To
the best of my knowledge the following health issues are problems that
have shown up within the breed. The info given is just an outline of
the conditions. If you have any questions about the health of this
breed, or any other issue please contact me and I will be happy to
answer.
Dogs with AD are unable to produce one or two hormones, so we must replace those by providing artificial substitutes.
The first hormone that's missing (the ONLY one missing in dogs with primary "Atypical" or secondary AD) is cortisol, which manages metabolism, stress, blood pressure and general sense of well being. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid (think glucose, sugar, energy) and is artificially supplemented with a low daily dose of prednisone or some other oral glucocorticoid (prednisolone, hydrocortisone, etc.) The correct dose of prednisone cannot be measured with a blood test - it is determined by your observations: the lowest dose that keeps your dog symptom free, happy and eating.
The second hormone that’s missing (in dogs with primary "Typical" AD only) is aldosterone, which manages the electrolytes in the body. Aldosterone is a mineralocorticoid (think minerals: salt, sodium, potassium) and is artificially supplemented with either DOCP (Percorten-v) or Florinef, sufficient to maintain normal levels of these minerals. Although there are recommended starting doses for DOCP (1.0ml for 20lbs of weight) and Florinef (one 0.1mg tablet for every 10lbs of body weight) the correct dose must be determined by closely monitoring electrolyte levels and adjusting the dose accordingly. The goal is to maintain potassium and sodium values at a "happy medium" of whatever reference rang the test lab states on your dog's lab report. Lab values at either extreme end of these ranges are usually not a "comfort zone" for your Addisonian dog, and can actually be life-threatening.
The symptoms of Addison's disease can be vague and easily missed. They are similar to the symptoms of many different problems, so it is important if your NI show these symptoms that you inform your vet that this disease is in the breed so they know to test for it.
Initially, the dog may be listless, or seem depressed. Many dogs are described as just seeming off, or losing the normal sparkle in their eye. Lack of appetite is a good indicator. Other symptoms include gastro-intestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea. Pain in hindquarters, or generalized muscle weakness such as a dog that can't jump onto the bed or crouch as he has done in the past is not uncommon. Shivering or muscle tremors may also be present. The most important thing to remember is that you know your dog better than anyone. If something seems amiss, have it checked out.
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Lethargy
Depression
Lack of appetite
Tremors or shaking
Muscle weakness
Pain in hindquarters
Dogs with AD can and do lead full happy lives once they're provided with replacements for the hormones their adrenal glands are no longer producing.
Inherited Diseases of the Eye:
Please note that not all conditions are found in the NI breed, and cases are rare - click here
The most common cause of digestive enzyme
deficiency in dogs is "pancreatic acinar altrophy," where the pancreas
simply becomes shrivelled and useless. This condition seems to have a
genetic basis but is not congenital and can develop at any age,
although normally shows up before the age of 4yrs old.
Digestive enzymes include
amylase to digest starches, lipases to digest fats and trypsin and
proteases to digest protein. They are stored in inactive forms inside
special granules in the pancreatic tissue and are secreted into the
duodenum, the first part of the small intestine after the stomach, when
the ground up food begins its passage out of the stomach. Once
nutrients are broken down into smaller molecules i.e. they are
digested, they can be absorbed down the entire length of the GI tract.
Without adequate production of these enzymes, the dog cannot break
down/digest food therefore cannot absorb the nutrients resulting in
weight loss.
Dietary supplementation with digestive enzymes can be an effective treatment, however, 1 in 5 dogs will not respond well, if at all! Raw beef or lamb pancreas is a very good source of enzymes, in fact all raw food contains enzymes, it is only when heat is added do the enzymes die off. A dog suffering with this condition, in my opinion, would do best on a 100% BARF diet. Raw meat contains a good amount of enzymes, which the dog can use in order to break down his food without having to rely on the enzymes stored in his own pancreas. This will also relieve pressure on the pancreas to produce more enzymes, which will also benefit dogs without this condition.
Foul
smelling, greasy diarrhea
Dull, dry dandruffy coat
Weight loss
There are many causes of epilepsy, but if a cause cannot be found it is presumed to be Idiopathic i.e. genetic. There is no way of knowing if a dogs is effected until it has it's first seizure, and as yet there is no test available for detecting carriers of the defective gene as mode of inheritance is still unknown. However, it is suspected that in takes two carriers to produce an affected dog. The only thing a breeder can do is a pedigree analysis on every dog he or she in tends to breed, in order to reduce the risk, unfortunatly not every breeder is honest about having epilepsy in their line which can make things very difficult analyzing a pedigree successfully.
Symptoms:Grand
Mal: Wide spread cramping of the skeletal muscles. These
seizures can last for 10 - 30 seconds, and involve the paddling of the
legs and chewing, often the dogs bladder and bowls will open.
Petit Mal:
These are the same as above, but as the name suggests they are not so
severe, although still very shocking to witness!
Cluster Seizures:
This is when the dog suffers from a succession of Grand Mal seizures
within a short time, the dog will need medical treatment asap!
There is a lot of info about Idiopathic Epilepsy, so I have provided some links below.
This
is again a genetic problem, although it can also happen due to the dogs
life style, for example.. Taking a young puppy out for long walks every
day before his bones have developed properly, allowing a pup to run up
and down the stairs.
This is a male with only one visible/palpable testicle fully descended into the scrotum. This is an inherited problem and is often caused by excessive inbreeding. The next step on from this is Cryptorchidsm - a male with no visible/palpable testicles fully descended into the scrotum. A Monorchid dog should not be bred from, the best course of action for a dog with this problem is castration in order to prevent testicle cancer.
Bitches that do not come into season, again this is mainly a result of excessive inbreeding and is nature’s way of trying to sort it out. These Bitches should be spayed to prevent cancer of the womb.
This is where the bottom part of the jaw is too short leaving a gap between the bottom front teeth and the top front teeth. This problem can be slight or excessive. I once had a foster dog with this problem and even with her teeth together if I lifted up her lips I could easily see the roof of her mouth. This is an inherited problem and any dogs with overshot jaws should not be bred from.
Gathering and typing up info.
This is something that can affect ALL breeds and cross breeds of dogs, and almost always requires surgery. More info to follow.