Ancestors To Avoid?

[krissy]

Every large to giant breed dog has an increased rate of osteo as compared to a miniature dog. Yes, Goldens get osteo. But 1/3 of Goldens don't get and die of osteo. They have other problems and other cancers that get them. Goldens just seem to get cancer in general, as do many other purebred dogs.

 

It's not like selecting for speed is the only way you can select for osteo. Golden Retrievers are one of the poster children for hip dysplasia. Something in their breeding has selected for hip dysplasia. But lots of other large breed dogs get hip dysplasia.

 

Many blue eyed white cats are deaf. Something about white coats and blue eyes is genetically linked to deafness. But not every blue eyed white cat is deaf.

 

Does that kind of clear up what I was saying? It is a POSSIBILITY (there is no paper out there with cold, hard facts yet) that in selecting for the fastest dogs, we have also inadvertently selected for dogs with a predisposition to osteosarcoma. It's just a theory right now.

[Guest simile]

Good discussion! I have a question, though.

 

I'm like most of you - when adopting a greyhound, I've never looked at the health of the line. They either chose me, wormed their needle noses into my heart, or landed in my lap. There's never been any real criteria other than fitting into the pack, and that's how it'll continue to be.

 

However, if I were to go to a breeder, for any breed, I would thoroughly scrutinize the pedigrees for health issues, temperament, etc.

 

Why do I have that distinction floating around in my brain? Any thoughts?

[Batmom]

However, if I were to go to a breeder, for any breed, I would thoroughly scrutinize the pedigrees for health issues, temperament, etc.

 

Why do I have that distinction floating around in my brain? Any thoughts?

 

My first thought is, when you go to a breeder you are making a purchase of a dog who was bred with the market (you) in mind and that comes with certain provenance/health guarantees (unless you're going to a backyard breeder, oh ick). You're selecting from those who were purpose-bred and offered to the market either for profit's sake or to improve/maintain breed characteristics.

 

When you adopt a dog - purebred rescue, all-breed shelter -- you are acquiring a dog who needs a home. You're selecting from the pool of those who needs homes.

 

Usually, when you go to a breeder, you're looking to acquire a puppy whose adult characteristics can only be guessed at. We like to think we can predict temperament, adult health, etc. on the basis of pedigree. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.

 

When you adopt a dog, you're usually adopting an adult whose adult characteristics are rather more knowable.

[BauersMom]

However, if I were to go to a breeder, for any breed, I would thoroughly scrutinize the pedigrees for health issues, temperament, etc.

 

Why do I have that distinction floating around in my brain? Any thoughts?

 

My first thought is, when you go to a breeder you are making a purchase of a dog who was bred with the market (you) in mind and that comes with certain provenance/health guarantees (unless you're going to a backyard breeder, oh ick). You're selecting from those who were purpose-bred and offered to the market either for profit's sake or to improve/maintain breed characteristics.

 

When you adopt a dog - purebred rescue, all-breed shelter -- you are acquiring a dog who needs a home. You're selecting from the pool of those who needs homes.

 

Usually, when you go to a breeder, you're looking to acquire a puppy whose adult characteristics can only be guessed at. We like to think we can predict temperament, adult health, etc. on the basis of pedigree. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.

 

When you adopt a dog, you're usually adopting an adult whose adult characteristics are rather more knowable.

 

I think this is it.

 

If we ever get to a point where we know what lines (or genes/markers) carry a higher risk of osteo, then maybe that theory would change, I don't know. At this point, I don't worry about it when adopting an ex-racer.

[TheFullHouse]

When I adopted my dogs I never even looked at their bloodlines. I didn't even know Greyhound-Data existed when I adopted my first and I'm sure a lot of other first time adopters haven't either. It doesn't make a difference to me. If I don't lose a dog to Osteo then I will lose it to something else. They don't live forever. Some pass a really young ages to diseases totally unrelated to osteo. I just love my dogs for as long as I have them.

[mychip1]

My Jack's mom died of osteo at 7 (System Ruby Tiki). His dad died at an older age from osteo at a the site of an old break. He never lived long enough because of his tragic death after surgery for me to know. My point is that anything can happen to our beautiful babies at any time. I have to admit after having learned of his genetic background, I was convinced that I would face the osteo battle (hence my concern and eagerness to remove the corn - the surgery that he died from - because I was concerned that if I left it, I might dismiss his limping as corn-related.) Awfully ironic.

 

 

My JJ has had a bone break. And when I was looking at him, for a brief moment I wondered if I would face a higher risk of osteo at the break site as some people believe there may be a connection - but the moment was fleeting as he had won my heart from the second I met him. Regardless of what the future holds for my sweet four-year old, I would not trade a minute of the joy that my black beauty has brought me.

[Guest KennelMom]

I do not bring in a hound with the thoughts of losing them, I bring one in for the joy of sharing our journeys, for however long it may be, each one brings me a gift and teaches me a lesson. I have become a better person for the lessons they teach me.

 

Amen, sister.

 

19 hounds at the bridge, two from osteo. Reading this thread makes me hope they never do find a link between a sire/dam and osteo, if there is one...will those dogs sit and wait alongside the big, black males and the cat zappers? The fact is, we *can't* control what breedings take place, we can only find homes and give homes to the ones that do. With 19 hounds at the Bridge, I can tell you that it doesn't matter if they're here for a day or here for a decade, if they pass from osteo or rare-disease-you-can't-prounounce or from old age...they all hurt just the same.

 

eta: we have one dog that went blind at 6 from an inherited, recessive genetic disease and her sire was extremely prolific. I wouldn't care if another dog we adopted was also a direct offspring from the same sire...you get a dog, you love them and you play the hand you're dealt because nothing is guaranteed except the moment you have right now.

Edited November 12, 2011 by KennelMom

[Guest jcsperson]

There was a fear among UK/Irish breeders many years ago that Lively Band's offspring would disproportionally pass on osteo to their offspring because it had caused his early death. It never materialized.

[Guest simile]

However, if I were to go to a breeder, for any breed, I would thoroughly scrutinize the pedigrees for health issues, temperament, etc.

 

Why do I have that distinction floating around in my brain? Any thoughts?

 

My first thought is, when you go to a breeder you are making a purchase of a dog who was bred with the market (you) in mind and that comes with certain provenance/health guarantees (unless you're going to a backyard breeder, oh ick). You're selecting from those who were purpose-bred and offered to the market either for profit's sake or to improve/maintain breed characteristics.

 

When you adopt a dog - purebred rescue, all-breed shelter -- you are acquiring a dog who needs a home. You're selecting from the pool of those who needs homes.

 

Usually, when you go to a breeder, you're looking to acquire a puppy whose adult characteristics can only be guessed at. We like to think we can predict temperament, adult health, etc. on the basis of pedigree. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.

 

When you adopt a dog, you're usually adopting an adult whose adult characteristics are rather more knowable.

 

I think you defined it really well. Thanks .

[EnzaFerrari]

I had brunch with another greyhound owner today and we were discussing osteo and being prepared. I had to nod in agreement that as greyhound owners, we are always preparing ourselves (as much as one can) for that x ray and that diagnosis. She said that in an odd way it would be almost harder to hear it was another reason that took our dogs from us because we know of the prevalence of osteo.

 

I know the names of Enza's sire and dame and beyond that, I don't really care. She is my girl, a piece of soul I never knew was missing - she has made me a better person and brought to my life more friends, more moments of laughter, and just simple contentment that I can count. I've dealt with the passing of pets and you know it's out there. The thought of her nose not poking me at 5:30 on a Sunday morning makes me freeze with terror. But I know it will come and I know it will be awful and I've warned my friends that I will likely run away for a few days.

 

To me, what takes her from me doesn't matter and if I knew ahead of time what it would be, it still wouldn't matter and I still would've taken her. Heck, the whippet I adopted my ex had cancer when we got her from the local animal shelter and we still took her because she was meant to be ours for that one year. If knowing there was a genetic element to it meant figuring out a cure, then I would care, but for now....now I just need to readjust her blankie.

[KF_in_Georgia]

My JJ has had a bone break. And when I was looking at him, for a brief moment I wondered if I would face a higher risk of osteo at the break site as some people believe there may be a connection - but the moment was fleeting as he had won my heart from the second I met him. Regardless of what the future holds for my sweet four-year old, I would not trade a minute of the joy that my black beauty has brought me.

 

My Silver came to me with a bad back leg (she moves fine, but she doesn't put her weight on the leg when she stands). No signs of a break (although there's a blank two-and-a-half year period in her life, and we have no idea what was going on then), and the present problem is just an out-of-place tendon. But, like you, I wonder if she's more at risk for osteo because of the injury. (Some dogs have developed osteo at the site of a previous traumatic injury even when the bone didn't break.) Silver also spent a large portion of her racing career collecting comments like "fell at the first turn" and "hit wall at first turn," so I'm sure the girl has suffered a fair amount of physical trauma.

 

I asked the greyhound group to have Silver's leg x-rayed before I adopted her. I was prepared to take her and love her and give her a home, even if there was cancer; but having just spent $4500 in a failed attempt to save a dog with IMT, I couldn't knowingly sign on to incur big vet bills for an uninsurable dog with osteo. Her x-rays showed no sign of cancer, and I signed the adoption papers five days after I first brought her home. We'll just take our chances on the future--like all the other adopters out there.

 

For me, there are so many pieces to the cancer puzzle that I'm not prepared to feel confident of avoiding cancer by avoiding a certain bloodline. Every greyhound I own, a limp sends my heart to my throat. Doesn't matter who the parents were or whether they're still living and healthy--or not.

 

ETA: And I'm trying not to think about Monday, when Sam goes to the vet for chest x-rays (he's been coughing for weeks and we've hoped it's pollen, but he's not getting better) and maybe some x-rays of his back legs since he's limping (but he has arthritis). He's 11 and a half and the love of my life...and I can think of all kinds of harmless reasons for his ailments. But all the not-harmless reasons, too.

Edited November 13, 2011 by KF_in_Georgia

[krissn333]

Sutra dislocated his shoulder January 2010-fell off the couch when he was sleeping. His shoulder wa put back into place and he did well. Then he limped off and on (mostly off) until I took him in for X-rays on April 15th-he was diagnosed with osteo in that shoulder.

[Guest PhillyPups]

Ironically, the first greyhoud I lost to osteo was SugarBear. SugarBear came to me to have a home to die in at the age of 9, her depression of losing her home of 7 years was human inflicted. SugarBear lived longer than any greyhound I have had she lost the battle to osteo at 14-1/2 years old, a good life for her. I learned so much from her and will always miss her. :beathert

[BauersMom]

Reading this thread makes me hope they never do find a link between a sire/dam and osteo, if there is one...will those dogs sit and wait alongside the big, black males and the cat zappers? The fact is, we *can't* control what breedings take place, we can only find homes and give homes to the ones that do.

 

I know what your point is, but I think it will be better to know than to not know. With identification, the door opens for preventative actions, better screening or better treatment options.

 

Will those dogs wait longer? I don't know, since it's all hypothetical at this point.

 

But, personally, I really do hope they figure out if there is a genetic marker, and what it is, because I see that as one step closer to understanding how to beat it - or a minimum to improve the treatment options.

[BootsyCollins]

I don't know who Bootsy's parents are, so it wouldn't be useful to me anyway. I know my pets are going to die before I do, so whatever takes them, takes them. I hope it is simply old age, but it may not be.

[Guest MnMDogs]

I had brunch with another greyhound owner today and we were discussing osteo and being prepared. I had to nod in agreement that as greyhound owners, we are always preparing ourselves (as much as one can) for that x ray and that diagnosis. She said that in an odd way it would be almost harder to hear it was another reason that took our dogs from us because we know of the prevalence of osteo.

 

I know the names of Enza's sire and dame and beyond that, I don't really care. She is my girl, a piece of soul I never knew was missing - she has made me a better person and brought to my life more friends, more moments of laughter, and just simple contentment that I can count. I've dealt with the passing of pets and you know it's out there. The thought of her nose not poking me at 5:30 on a Sunday morning makes me freeze with terror. But I know it will come and I know it will be awful and I've warned my friends that I will likely run away for a few days.

 

To me, what takes her from me doesn't matter and if I knew ahead of time what it would be, it still wouldn't matter and I still would've taken her. Heck, the whippet I adopted my ex had cancer when we got her from the local animal shelter and we still took her because she was meant to be ours for that one year. If knowing there was a genetic element to it meant figuring out a cure, then I would care, but for now....now I just need to readjust her blankie.

 

Ryan and I talk about this a lot. I lost my first, Matty Girl to osteo, and he lost his first, Mara to megaesophagus. We went through both of these losses together, and each was the dog love of our lives. I was devastated when I lost Matty, but Mara's loss haunts me so much more... It's hard to explain, but osteo has a known outcome...Mara wasn't "supposed" to die.

 

Anyway as Christie said, these dogs will die before us, we know this when we adopt them, and regardless of what kills them, it will suck. But we're better off for having them.

[Guest greyers]

This has been an interesting thread to follow.  sorry for the long post but there is a moral to my story. While I think most people can agree that you fall in love with the dog and if they are predisposed to osteo, so be it, I DO understand anyone who would hesitate.  

 

If prudence were capable of being a solo dog, we wouldn't have adopted Rego a month ago.  After losing Jimmy James to Osteo so suddenly and in such an awful way my husband couldn't deal with getting another dog so soon.  But he came to realize that Prudence was suffering and a lot of her spooky nature and odd quirks were coming back in the absence of another greyhound to follow. 

 

We took her on some walks with some greyounds the rescue we had gone through in the past currently had available.  We did it mostly for companionship but we were keeping an eye on what types of dogs she seemed to do well with so we would know for adoption purposes. We soon realized we needed an older dog as the younger more energetic ones freaked her out.  

 

In checking out another adoption groups website to see what dates and times their organized walks were we saw Rego advertised. He has had 2 homes since 2006 and at least 2 foster homes. He was 9 1/2 and cat safe.  Based on him being older and cat tolerant we decided to inquire if he would be attending the next greyhound walk as we wanted to meet him.  

 

I was saddened to hear that he would be unable to go on greyhound walks for a bit as he was on "bed rest" for arthritis.  That was an immediate deal breaker for us as I just really didn't think we (especially my husband) could handle a 9 1/2 year old limping black male greyhound after losing Jimmy James only a few weeks prior.  It was just too emotional. 

 

We went on the greyhound walk and I spoke to a few people who had met and even boarded Rego and that's when I first heard what an amazing dog he is and a little about why he was given up.  Hubby and I talked about it after the walk and it broke our heart to see this boy who was recently abandoned again and limping and in pain not have his final home.  So we decided that after our Ireland vacation in a couple weeks we would inquire again and see how he was doing. 

 

Fast forward a week or so and our vacation got canceled because of my having kidney stones just hours before the flight.  So we took advantage of the time we had off work and decided to ask again about Rego.  He was doing better and on Rimadyl only PRN by then and we found out he could indeed deal with the stairs in our house and handle car rides of at least an hour with no issue.  So we asked to meet him and see how he got along with Prudence.  A few days later he came to our house with the adoption rep and less than 30 minutes later he was officially "ours". 

 

Now did I have and do I still currently have fears the boy may develop osteo in his bad leg, ABSOLUTELY. He is our 5th greyhound and of the 3 that have passed away 2 had osteo. That's is a damn high percentage! Would I have said "no" to Rego simply because of that risk? NO.   And our hesitation early on with him had to do with US not being ready to deal with a possibly sick dog after just losing JJ 2 weeks prior.  But once we sat on it, let a couple more weeks pass, we were capable of looking at it more objectively and rationally.

 

We initially inquired about Rego because he seemed a good fit for Prudence and our cats. Which was the most important thing.  As we learned more about him we wanted him for "us", not just because he would be a good fit with our other animals.  But if that wasn't the case and there were two dogs that we liked equally well and either would fit equally well into our home and with Prudence and yet we could only take one, what IF I knew that one had a family history and possibly predisposed to osteosarcoma? Would I have favored the other one? I can't say that I wouldn't have after just losing a dog to it and because we were adopting a dog that was 9 1/2 knowing we may not have much time with him. 

 

Moral of the story is, after being there and going through it, I can't possibly criticize someone who might make that decision to go with the "better odds".  Especially when they are still grieving a loss.   And this comes from someone who always has taken more of the difficult and unhealthy dogs. I was raised as a child taking the "reject" dogs (pardon the term) from the shelters into our home.  The less of a chance they have, the more I want them.  But catch me in a difficult emotional time and I might be capable of making a different decision? I don't know... Who is to say.  So I can't blame someone for wanting the better odds..

[KF_in_Georgia]

I had brunch with another greyhound owner today and we were discussing osteo and being prepared. I had to nod in agreement that as greyhound owners, we are always preparing ourselves (as much as one can) for that x ray and that diagnosis. She said that in an odd way it would be almost harder to hear it was another reason that took our dogs from us because we know of the prevalence of osteo.

 

Absolutely. Jacey developed IMT; most sources say that the type she died of has a better than 50-50 chance of survival. Jacey was on the wrong side of that hyphen, and it still makes me crazy.

 

And there was my Oreo: the vet said there was no sign of cancer on her x-rays when she broke her leg, but she threw a blood clot and died in surgery. I've lost two 8-year-old girls. Neither girl was diagnosed with osteo, and neither girl was supposed to die from what they had. When Silver turns 8, she's going under protective glass for 12 months.

[Hubcitypam]

Who knows? Life is a crap shoot.

 

I lost my first grey Little Girl, to IMHA as it is now called, at 4. Pretty random in greys but as a whole middle age bitches of any breed are most likely to die from it.

Rex had an inoperable disc that had ruptured into his spinal cord and went to the bridge at 6. Again, not a grey thing as a whole compared to other breeds.

Buck died in his sleep at my friends at 9 (I refused her offer of a necropsy) but it wasn't cancer. He went to sleep happy and didn't wake up

Harley died in an accident at 6.

None of my greys ever had osteo -- maybe they all died of random things earlier. I have an almost 11 year old girl here that seems hale and hearty, except for the problem that my vet thinks is the sheath on her spinal cord and we have that under control.

 

I have no idea if any of those came from lines "prone" to osteo but it didn't matter in the end did it?

 

I spent some horrible hours dealing with both Axel my yorkie and Rex with their ruptured discs, not prone to either breed. Crap happens. Avoiding lines would not enter my mind in adopting a neutered greyhound.

[3greytjoys]

"Whole Dog Journal" published an interesting article (June, 2011): "Causes of Death".

Data from a 20-year study (1984-2004) of 74,566 dogs, by University of Georgia. It charted the leading 3 causes of death in all different breeds. Of course, cancers were very high in most breeds.

 

WDJ's top point in the "Prevention Strategy" section of this article:

Quote: " First, and foremost, keep your dog lean! "

"Overweight dogs are more likely to develop musculoskeletal problems, disc disease, diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of cancer."

-End Quote-

www.wholedogjournal.com

 

One of our Greyhounds' littermates died from osteo. at 7 years old. Ever since, we have worried about losing our hound to osteo. In retrospect, we should have released that worry and just enjoyed "living" with her. To our surprise, three years later, she's still alive and no osteo!

 

Two unrelated cancers have been seen in her senior family, but none are the same type of cancer. (Both other types may have been sun induced.)

 

Personally, I wouldn't let ancestors' health affect my decision to adopt a particular Greyhound, especially not if a particular hound's traits fit my family well. As with any living being, we live today and treasure every fleeting moment together whether one day, one year, or many years.

 

Recently, I enjoyed one of those treasured moments when one of our hounds crawled all the way up on my lap just to snuggle for the longest time.

Our hearts were so happy... We wouldn't trade this hound for the world.

(This was very rare around here because our hounds don't get on "furniture".)

[sweetdogs]

 

But, personally, I really do hope they figure out if there is a genetic marker, and what it is, because I see that as one step closer to understanding how to beat it - or a minimum to improve the treatment options.

 

Part of the long process of research is searching not just for markers in dogs but also for crossovers into human medicine. The research is actually looking into human disease, mapping dogs first because it's easier (fewer variables I think) & then trying to link back to humans. In the case of osteo, children.

[joejoesmom]

But, personally, I really do hope they figure out if there is a genetic marker, and what it is, because I see that as one step closer to understanding how to beat it - or a minimum to improve the treatment options.

 

Part of the long process of research is searching not just for markers in dogs but also for crossovers into human medicine. The research is actually looking into human disease, mapping dogs first because it's easier (fewer variables I think) & then trying to link back to humans. In the case of osteo, children.

 

This is exactly what is going on between OSU's Greyhound Health and Wellness Program and Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus. Greyhound osteo is apparently remarkably similar to childhood osteo. So OSU is collecting samples from osteo greys AND healthy greys. The combined team is working on mapping genomes to look for possible genetic markers indicating a predisposition to osteo. I believe the (very) long term goal would be not just identifying greyhounds and children who are at greater risk, but working on gene-based treatments and/or preventatives. Of course this is a very long way off.

 

In addition to this work, Dr. Shelley Lake is collecting statistics on greyhounds and cancer. She wants to know about any greyhound who has developed cancer, the lineage of the greyhound (provide the racing name and she looks up the lineage), and the type and location of the cancer. She is still in the early stages. She is active in Circle of Grey but also is a member here. Unfortunately, I don't remember her screen name. I'm sure she would love to hear from any of you who have lost a grey to any type of cancer.

 

I hesitate to even repeat this, because it is such early stages in her research: She did say that it appears that the HB's Commander line seems to have more osteo than others. I caution you though that this is early in the statistics and I don't think she has factored all factors into the research. Not that it is statistically significant but HB's Commander is my Joe's (15 month osteo survivor) great grandsire. HB's Commander was quite prolific and sired 3035 pups. He died at age 8 of an aneurism. His son Molotov (Joe's grandfather) sired 7722 pups. Molotov's son, Craigie Whistler, sired 5428 pups -- one of them is my Joe. So from just one line of one of HB's Commanders 3035 progeny, there have been over 13000 puppies. MIndboggling!

 

If I can find info on contacting Dr. Lake I will post it here.

 

Jane

 

Edited to add: Dr. Lake's greytalk name is handpicked. She asks that you go to her profile and click on the send email to handpicked link. In the email, include the above requested info.

 

Not sure if this will work, but I will try to put a link to her profile page here:

 

My link

 

And this might work. If so, here is a link to send her an email:

 

Dr. Lake email

Edited November 14, 2011 by joejoesmom

[maryz]

Oh no. I just realized HB's Commander is Sherri's great-grandsire on both sides. I will just focus on the fact that the studies are not conclusive by any means and that I am lucky beyond words to

have her in my life.

[dmdsmoxie]

But, personally, I really do hope they figure out if there is a genetic marker, and what it is, because I see that as one step closer to understanding how to beat it - or a minimum to improve the treatment options.

 

Part of the long process of research is searching not just for markers in dogs but also for crossovers into human medicine. The research is actually looking into human disease, mapping dogs first because it's easier (fewer variables I think) & then trying to link back to humans. In the case of osteo, children.

 

This is exactly what is going on between OSU's Greyhound Health and Wellness Program and Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus. Greyhound osteo is apparently remarkably similar to childhood osteo. So OSU is collecting samples from osteo greys AND healthy greys. The combined team is working on mapping genomes to look for possible genetic markers indicating a predisposition to osteo. I believe the (very) long term goal would be not just identifying greyhounds and children who are at greater risk, but working on gene-based treatments and/or preventatives. Of course this is a very long way off.

 

In addition to this work, Dr. Shelley Lake is collecting statistics on greyhounds and cancer. She wants to know about any greyhound who has developed cancer, the lineage of the greyhound (provide the racing name and she looks up the lineage), and the type and location of the cancer. She is still in the early stages. She is active in Circle of Grey but also is a member here. Unfortunately, I don't remember her screen name. I'm sure she would love to hear from any of you who have lost a grey to any type of cancer.

 

I hesitate to even repeat this, because it is such early stages in her research: She did say that it appears that the HB's Commander line seems to have more osteo than others. I caution you though that this is early in the statistics and I don't think she has factored all factors into the research. Not that it is statistically significant but HB's Commander is my Joe's (15 month osteo survivor) great grandsire. HB's Commander was quite prolific and sired 3035 pups. He died at age 8 of an aneurism. His son Molotov (Joe's grandfather) sired 7722 pups. Molotov's son, Craigie Whistler, sired 5428 pups -- one of them is my Joe. So from just one line of one of HB's Commanders 3035 progeny, there have been over 13000 puppies. MIndboggling!

 

If I can find info on contacting Dr. Lake I will post it here.

 

Jane

 

Edited to add: Dr. Lake's greytalk name is handpicked. She asks that you go to her profile and click on the send email to handpicked link. In the email, include the above requested info.

 

Not sure if this will work, but I will try to put a link to her profile page here:

 

My link

 

And this might work. If so, here is a link to send her an email:

 

Dr. Lake email

 

Well you have just sent everyone scrambling. There will be way over 100,000 dogs with Commander in their pedigree and I am probably on the low side with my guess.

 

So osteo has just become prevalent in greyhounds in the last 20 years?

[joejoesmom]

Oh no. I just realized HB's Commander is Sherri's great-grandsire on both sides. I will just focus on the fact that the studies are not conclusive by any means and that I am lucky beyond words to

have her in my life.

 

I really wouldn't worry unduly. I actually wonder what percentage of currently living dogs have HB's Commander in their blood lines. Based on Joe's father alone siring over 5000 puppies, I would think HB's Commander is present in the lineage of a huge percentage of current greys. I am not up to the task of trying to figure this out. Although Joe developed bone cancer at 7 years of age, I believe his father is still alive and his grandfather lived to age 12 (no cause of death listed). The HB's Commander prevalence that Shelley mentioned was based on preliminary data collection (I believe it is just at the point that she noticed a lot of HB's Commander in the osteo dogs). I don't know that she has ruled out that this may just be because HB's Commander is so prolific. Really, unless she can track down the cause of death in all retired racing greyhounds, the data is going to be somewhat flawed. She is just hoping that she can collect enough to see some trends.

Edited November 14, 2011 by joejoesmom