There Are Too Many...

[NancyB]

Well I guess that's one of the many good things about this board, those of us who have struggled with our pups through any kind of cancer have somewhere to go & get support. None of my face to face friends had much to do with helping me through Dear or Gogh's cancers. ... but Greytalkers were right there.

 

one or two of those prolific studs carries the gene for bone cancer

I've been told by a reliable source that its Onie Jones. 

 

Onie Jones is in Marvin's and Ramm's pedigree. Marvin and another littermate Flash both lost their lives to osteo. That is one thing I was so concerned about after Marvin passed away was Ramm getting it. When I told Dr. Cuto Marvin passed away I asked him about Ramm then (Nov. 2005) and he said is was unlikely that he would get the same cancer. I guess that means if he did get cancer it wouldn't be the same form. I know I have seen littermates on here having it. I even contacted GT member feemandvm a couple of years ago and this is what he replied.

 

Sent 06 June 2008 - 01:30 PM

I've never seen any published information showing that littermates are at higher risk if another littermate was diagnosed with cancer. That isn't to say that a link couldn't be present, just that one hasn't been established.

 

My heart hurts for anyone who's beloved greyhound had to deal with this awful disease. Yesterday would have been Marvin's 8th gotcha day. We only had him 3 years and 7 months but he had a big impact on our lives. I still cry a lot over him.

[MP_the4pack]

My littermate sisters died 2 months apart from cancer. One had Fibrosarcoma, the other OS.

[Batmom]

There have been a couple AKC greyhounds with osteo right on this board. So, they do get osteo, and likely at about the same rate that NGA greyhounds do. There's just a lot more NGA greyhounds.

 

 

Onie Jones appears in the pedigree of an enormous number of dogs. To say a cancer gene came from him is pretty much equivalent to saying "greyhounds get osteosarcoma."

 

 

Neither of the greyhounds who died in my care had osteosarcoma.

[Guest kydie]

I have research the Onie Jones info and have found my boy does NOT have this blood line, so I will remember this as he ages

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Most Greyhounds have Onie Jones or one of his ancestors behind them. They are all related...

[Guest kydie]

again no Onie Jones here, researched back into the 1800's but I do beleive all issues are genitic, so I will interested in this possible Onie Jones bloodline info.

[Guest adoptagreyhound]

When we are out and about with our grey talking up greyhound adoption we have had to stop telling people our "greyhound history" because it makes them less inclined towards greys as pets rather than more inclined.

 

We have adopted three greys since 2001 and we lost two to bone cancer. Our first girl (Sandy, 10 next month) is still with us. The other two were senior bounces so it makes more sense when you know the whole story. But if you just say, "We adopted three and two died of bone cancer." it sounds like a very bad gamble. Sometimes less is more.

[cello]

I just need to add one thought to this discussion. Something is going to kill every single living being on this earth. We all die of 'something'. The longer a being - dog or human - lives, the greater chance that at some point their genes will start to mutate into a form of cancer. Greyhounds have quite a long lifespan for the size of dog they are. How many of us know of or have had Greyhounds live into their teens? The average lifespan for larger dogs the size of Greyhounds is 10 - 12 years. Of course we all want our pets to live to 14 or older, but maybe this is not realistic for our breed? Our previous dog was an English Springer Spaniel. He died from cancer at 14 years of age. We were of course heartbroken to lose our Charlie, but in no way did his death from cancer at 14 make me think that Springers are prone to cancer or that it was an issue with this breed. I know that many have lost young hounds to cancer, but to me that is a very different issue then what disease takes a dog that is over 10 or 12 years old. Just trying to put some perspective on this issue. My heart is breaking right along with others for the hounds that have been lost.

[Guest Heehoo]

I almost wish I didn't know about the possible Onie Jones thing... The girl I am probably adopting has Onie Jones on her dams side twice and Kelly Jones on her dads side... Ah! I will not let it affect my decision of course. But ugh...

 

I personally would not & haven't let Onie Jones stop me from adopting again. Several of my dogs have Onie Jones in the background & lived long lives w/out cancer. 

It made me sick after the fact, I had already lost  Bool, Dear & Gogh to cancer.  But see, Snowy had 2 strokes, my vet said by the 2nd one it could be a brain tumor...she has no Onie Jones.  Pegasus died of a heart attack at 10 1/2, he had Onie Jones. ... but no cancer. But I wouldn't let it steer me one way or the other. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just need to add one thought to this discussion. Something is going to kill every single living being on this earth. We all die of 'something'.

Thank you. 

[HopeForHounds]

This is a response to my email to DR Couto asking him what he knows about Onie Jones

 

We would need to compare pedigrees of Greyts with OSA and an age-matched group without OSA to see if famous Onie is over- or underrepresented.

When there is a popular stud in the breed, he may have sired equivalent numbers of affected and unaffected dogs due to his popularity, but most people do not look at the pedigrees of healthy hounds…

Our current survival times with amputation and chemo are 12-18 months, as you know, with GREYT quality of life. As I often tell folks, 'we are all gonna die', it's just a mater of how and when…

 

 

While every diagnosis of any kind of cancer is a personal affront to me, I still keep my focus on fund raising to get those survival times higher. There is always hope!

Edited April 24, 2010 by foxysmom

[Guest Whistle]

I have heard this about Onie Jones before and take it with a grain of salt. However, my osteo bridge boy has Onie and my two healthy hounds do not.

 

If I could know that my hound has a true "family history" of osteo and would perhaps be more prone to get it, I would want to know. Instead of assuming a new limp was just a strain and giving anti-inflammatories at first, I would look at different diagnostic options and would probably x-ray sooner rather than later.

[robinw]

how many healthy dogs have onie ones in their pedigrees? and how many that did not pass away of osteo? and how many that did pass of osteo that didn't have onie jones in their background? the dog was a prolific stud. i'm sure if somebody really analyzed pedigrees maybe some sort of conclusion could be drawn but you need proof. i think this is crazy. phene has onie jones in his pedigree two times? so what? he's here and he's healthy and happy at age ten and i think it would be a complete waste of time and emotional resources to start worrying about something we have absolutely no control over.

 

having said that, i am so sorry for so many losses. my heart also breaks for every single dog that is lost.

Edited April 26, 2010 by robinw