Then, at about four to six months, they begin to have problems getting up when lying down and may compensate by pressing against a wall to support their rear legs, which are affected first. This is most obvious indoors, for outdoors, initially, they romp normally. They begin to have exaggerated movement, such as a "high stepping gait, " "a wobbly gait," and can drag their feet. They do not have other symptoms such as seizures, or pain, but retain their happy spirit while "seeming confused as to why they cannot get up." There are many diseases that can have these symptoms, but few in young dogs. 5. Known Carriers of Cerebellar Ataxia in Spinoni as released by the ISCGB

Buying a Puppy--

Congratulations, you have done your homework, and decided a Golden Retriever or a Spinone is for you. You have accepted that they are a large dog, that needs plenty of company and exercise and moults regularly. Now all you need to do is decide on whether to have a dog or a bitch and find a litter of puppies. It is preferable to buy from a specialist dog breeder, not a pet shop, dealer, commercial breeder or puppy farmer. Plan in advance, be prepared to wait, you may well have to put your name down on a list long before they are born to get exactly what you want. Don't impulse buy and always see the mother with the puppies. Some breeders will have the father of the puppies as well, although this is not always the case. Most breeders will only breed after very carefully choosing the right dog for their bitch, being mindful of temperament, and after the necessary hereditary checks have been carried out under the KC/BVA schemes currently in place. They will provide you with a Kennel Club registration, pedigree, diet sheets, advice and on going help once the puppy has left the breeder. Contact your local Breed Club's Puppy list co-ordinator (listed on this site) who will give you details of their members who currently have puppies available. Or you can speak to people who own a golden about their characteristics, and ask where they bought their dog from. If possible speak to the breeder and possibly visit before the puppies are born, this way you can see the mother's personality, size and demeanour beforehand. Once the puppies are born, breeders will not normally let you see the puppies until they are 2/3 weeks old, in order to avoid possible infection. Ask as many questions as you can, especially if you have not had a dog before. Be prepared for the breeder to ask questions of you, they will want to know all about your family and lifestyle. Please appreciate whilst you are trying to ensure the puppy is good enough for you, the breeder wants to make sure you are good enough for their puppy! Puppies normally leave the breeder at 7-8 weeks of age.

Links to other sites on the Web

Golden Retriever Rescue
Golden Retriever Info
Golden Retrievers in UK

Spinone USA

Spinone Club of America

GunDog Magazine

Field Training

Our Spinone Breeder

Our Local Vet - Great Gal!

Chesapeake Vetrinary Cardiology Assn.

Dog Parks in Maryland