Newsletter - July 2006

2006 Irish Wolfhound Club of America National Specialty -
Apr. 24th – 29th, Gray Summit, Missouri

Another national specialty at the lovely venue of Purina Farms has come and gone. This was the 2nd one at this location and what a great facility for the hounds! I have certainly come to appreciate the beauty of the state of Missouri after this second visit to Gray Summit. The attendance seemed a bit down to me over the other nationals I have attended although I don’t have the exact numbers. Kathleen Kelly, from Ireland (Nuts town Irish Wolfhounds) was originally to be judging the regular classes, however due to her husband’s illness was not able to fulfill her assignment and Eileen Flanagan (Carrickaneena Irish Wolfhounds) was chosen as the alternate judge. The weather was good, with the exception of the last day when it became very windy and some storms began to blow in. We were lucky and the majority of the judging was finished before the rain became really heavy. It was the first road trip for my Taryn puppies, “Seraigh” and “Aryn” at only 10 mos. of age and I was very pleased with how they behaved. The next two years the IWCA venue will be here, in Dallas, at Southfork Ranch, in Plano.

The 2007 will be April 9th through April 13th
SO MARK YOUR CALENDERS!!!!!

A Very Special Birthday

Tahja celebrated her 12th birthday on April 20, 2006. To acknowledge this milestone birthday, Lesa asked for an article about her, for the newsletter. The journey Tahja and I are sharing has been an interesting and sometimes challenging one as she is a headstrong, independent soul. (Just like me, according to Tudor).

Through the years, Tahja has been a source of comfort, support, unconditional love, and laughter and, above all, my fiercest protector. We have each benefited from the lessons learned along the way. She gracefully accepted Tudor into our lives several years ago and preferred running with or being walked by him instead of me - and I cannot really say that I blame her! Tahja is now dealing with various health issues with a grace and dignity that is impressive. While our outings and daily walks are activities of the past, Tahja still enjoys puttering around her yard and house. Actually, we only recently stopped her daily walks when Tahja decided she no longer enjoyed them.

The focus now is to keep her comfortable and happy until she is ready to pass on to the Bridge and join her beloved Murphy (and maybe see that rascal Collin!). It is our belief, and that of her vet, that one reason Tahja is able to deal so efficiently with her health issues is that she has been on a raw food diet for almost seven years. While there are opposing opinions on raw feeding, it is the feeding regimen for our future dogs. We all do what we feel is best for our animals and while we believe there is room for alternative methods we think that the longevity of Tahja, Murphy and Collin (whose lives were cut short by osteo at 9 years 8 months and 9 years five months respectively) are testaments to the regimen. In fact, Tahja’s primary vet for the past 16 months is an alternative vet who uses chiropractic, homeopathy, and acupuncture to design a treatment plan for each animal. Tahja has been treated with a combination of all of these methods and, we believe, this has also contributed to her longevity and general vitality. We are not sure how much longer Tahja will be with us on this journey through life, but we will cherish each moment we have left.

It is with deep sadness I add to this on Friday, June 23, 2006. Tahja left, in the early afternoon, to join her beloved Murphy, and her not so beloved Collin ;-) at the Bridge. Her determination to live, though fierce, could not overcome a body that was breaking down from the ravages of time.

Previcox Warning

If anyone is given this drug for their hound, FLUSH it down the Toilet!!

Last month, "Righty", Tootsie's Son, 8 months old, was running in the field with the rest of the puppies. There was either a collision, or he fell, or crashed into something. Righty came in on 3 legs in obvious pain. He was holding the leg strangely, and screeching every time we tried to touch it, so we decided a quick trip to the Vet was in order.

The Vet went over the leg, and decided he had either crashed, or fallen on the shoulder and wrenched it badly. Because of his extreme discomfort, she wanted us to try him with rest, and Previcox once a day for 7 days.

He was doing well, eating ravenously, and feeling better by the day. He finished the last dose of Previcox the morning of Saturday the 11th of February. That night he ate his dinner with gusto, had normal stool, and went to sleep. In the morning, he was hanging his head, and his heart was racing at an alarming rate.

Off to the Vets again. Emergency surgery. He had a hole in his stomach, and horrible peritonitis. He never made it off the surgery table. He went into cardiac arrest and died, as they were closing him up. I haven't posted anything on this until I received the findings from the autopsy performed by University of Pennsylvania. Those results came in today. Basically, they proved that there was NO WAY this puppy should have died. This Drug KILLED him!

I am beyond disgusted that this drug was touted as safer than Rimadyl and all the other NSAIDS. My Vet has removed it from her shelves. I hope no-one else has such a horrible experience. Light a candle for Righty, a sweet boy unfairly taken away.

Eileen B. Flanagan "Og"

Carrickaneena Irish Wolfhounds
Permission to cross post or contact me directly.

Heartworm Treatment and Infection

From the DFW Barf list with permission to cross post

Recent research has led to the discovery of a parasite called Wolbachia that lives symbiotically inside heartworms. Studies indicate that this parasite contributes to the adverse effects of both heartworm infection and heartworm treatment, including inflammation, embolism and allergic reaction. Treatment with doxycycline for 30 days to kill the Wolbachia parasite weakens the heartworms and makes them unable to reproduce, and greatly reduces the chance of adverse reaction during heartworm treatment.

Any dog that currently has heartworms should be treated with doxycycline for 30 days. If the dog will be treated with Immiticide (fast-kill method), it is best to treat with doxycycline prior to beginning Immiticide treatment, as this should make the treatment much safer, by greatly reducing the potential for embolism and allergic reaction to the death of the worms. If anyone has dogs currently undergoing treatment with Immiticide, I would still give doxycycline, as even concurrent treatment may have some benefit.

Doxycycline should also be given to dogs that are being treated with monthly Heartgard (slow kill method) or any type of alternative heartworm treatment method, as it will weaken the heartworms, prevent them from reproducing, and reduce the chance of adverse effects caused by the heartworm infection itself, and by the worms dying.

It appears unlikely that the Wolbachia parasite persists in the body after the heartworms have been cleared, though we do not know for certain at this time. To be safe, it may be best to treat any dogs that have completed heartworm treatment in the past with doxycycline for 30 days, to clear any possible remaining Wolbachia.

I was unable to find any information on the recommended dosage of doxycycline in dogs. Because Wolbachia is a rickettsial organism, similar to those that cause tick disease, it may be advisable to use the higher dose of doxycycline that is recommended for treatment of tick disease, which is 10 mg/kg twice a day.

Veterinarians may contact Merial, the manufacturer of Immiticide, for more information on this topic, if needed.

Here is some additional info on the topic that I was able to find, though most of it is highly technical and still in preliminary stages of research:

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=610:
"Wolbachia is a genus of rickettsial organisms (sort of like bacteria, but not exactly). They live inside the adult heartworm. These organisms seem to be protective or beneficial to heartworms and treating the dog with the antibiotic doxycycline seems to sterilize female heartworms (meaning they cannot reproduce). Wolbachia is also thought to be involved in the embolism and shock that result when heartworms die. The role of this organism is still being investigated. If your veterinarian wants to pre-treat your heartworm positive dog with doxycycline, it may be because of concerns regarding this organism. As new information emerges, we will post here."

http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~blagbbl/Blagburnheskasymposium.pdf:
"Wolbachia are intracellular bacteria that infect numerous species of filarial worms including heartworms. Many contend that these friendly inhabitants (endosymbionts) play a role in the pathogenesis of diseases caused by heartworms and other filarids. Contention is that host immune responses directed at Wolbachia can actually go awry and enhance the disease process in heartworm infections. Some also contend that elimination of Wolbachia spp. from heartworms may affect the survival of adult heartworms and may decrease the host’s errant immunologic responses when adult worms are killed or die."

http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2005&PID=pr10906&O=Generic:
"Dirofilaria immitis the cause of heartworm disease in dogs and cats harbours an endosymbiont intracellular bacteria of the genus Wolbachia (a Rickettsia). Studies performed recently indicate that these bacteria may play an important role in the pathogenesis and immune response to filarial infection (Bandi et al, 2001)."

This article goes on to say that Wolbachia may contribute to many of the side effects of heartworm disease, including inflammation, kidney disease, lung problems and allergic reactions.

http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2005&PID=pr10907&O=Generic:
"Furthermore, preliminary data from our laboratory indicates that antibiotic treatment before adulticide therapy in dogs with heartworm disease leads to a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly IL-8."

http://lib.bioinfo.pl/meid:13044:
This site has numerous other studies on human treatment, indicating that doxycycline, oxytetracycline (of which doxycycline is a derivative) and rifampicin (sometimes use in conjunction with doxycycline) are all effective against Wolbachia.

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/94/21/11154:
"Bacterial relatives of Wolbachia include a number of agents that have arthropods as vectors and cause serious human diseases such as typhus, scrub typhus, erhlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Studies of these bacteria require special containment facilities. In contrast, Wolbachia have so far been found only in invertebrates and are not known to cause mammalian disease."

Mary Straus
Pleasanton, CA
http://www.dogaware.com

Websites of Interest

• Excellent site on the "correct" removal of ticks from your dog:
  http://www.placervillevet.com/tick_remove.htm
• Heartworm information:
  http://www.heartwormsociety.org/CanineHeartwormInfo.htm
• Home prepared diets, using herbs, homeopathy, and other natural healing methods:
  http://www.naturalcanine.com/html/about_us.html
• Canine CPR and Heimlich maneuver:
  http://members.aol.com/henryhbk/acpr.html

Dog Haikus

I love my master;
Thus I perfume myself with
This long-rotten squirrel.

I sound the alarm! Paperboy-Come to KILL us all -
Look! Look! Look! Look!

I lift my leg and
Anoint each bush. Hello, Spot -
Sniff this and weep.

I lie belly-up
In the sunshine, happier than
You will ever be.

Today I sniffed many
Doggie derrieres-and I celebrate
By kissing your face.

My human is home!
I am so ecstatic I
Have made a puddle.

Behold my choke chain -
Look world, they strangle me!
Ach! Ach! Ach! Ach!

Sleeping here, my chin
On your foot -no greater bliss-
Well maybe catching rats…

My owners’ mood is
Romantic – I lie near their
Feet expelling much gas

How do I love Thee?
The ways are numberless as
my hairs on the rug.

I AM your best friend,
Now, always, and especially
When you are eating.

Look into my eyes and
Deny it. No Human could
Love you so much.

*reprinted from a flyer @ K9 Commissary
Author Unknown

Rally Obedience for FUN

The April 2007 IWCA National Specialty being held here in Dallas will be the first IWCA National Specialty to offer the Rally obedience classes. I think this is very exciting. Anyone who is interested should still have plenty of time to get their hounds ready for competition, so if you are interested there are a couple of places you can contact for information on classes.

The METRO ALL BREED OBEDIENCE CLUB which is a non-profit organization who meets in Ft. Worth is currently offering a 4 week class that I am taking without a hound, due to the heat, just to learn about the signs. The cost was $35.00 Instructor is Barb Bristol and she is great. She has Great Danes. They also offer other obedience classes, at the Texas National Guard armory, on Thurs. evenings, in Jan. and Mar. for 10 wks. Have a look at their website for more info.
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/MABOC/

Also, Donna Drake gave me the information below I sent out to you some time ago (I'm including it again) on Canine Connection, who is also offering Rally classes, at Hurst-Chisholm park, to the right of the play ground. "The first four weeks will be spent introducing you to and teaching the Novice and Advanced Rally sign exercises. There are 45 signs that range from easy to advance that we will review/teach. The cost for these four weeks will be $60.00. After these four classes, we will charge $7.00 per session and you pay as you go. The goal is that after the first four sessions where you will learn the exercises individually, we will then implement setting up mini courses and practicing them. We are hoping to get you, the student/handlers involved in the process of setting up the courses and helping each other out."
Karen Deeds Bob Deeds
817-846-1853 817-874-3647

Also, if anyone is interested in getting together to practice, I am in the process of getting a course organized here at my house and I would be glad to have folks over to practice so that we could help each other, as I am just learning. If you are interested just give me a call or email me.

Thanks, Lesa
940-433-5951

NTIWC Annual Picnic
1:00pm Sunday, October 1, 2006

Once again, Doug and Melanie Gulley have graciously offered to "host" our annual club picnic, at their home, in Grand Prairie, this year. The property is completely fenced and enclosed for the hounds, which are also welcome to attend. Please do not bring any bitches that are in-season, or hounds that do not get along well with others.

As in past years, the club will again provide the meat and beverages, and we ask that everyone attending bring along a side dish, salad, or desert to contribute toward the potluck.

Also, if you can bring along any lawn chairs, that would be a tremendous help! We would like to THANK the Gulley's, in advance, for opening their home to us once again for this event!

We will send out a reminder, along with directions to Doug & Melanie's house, later on. Meanwhile, please RSVP to Cherry Rolle and let her know what you will be bringing and if you will be able to attend so she will know how many folks to plan for regarding purchase of meat and beverages.

Please respond no later than Sept. 15th, so she will have plenty of time to purchase the necessary items for the picnic:
Cherry Rolle
817-516-0994
cherryr1@airmail.net

We will have a short club meeting just before lunch. I would like to discuss briefly how members feel our online club newsletter is working out on the website, and if you have any concerns or problems, with this new system, now that it has been in place for a while. I'm sure Cherry has some issues to discuss as we have not had a club meeting, in ages, and it would be a good opportunity to us discuss the 2007 upcoming IWCA National Specialty show, at South fork Ranch, in April!!!!!! Hopefully, Donna Drake will be able to give us an update on the details so we can soon start volunteering for jobs.

** PICNIC CONTEST - PRIZES for WINNERS!!**

This year we are having a little contest at the picnic. It's really very simple!! It goes like this...

Write down that you think is the BEST answer, for the question Irish Wolfhound owners get the MOST tired of hearing:

"WHERE'S the SADDLE?"

Then, on different piece of paper, write down what you think is the STUPIDEST question you have ever been asked about your Irish Wolfhound!

Cherry and I will look them over, and choose what we believe to be the 2 *best lists*. Then we will choose WINNERS, read the answers aloud and award prizes, after dinner.

So, be thinking of your answers, from now until October 1st!!!

Hope to see EVERYBODY at the picnic this year.

Some Common Misconceptions About Breed Rescues

No matter what breed you are involved in, if you do rescue, you know people have a lot of opinions of what rescue is, what we do, and how we do it. This page is for those who are looking to adopt a dog from a rescue group, to clear up some of these misconceptions. - By Lillith Toney

Misconception #1: Rescue groups are desperate to find homes for dogs, and don't care who gets them as long as they are gone.

Fact: Rescue groups are usually very careful about placing the right dog in the right home. Some dogs have special needs, such as being an only dog, or being in a home with no children. We spend many hours talking with potential adopters, getting to know their situations. We visit their homes to make sure it is the best environment for the particular dog to be in. In general, we take the same steps a good breeder would to ensure that the match we finally make is a good one. We are only human, however, and we do make mistakes. But we always try to do what is in the dog's best interest.

Misconception #2: Rescue groups always have puppies available. I will have no trouble getting a very young dog, because they will have one right there.

Fact: Only occasionally do most rescues have young pups available. The majority of dogs we rescue are between the ages of one and three years. When considering adopting a rescue dog, you must be flexible in your expectations. There is no way for any one group to have the exact dog that everyone is looking for. If you are dead set on having a puppy, I would suggest finding a good breeder rather than going with rescue.

Misconception #3: "You have to come pick up this dog NOW, or s/he is going to the pound!"

Fact: I really wish every rescue group had enough volunteers to rush anywhere in the state at a moments notice! In truth, however, there are very few people involved with rescue. For very popular breeds, there may be three or four "hard core" rescuers (those involved in rescue on a daily or weekly basis) and a handful of others who get involved on occasion, to transport or foster dogs as they come in. For less popular breeds, there may be only three or four people in the entire state who are involved. Most people in rescue work at least part time as well. If you are turning your dog over to a rescue group, you must have some patience while the details of the transfer are worked out.

Misconception #4: Rescue people are just out to make money. If they were really interested in helping find these dogs homes, they would just give them away rather than charge a fee.

Fact: While some rescue groups get a bit of financial support from a national club (either the breed's club or a national rescue for that breed), almost all money that is spent on the care of the dogs in rescue comes right out of our own pockets. Some come to us with treatable illnesses such as heart or intestinal worms. Some have never been given the proper vaccines or vet care. Many come to us unaltered (not spayed or neutered). We give each and every dog vet care, to ensure that they are reasonably healthy when they are adopted. We feed them nutritious foods and give them vitamins, and any medicines that they need (such as Heartguard, to prevent heartworms). It would be nice if all of these things came to us for free, but they do not. Some rescues have made arrangements with vets to have the dogs treated for a reduced fee, and occasionally, national pet store chains will donate food to rescue groups. The adoption fee that is charged is only to help cover these costs. Believe me, we put out much more than we get back! We are not in rescue for profit. We do this because we love the breeds we are associated with, and because we would rather take the financial loss than see one of our breed suffer in an unhappy home, or be killed in a shelter because no one came to adopt them.

Misconception #5: The breed rescue people will take my dog if it is vicious or has bitten people and rehabilitate him/her for me.

Fact: It would be nice if we in rescue had a magic wand to wave and make every dog non-aggressive. Unfortunately, no such wand exists, and sometimes, bad genes and poor training/socialization combine to create an unpredictable dog who is vicious. If you have such a dog, the best thing to do is put him or her down. Certainly, not all dogs that bite once are vicious. One must look at the circumstances surrounding a bite or act of aggression. But if this is an on going behavior, there may be no other solution. I would urge you to speak to your vet, or consult an animal behaviorist before taking this step. Nothing is more sad than euthanize a beloved family pet, especially if there is something that can be done to correct the aggression.

Misconception #6: The breed rescue people will take my old, dying dog and care for him/her in their final days or The rescue group will pay for my dogs spay/neuter cancer surgery, etc.

Fact: Breed rescue is not a free clinic for dogs. We barely get by as it is. Vet care is part of pet ownership, just as pediatric care is part of parenting. If your dog is old and suffering, please, end that suffering. Yes, it is hard to do, but you have to look at the quality of the dog's life. If s/he can no longer get around on their own, they are not enjoying their life.

Misconception #7: Breed rescue will give anyone a pair of intact dogs to start their own kennel, so they can breed puppies and sell them.

Fact: As unbelievable as this is, many people think we will do this. The truth is, we aim to REDUCE the number of dogs who wind up in shelters, unloved and unwanted, not to help boost those numbers. No ethical rescue person will adopt out a dog who is intact, PERIOD. It totally defeats the purpose of rescue.

Misconception #8: Breed rescue groups scale fences in the dead of night to take dogs out of abusive homes, kick in doors and raid puppy mills.

Fact: We do none of this generally, though I have heard stories of people taking a neighbor's abused dog then denying ever seeing it. But this is what most people think of when they see/hear the word "rescue". When we say "rescue", it is generally in reference to "rescuing" the dog from a shelter, rather than see it be put to sleep when no one adopts or claims them. Some groups will not take owner turn ins at all, opting to take dogs out of shelters only. As for puppy mills, if there is a raid on a mill (organized by the police or USDA, who license the mills), they will sometimes contact the local rescue groups to aid in caring for the dogs that are seized.

Misconception #9: These are the people who have dogs that sniff in rubble or avalanches to find bodies or trapped people or These are the people who train dogs to help the disabled.

Fact: Nope, not us. The first is Search and Rescue, the second is Service Dogs. However, many of the dogs that are trained to work in both of the above groups are taken from shelters. So in that sense, I suppose they really are rescue dogs : )

Misconception #10: Breed rescue groups are against breeding altogether, and have nothing to do with those who breed dogs.

Fact: Actually, many people involved with rescue are breeders themselves. What we are against is irresponsible breeders who don't know what they are doing. Breeding is not something to be taken lightly. It is not something one just "does", out of curiosity, to "teach the kids about nature" or to make some extra pocket money. When done correctly, breeding is not profitable, and is done ONLY to improve the overall quality of the breed. There are many people out there who breed simply to satiate the demands of the "pet" market, which ends up weakening the genetic pool of the given breed. This is what most rescuers are against, because we do not want to see anything happen that will diminish the quality of the dogs we love so much.

*Permission to use this article written by Lilly Toney on the NTIWC web site and to reprint and /or distribute this article, "Rescue Misconceptions", has been granted by Darryle Toney.

IrishFest 2006

This year the Greyhounds and the Irish Wolfhounds were the only dog groups who were privileged to be located inside the cultural area, which was very nice. This resulted in much more activity at our booth. As usual, owners and hounds had a wonderful time, and this is always such a FUN weekend.

Here is the link to some photos that Paul Stout took for us. Whatever would we do without Paul (& Richard Lurhing) as our club photographers extraordinaire! Thanks, Paul. We always appreciate your terrific photos.
http://www.pbase.com/paul42/ntif_2006

Growing Pains

Osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a pathological condition in rapidly growing large breed dogs that leads to a painful disturbance in joint cartilage development. In osteochondrosis, the cartilage cells don’t differentiate in a normal manner. The joint cartilage becomes thickened, and large, decayed areas develop. At this point, an intermittently tender, but manageable, osteochondrosis has occurred and represents one of the true "growing pains" of adolescence.

Osteochondritis Dissecans

(OCD) If the puppy is active and traumatizes this soft, decayed area, cracks, or fissures, form and extend into the normal cartilage until a large cartilage flap forms. At this stage, pain is present in the joint every time the patient tries to walk. When the cartilage flap falls into perfect position discomfort is minimal. As it shifts position, pain becomes acute, with joint swelling that is increasingly sensitive. Osteochondritis refers to presence of the inflammatory reaction in the bone marrow and joint, while dissecans refers to the flap of cartilage that is dissected away from its base.

The sites most commonly affected include the shoulder, the elbow, the knee, and the ankle (hock) in young dogs. The syndrome can be bilateral and, on occasion, involves several joints.

SHOULDER JOINT

Osteochondrosis of the shoulder affects the caudal aspect of the humeral head. It is most often seen in male large breed dogs. Clinical signs include lameness, which is worse after exercise, and pain on palpation of the shoulder joint. It is seen most frequently in animals between four and seven months of age. Radiographs (x-rays) are used to diagnose the lesion. Early radiographic changes include an abnormal contour or flattening of the humeral head. Later in the disease there is a radiolucent defect in the shoulder joint surface. Treatment for this syndrome is surgery to remove the flap as soon as it is formed (Fig. 1).

ELBOW JOINT

Osteochondrosis occurs in the elbow on the medial condyle of the humerus. It is most common in large or giant breed dogs from four to seven months of age. The clinical signs include an acute or chronic intermittent weight bearing lameness of one or both forelimbs. The treatment of choice is surgery, with the prognosis depending on the severity of the arthritis (degenerative joint disease) already present.

STIFLE JOINT

Osteochondrosis in the stifle (knee) can be difficult to clinically diagnose, as the lameness is frequently obscure and is often confused with the "slinky" gait of hip dysplasia. The lesion is seen as a flattening or radiolucent defect in the lateral or medial femoral condyle. The prognosis is only fair even if surgery is performed early in the course of the disease and should not be considered as favorable as with surgery in the elbow or shoulder.

HOCK JOINT

Osteochondrosis lesions in the hock occur on the caudal aspect of the medial ridge of the talus bone. Affected animals are usually four to five months of age and present with slight lameness of the hind limbs. The ankle joints appear straight and swollen, and are painful upon flexion and extension. Radiographs demonstrate displaced cartilage and bone fragments and bone spurs due to secondary degenerative joint disease. The prognosis is good if surgery is performed before the onset of secondary arthritis. Again, once arthritis is advanced, surgery is helpful in relieving any intense pain but does not afford the results expected with surgery in the elbow or shoulder.

Unuinted Anconeal Process

Ununited anconeal process is a failure of the growth center of the anconeal process, in the elbow joint, to unite properly with the ulna. This fusion should be completed by 16 to 24 weeks of age. Instead of a normal bony union, the ununited anconeal process represents a large piece of bone connected to the ulna by a strand of fibrous tissue. The diagnosis is confirmed by radiography. Surgical removal of this unstable bony fragment minimizes progressive arthritis and is indicated as soon as possible to prevent further joint degeneration (Fig. 2).

Fragmented Coronoid Process

The coronoid process is a prominent medial projection of the ulna just distal to the elbow. Fragmented coronoid process is difficult to document radiographically for several reasons. Visualization of the fragment can be difficult because of the superimposed radial head in most radiographic projections. Therefore, the radiographs usually appear normal until the onset of secondary degenerative joint disease. Arthritis appears as early as a few months of age and is first expressed by small bone spurs on the anconeal process and on the condyles of the humerus. On occasion, special diagnostic tests, such as a bone scan or even a MRI, may be required to diagnose those "hidden" fragments of bone before they create debilitating cartilage damage (Fig. 3).

Older dogs with this syndrome usually have severe arthritis of the entire elbow joint. Again, surgical removal of the unstable bony fragments minimizes progressive arthritis and is indicated as soon as possible to prevent further arthritic changes. While the intense pain and crippling arthritis seen in chronic cases is greatly improved by surgical removal of the coronoid fragments, residual arthritis will require some intermittent antiinflammatory medication.

Panosteitis

Panosteitis is the most common and painful of the "growing pains" with the age of onset usually between 5 and 12 months. It has been reported in a dog as young as 2 months of age, and as old as 5 years. Usually affecting large or giant breeds of dogs, it can affect the Basset Hound for an uncommonly long time interval.

CLINICAL SIGNS

Clinically, there is pain in the long bones (humerus, ulna, radius, femur, and tibia) which is manifested by a slight to severe lameness which can last from a few days to several weeks (Fig. 4). Some animals may be reluctant to move at all. Often the lameness shifts from one limb to another every 2 to 3 weeks, with apparent lapses in clinical manifestations of up to 3 months between episodes. Multiple bone involvement is seen in about one-half of the cases. The classic finding on physical examination is pain on deep palpation of the long bones. Some animals may have reduced appetite and activity during the painful periods. The complete course of the disease is usually 2 to 3 months, but it can range from a week to 6 or 8 months.

RADIOGRAPHIC (X-RAY) SIGNS

Ultimately, the diagnosis of panosteitis is made radiographically, by confirming the presence of the lesion that is suspected by physical examination. In difficult cases, a radioisotope bone scan will diagnose those which have no lesions on radiographs.

THERAPY

Inasmuch as the cause of panosteitis is not known, only symptomatic treatment is recommended for those animals who need pain relief. Antiinflammatory drugs such as aspirin and corticosteroids are probably the most commonly used agents. The disease will eventually run its course and resolve at maturity.

Copyright 1998, Southern California Veterinary Surgical Group

Written permission granted by Gilbert Velasquez, Hospital Administrator, Southern California Veterinary Referral Group to post article on our NTIWC website, 6-12-06.

Lure Coursing Demo & Potluck

On April 1st, 2006 we had our 2nd Lure coursing demo and potluck. Once again Melanie Mercer was generous enough to set aside an entire day for us; by driving all the way out my place, bringing her coursing equipment, setting everything up, and then attempting to help everyone with her many tips to get the hounds interested. Poor Melanie, Bless her for trying, but I’m not sure we are improving in the slightest, with the exception of Kim Staman's "Gus"!!! Egads, now that big Bubba can really go! <LOL> I think he LIKES it???? Thanks again Melanie for being so generous with your time and patience. We appreciate it. As usual Paul has been kind enough to take his usual outstanding photos and has posted them for us to the following link. THANKS, Paul!!

http://www.pbase.com/paul42/april_1_2006