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Saturday, June 21, 2014
And now for something different!
Lately, we have been sharing collie health related topics, which are very valuable. But now it's time to share something cute and fun! Last weekend we attended a collie puppy match. The club holding the match honored us, by asking my daughter to judge sweeps and junior handling. It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday - surrounded by collie puppies and sunshine!
The puppies were all just too cute!
Friday, June 20, 2014
CEA - Collie Eye Anomaly
What is CEA? CEA
stands for Collie Eye Anomaly, a disease that is commonly seen in collies. However, collies are not the only breed to
suffer from this disease. CEA is
actually a group of eye conditions, ranging from mild to severe. Fortunately, it is easily detected with an
eye examination by a Canine Ophthalmologist.
The test should be done by the breeder, when the puppies are 5 - 6 weeks
old. Reputable, ethical breeders will
have their puppies tested before they are sold to new families. The good news is that most CEA does not impair the dog’s vision, so
owners will rarely see any discernable difference between collies with CEA and
those who are normal eyed.
The Collie Club of America's Code of Ethics requires that
all dogs that are sold or placed, be in good condition, free of communicable
diseases with their health guaranteed for a reasonable length of time. This should include a written health record,
inoculation schedule and the results of the eye exam. If a breeder refuses to provide you with the
puppy's health record or results of the eye exam, then you may want to find
another breeder.
PRA, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, is another eye
condition. It is unrelated to CEA, and
it is a degenerative disease that can result in blindness. Most dogs with PRA will be blind by the time
they are a year old. You can learn more about PRA, by visiting this site:
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
MDR1 - do you know the danger?
What is MDR1?
Multi-drug resistance 1, or MDR1, is a gene mutation found in many herding breeds. This mutation causes toxic levels of certain drugs to build up in the brain; which leads to severe neurological problems, such as seizures and death. It is estimated that around 75% of all collies have the MDR1 mutation, so all collie owners should be aware of which drugs are potentially harmful to their dogs. If you are concerned that your collie, or herding breed, may have this mutation, there is now a simple, inexpensive DNA test offered. For around $70, and with just a quick cheek swab, you can have your dog tested.
Herding breeds at risk:
Australian Shepherds
Collies (rough and smooth)
English Shepherds
German Shepherds
Long-haired Whippets
McNabbs
Shetland Sheepdogs
Silken Windhounds
and any mixed-breeds with any of these breeds in their ancestry.
Class A
Ivermectin substances (antiparasitics, such as Diapec, Ecomectin, Equimax, Ivomec, Noromectin, Paramectine, Qualimec, Sumex, Virbamec)
Multi-drug resistance 1, or MDR1, is a gene mutation found in many herding breeds. This mutation causes toxic levels of certain drugs to build up in the brain; which leads to severe neurological problems, such as seizures and death. It is estimated that around 75% of all collies have the MDR1 mutation, so all collie owners should be aware of which drugs are potentially harmful to their dogs. If you are concerned that your collie, or herding breed, may have this mutation, there is now a simple, inexpensive DNA test offered. For around $70, and with just a quick cheek swab, you can have your dog tested.
How does a dog end up with this mutation? Each collie receives one allele, or gene,
from each of it's parents. Dogs that
receive a "normal" MDR1 gene from each parent are +/+ (homozygous
normal) or normal/normal. All offspring
from these parents will be clear of the MDR1 mutation, and will not be
sensitive to the drugs listed below.
Dogs that receive a "normal" gene from one parent,
and a "mutant" gene from the other parent are +/-
(heterozygous). While they are
considered to be only carriers of the mutation, studies have found that they
may also be sensitive to certain drugs.
These dogs will pass along the mutant gene to half of their offspring.
Dogs that receive a "mutant" gene from both of
their parents are -/- or mutant/mutant. (homozygous mutant) Dogs that are mutant/mutant are very
sensitive to certain drugs, such as Ivermectin, and will pass on the mutation
to all of their offspring. According to
the Collie Health Foundation and other leading researchers, the low dose of
Ivermectin found in monthly heartworm medications will not cause a
reaction. However, many collie owners
and breeders still choose to avoid use of any products containing Ivermectin,
preferring to exercise caution instead.
Because of the need for caution, if your dog tests
mutant/mutant or normal/mutant, you should make sure that any veterinarian
treating your dog is aware of the risks of using certain drugs. You will also want to make sure your dog does not
ingest horse feces, because horses are treated with large quantities of
Ivermectin and the drug is eliminated from their bodies in their feces.
Australian Shepherds
Collies (rough and smooth)
English Shepherds
German Shepherds
Long-haired Whippets
McNabbs
Shetland Sheepdogs
Silken Windhounds
and any mixed-breeds with any of these breeds in their ancestry.
Dogs with the MDR1 Gene Defect should avoid the following
drugs:
Ivermectin substances (antiparasitics, such as Diapec, Ecomectin, Equimax, Ivomec, Noromectin, Paramectine, Qualimec, Sumex, Virbamec)
Doramectine substances (antiparasitics such as Dectomax)
Loperamide substances (antidiarrheal, such as Imodium)
Moxidectine substances (antiparasitcs such as Cydectin,
Equest, Flagyl)
Class B (used only under CLOSE supervision of veterinarian):
Cytostatics (chemotherapy)
Immunosuppressive (Cyclosporine A)
Heart glycosides (Digoxine, Methldigoxine)
Opiods (Morphium)
Antiarrthymics (Verapamil, Diltiazem, Chinidine)
Antiemetics (Ondansetron, Domperidon, Metoclopramide)
Antibiotics (Sparfloxacin, Grepafloxacin, Erythromycin)
Antihistamin (Ebastin)
Glucocortoid (Dexamethason)
Acepromazine (tranquilizer and pre-anesthetic agent)
Butorphanol (analgesic and pre-anesthetic agent)
Etopside
Mitoxantrone
Ondansetron
Paclitaxel
Rifampicin
Class C (used in permitted application form and dose):
Selamectin
Milbemax
Advocate
When choosing a veterinarian for your dog, please make sure
they are educated on the MDR1 mutation and know which drugs pose a risk to your
dog. You should also keep a list when
you are traveling with your dog, because not every veterinarian is aware of
these potentially harmful drugs and in some emergency situations time is
limited.
Answers to our previous post!
Thank you for all who gave our game a try! (And for those who haven't tried to answer the challenge, you can see the previous post. But don't look at the answers below!)
1) Captain
2) Abby
3) Scarlett
4) Kori
5) Holly
6) Ryder
Congratulations Rebecca Epperly at Tails of Teach and Key West Collies for getting each name correct!
1) Captain
2) Abby
3) Scarlett
4) Kori
5) Holly
6) Ryder
Congratulations Rebecca Epperly at Tails of Teach and Key West Collies for getting each name correct!
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Throwback Thursday - the puppy games edition!
I thought for this throwback Thursday we would play a little game! Can you name each of the following puppies? They each grew up to be one of our beloved collies! (no cheating by looking at past posts, try to guess!)
1)
2)
3)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
This one should be easy!
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Come back soon for the answers! May the odds be ever in your favor!
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