PANNUS IN THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG

The more that I think I know about the breed, the more I realize that I don�t. This is just one of the things that I didn�t know that the German Shepherd Dog can be affected by. I never even heard of this disease before.

German Shepherd Dog Keratitis [pannus], medical name: keratitis superficialis vasulosa pannosa pigmentosa chronica, is a chronic inflammation of the corneal surface and, in most cases, of the conjunctiva of the eye. The reason it is called German Shepherd Dog Keratitis is because the disease is found predominantly in German Shepherds and is only rarely seen in other breeds.

Pannus is a condition where your dogs� immune system attacks the cornea. Symptoms include changes in color and the appearance of red blood vessels. While there is no cure for the syndrome, it can be controlled for the life of your dog. Failure to treat the condition can result in blindness.

It is normally seen in dogs between the ages of three and five. It first appears in the outer regions of the cornea and, in almost all cases, affects both eyes simultaneously.

The cornea is a membrane that covers the colored part and white part of the eye. Canine keratitis is a syndrome where the cornea becomes inflamed and discolored (corneal pigmentation). Pannus causes tissue to accumulate on the surface of the eye and cholesterol to form inside the cornea.

The cause of Pannus is not well understood, but several factors are involved. The breed incidence suggests a heritable predisposition. Additionally, UV (ultraviolet) radiation plays an important role as an inciting and propagating factor. Dogs living at high altitudes and low altitudes are more severely affected. Also, autoimmune factors and possibly genetics play a part.

Initially, redness and brown pigment may be seen in the conjunctiva (white tissue of the eye). White infiltrates made up of inflammatory cells then invade the clear cornea. Next blood vessels invade the cornea. Finally pink connective tissue grows into the cornea and later becomes brown. In a small number of cases, two other symptoms may occur either alone or together. A thickening, redness, de-pigmentation and lumpiness of the third eyelid may occur. This is called a plasmoma. The other condition which may occur is chronic, erosive ulceration of the lower eyelid near the inner and outer corners of the eye. Pannus is uncomfortable to the dog. When treated adequately, your dog can be free of this irritation even though the corneas may not clear up completely.

What is the treatment for Pannus? Despite intensive research efforts, no permanent cure exists for this disease. However, in the vast majority of cases, the diseases progress can be halted and the problem kept stable. In other cases, Pannus may be reversed and the corneas will clear. This is most probable if therapy is instituted early during the disease. The inflammatory cell infiltrate and blood vessel invasion are generally reversible with therapy. The connective tissue infiltration and pigment deposits are often not reversible once they have occurred.

There are four types of therapy:

1. Corticosteroid (cortisone) therapy. This is the main line of defense against progression of the disease and in most cases is effective. If the pannus is severe, cortisone may be administered by injections under the white of the eye. In all cases drops containing cortisone must be applied to the eye many times a day. Treatment must be kept up for the rest of the pet�s life. Even short periods of interrupted treatment, i.e., 2-to-4 weeks, may cause severe relapse with worsening of the patient's vision. The main side-effect of prolonged corticosteroid therapy is the adverse effect on corneal wound healing. Microscopic wounds of the outer layer of the cornea often occur. In a normal eye the cornea heals rapidly. If corticosteroid medications are being applied, minor wounds worsen leading to serious corneal ulceration. The main sign seen in patients with ulceration is pain. Therefore, should any patient on cortisone therapy show signs of pain, such as holding the eye shut or pawing at the eye, it is important that the medication be stopped and the doctor consulted immediately.

2. Cyclosporine is a new medication in the war on pannus. It does work on pannus and doesn't have the side effects of corticosteroids. Unfortunately, cyclosporine doesn't work as quickly and it is usually necessary to continue it twice daily for the rest of the patient�s life. Often, we will initially prescribe corticosteroids to be used in addition to the cyclosporine. When used together, greater improvements are seen without the side effects associated with high levels of corticosteroids.

3. Surgery may be used when medication does not completely clear the pannus from the cornea. A 'peeling' of the cornea may be required to restore vision in eyes that are severely scarred and pigmented. Unfortunately, treatment is required following surgery to prevent the pannus from recurring as the cornea heals. This method is only used if medication doesn't work.

4. Beta-irradiation may be used when medication and surgery prove insufficient. This will not be recommended unless all else fails.

Although Pannus can be a condition that requires life long treatment, with the correct diagnosis and early treatment, the dog's vision can be maintained.


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My rating: Learning and educating yourself on the diseases of the German Shepherd Dog: (4)

SO YOU WANT TO BREED A LITTER OF PUPPIES - (Part 2)

Okay so you just invested in buying the best bitch that you can afford for your breeding program. You raise her until she�s at least two years of age. You have her x-rayed and submit them to the OFA for evaluation. You receive her OFA numbers for her hips and elbows. Then you once again take a look at the studs that you have been considering breeding her to for awhile. Hopefully you have done your homework and have investigated a little further into the bloodlines of the potential stud dogs and have talked to other breeders that have utilized these dogs into their own bloodlines. You would have discussed the faults of the lines and any health problems other breeders may have had. Perhaps you can even take a look at some of their puppies that they have produced from the stud dog that you are interested in using.

Once you�ve decided on a dog that you would like to use, your next step is to make sure that your bitch is up to date on any of her inoculations that she may need. Taking in a stool sample to your vet would be a good idea as well. This is a good time to have her thoroughly examined to make sure she�s healthy and ready to have a litter. Alright then, Mother Nature pays a visit to your girl and she�s in season.

You should get in touch with the stud dog owner on your bitches first day of season. This way the owner of the male can reserve the days that your bitch needs to be bred. Most stud dog owners will allow you to breed your bitch two times during her season to help ensure that she�ll get pregnant. Also the stud dog owner should let you know what tests he expects you to have on your bitch before the breeding takes place. These tests are to protect his stud as well as your bitch from contacting any infectious diseases. Some bitch owners will have tests done to determine when their bitch should be bred. I have never done this test and I have never had a bitch miss. But for those bitches that do have a harder time conceiving, these tests can prove to be very valuable to the bitch owner.

This is what the person that wrote to me about writing about this subject had to say about the actual breeding of the two animals. �You can of course leave out the copulation itself as I think most know how that is done.� Well you would think that that would be the case, but it�s not always that way. Most people think that you just put the two dogs� together and let nature do what nature normally does. You would think. But it doesn�t always work out that way. Many a time the breeder has to be �hands on� when a breeding is taking place. If she�s not, injury may result or a breeding doesn�t take place at all. So let�s take a look at this eventful day.

So the time has come for you to breed your girl to the famous stud dog. Hopefully the stud dog will be a good breeder and there will be no problems. A good stud dog is an eager breeder and gets the job done without too much fanfare. The problem can arise when you have a young stud dog that is still �wet behind the ears� because he�s never been bred before or to very few bitches. I�ve written about my own experience with this. If it weren�t for me and the stud dog owner being there, serious damage could have resulted to the stud dog and maybe my bitch. Not to go into all the detail all over again here, I�ll just tell you that the stud dog tied with my bitch and then he wanted to play games and tried throwing himself on the floor like an overgrown puppy would do. That�s when the fun began! NOT! The poor dog was screaming in pain and he didn�t know what to do. The stud dog owner became so scared and yelled to me to hold my bitch very still. Thank God my bitch was an experienced brood bitch. She just looked at him like he was nuts and as if to say to him, �Are you done yet?�

Then you might run into the other side of the spectrum and have a dog that is a lazy breeder and is not really too interested in your bitch. I also had that happen before. Eventually we got the breeding done and had a large litter, but you would think that the stud would want to breed a willing bitch. Nope, he had to be coaxed.

And then how about the stud dog that is overly exuberant with anything that has four legs. He�s an aggressive stud dog and the owner has all he can do to hold the wild bronco back. This can result in outside ties and small litters or no litters at all. Then you can�t breed to him until another 24 hours at least and hope that the next time you can calm his libido down a little bit. And hopefully you�ll have a litter.

And the stud dogs are not the only ones that can give you a headache. How about your darling sweet little girl? If she is a maiden bitch, she may not want anything to do with the stud dog at all. She may be frightened or she may want to rip his head off! Most stud dog owners will muzzle all bitches that come in to be bred to their dogs. The smart owner doesn�t take any chances. Many times after they are tied, the muzzle will be taken off the bitch.

So no, it�s not just about putting the two dogs together. The breeders are very much a part of what goes when the two dogs are bred. Believe me many stud dogs owners earn their stud dogs fees and the bitch owner ears her puppy prices!


So if everything goes well, you will have had two breedings on your girl and you can take her home and wait until you see the signs that your bitch is pregnant. Your girl will carry her babies for nine weeks. While she is pregnant you will make sure that she has the proper nutrition and some breeders will give their bitches supplements at this time to ensure that she is getting the extra vitamins they she will need to nourish her babies and herself.

If you haven�t already, now is the time to invest in a good whelping box for the mother and her newborns.

(To be continued)�.


DRYMATE WHELPING BOX LINER -

* Provide your pet with a clean sanitary whelping area.
* The soft, non-woven fabric absorbs and contains liquids.
* The bonded backing prevents leak through and protects the flooring.
* Machine washable and dryable.


My rating: breeding puppies: (1 - 4)

WHAT WOULD YOUR LIFE BE LIKE WITHOUT A GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG?

I got the theme for this subject after being slobbered on for the umpteenth million time this morning by three German Shepherds running around the house like maniacs! One has a chewed up bone hanging out her mouth that can no longer be distinguished as having ever belonged to any creature walking on this earth. The other one is trying to figure out how she�s going to get that �treasure� from her sister�s mouth. And the third one drops a limp, lifeless saliva encrusted stuffed toy on my lap. In between, they stop, gulp some water, come back to decorate my bare arms with their drool, smell my clothes, scratch their pleasingly plump bodies next to me assuring that some more stray hairs land on my keyboard. And the �Dog Whisperer� tells us to remain calm and assertive. I throw calm out the window and in my most assertive voice, yell (scream) �I�ve had enough.� I still can�t figure out how they can stand there with those �cow brown eyes� wagging their tail loving me anyway when two of them are shown the back door!

In the morning one likes to drink their cup of coffee, relax, open up their e-mails or look at the morning newspaper. If you�re a writer and anything like I am, I need and demand �quiet!� I can�t concentrate otherwise. I think my Amber must think I�m nuts sometimes because she�s the whining (I need lots of attention) type of dog. She lives in the house all day with me and many a time she is told to go to her bed when she�s in one of her �demanding� moods. She knows what I mean too because after a little fuss, I point the finger towards the other room and tell her to get into her bed.

So these are just some of the fun reasons why I �love� owning a German Shepherd. I wonder what my life would be like without them. Now let me think about this�..

I�d be wealthier for one thing. No more buying Holistic or natural food. No more looking for the meat bargains at the supper market to add to their diet. Oh yeah, no more buying a special supplement to add to their food. No more vet bills. No grooming bills. No more buying grooming supplies. There would be no need for a dog run in my yard. There would be no dog houses. No kiddie�s pools. No expensive dog toys. No more worn out bones to decorate my living room rug. There would be no need to upgrade my car to a van. No need to invest any money for cushy dog beds to line the corners of my den. No need to buy an industrial strength vacuum cleaner to pick up your never ending dog hair!

I would no longer have the need to call one of those dog handlers to show my dog at the local specialty club. No spending money on entry fees. No traveling expenses. I wouldn�t have to stay at one of those �Super 8� motels anymore. No more eating those shriveled up hot dogs that they pass off as food at the shows. Oh yeah, no more having my dog grab the rest of that hot dog when my head is turned talking to Gertrude who stops to have a chat.

No more stud fees. No more shipping my bitch across the country. No more x-rays to see how many little darlings we can expect. No spending money on the OFA for my dog�s hips and elbows. No buying a whelping box. No puppy food and supplements. No worming medicines. No need to buy any dog crates. Oh yes, and no more dealing with annoying puppy people!!!!!!!!!!

No more planning my vacation around the National Specialty show. I mean who wants to go to �Anyplace, USA� in some cow pasture when I could be lying on the pink sands of Tahiti instead?

Gee after looking at these last few paragraphs, I feel richer already! So if money is no problem for you, let�s take a look at all the other things you�d miss without a German Shepherd Dog in your life.

There would be no need to wrestle a dog to the floor to clip their nails. There wouldn�t even be a reason for me to buy those �tasty� dog treats to bribe them with to do their nails in the first place. There wouldn�t be one single dog hair on my floors, my clothes, my computer, my car or any other place for that matter. They�d be no more muddy footprints decorating my floors. No more doggies breathe. Just think, no more doggie aroma assaulting my nostrils!

There would be no more jumping up on the counters, the stove, the table top or any other place that a food morsel may have been left behind. No more smudges on the sliding glass door or the living room window. My windows in my car would be free from this assault as well. No nudging me while I�m cooking dinner hoping I�ll share a piece of whatever it is smelling so �gosh darn good!� No more following me into the bathroom or hearing you scrape at the door if I close it in your nosy little face.

There would be no more cleaning up soiled dog runs. No more bleach splashing on my once dark pants. No more looking like a rag woman because I�m too tired to go to the beauty parlor after taking care of you all day. No more brushing your coat to make you look pretty. Now I�ll brush my hair to make me look pretty.

No more nose up my butt. No more tripping over you because when I turn around�..there you are! No more breaking my ankles on you scattered toys all over the house. No more listening to you snoring. No more sharing my favorite pillow with you. No more opening the back door telling you to be quiet with your unwelcome barking. No more interruptions from you while I�m talking on the telephone. Finally I could get an insurance company that wouldn�t hang up on me when he asks me what breed of dog I have.

Oh yes, life is beginning to feel simpler and better already. Yes sir, there�s more money in my pocket. I�ve got a cleaner house and a cleaner car. No more yellow stains on my lawn. You betcha� life is good��..richer, but really poorer. Cleaner��but who cares anyway? Oh yeah and a whole lot lonelier! No more �laugh out loud� silly moments. No more unconditional love. No more loyal companion by my side. Oh no is that somebody trying to break in my cleaner bigger house? He�s after all my riches! Where is that darn dog when I need him anyway? I forgot I chose not have a dog in my life anymore!


My rating: owning a German Shepherd Dog: (4), not owning any pets: (1)