register for free
View our sister sites
Our sister sites
Our sister sites
Our sister sites
sallyinlancs
Dogsey Senior
sallyinlancs is offline  
Location: n/a
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 912
Female 
 
25-07-2008, 06:44 PM
I know of someone who has a shihtzu with dwarfism. I must say it's the cutest little thing - still looks like a puppy even though it's fully grown.
Reply With Quote
Reisu
Almost a Veteran
Reisu is offline  
Location: Kent, UK
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,031
Female 
 
25-07-2008, 06:50 PM
cats have a similar mutation to this and have been bred for it. they're called munchkins they don't suffer any health problems or disability through it, thankfully. i'm not very well versed in cat fancy so i'll sit on the fence with the ethics, but they are very cute.
Reply With Quote
Greyhawk
Dogsey Veteran
Greyhawk is offline  
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,123
Female 
 
25-07-2008, 06:52 PM
Originally Posted by CLMG View Post
I've never heard of this in dogs before, has anyone else had any experience of this, I'm just curious
I haven't had any experience of it but I have researched into the condition as it does exist in our breed (not so much now though).

It's official name is Chondrodysplasia and it was found to be a simple recessive condition in the Malamute. It is a genetic condition that affects the limbs of a dog and can range from mild (simply shorter limbs) to severe (where the dog has bowed, shortened legs). The Malamute Club of America ran a test breeding program to determine the mode of inheritance so that we could try and eradicate this disease from the breed. The test breeding was carried out in the 70's although it does still happen in rare cases today (Mals in the USA are given a CHD number if the chance of them carrying the gene for Chondrodysplasia is less than 6.25%. However outside of the USA most countries do not give CHD numbers and as such if someone wants their dog to be used at stud in the USA they sometimes embark on a test breeding program to determine whether or not the dog is clear. This obviously carries some concern over the ethics and it is only done on rare occasions).

As a result this condition is rather rare now. We don't have CHD numbers in the UK but all imports do and I don't recall any cases ever being seen in the UK.
Reply With Quote
Greyhawk
Dogsey Veteran
Greyhawk is offline  
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,123
Female 
 
25-07-2008, 06:57 PM
Originally Posted by Leanne_W View Post
This is a 4 year old dwarf GSD apparantly
Originally Posted by sallyinlancs View Post
I know of someone who has a shihtzu with dwarfism. I must say it's the cutest little thing - still looks like a puppy even though it's fully grown.
Hmmm - looking at the photo and the description I would be hesitant to say that either of these dogs have Chondrodysplasia. This condition only affects the limbs, not the rest of the dog.

To see some pictures of Chondrodysplasic dogs click on the link below:

Malamute Health
Reply With Quote
CLMG
Dogsey Veteran
CLMG is offline  
Location: Kent, UK
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,029
Female 
 
25-07-2008, 07:11 PM
Thanks for your reply guys very interesting , I had no idea it existed in any animal apart from humans Greyhawk the link you posted in your last reply, the front legs on this Spaniel were very similar to the two outside dogs legs in picture 7.
Reply With Quote
pod
Dogsey Veteran
pod is offline  
Location: UK
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,558
Female 
 
25-07-2008, 09:29 PM
There are different types of dwarfism. The type found in the GSD is Pituitary dwarfism and it does affect health in other ways. They don't usually live long into adulthood.

Shortened Limb Syndrome - Achondroplasia, is the common type in dogs and is deliberately bred for in short legged breeds like the Corgis, Bassets, Dachshunds etc. I believe this is inherited as a dominant so the one found in Mals, Elkhounds, ESSs and Labs must be a different type of Chondrodysplasia to be recessive.

The Shi-Tzu is already Achondroplastic as a breed so there must have been some other dwarfism in that particular one.
Reply With Quote
Mahooli
Dogsey Veteran
Mahooli is offline  
Location: Poodle Heaven!
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 14,297
Female 
 
25-07-2008, 09:59 PM
I knew someone who had a pituitary dwarf GSD, they tned not to grow bigger than an 8 to 12 week old puppy and as Pod has said do suffer from other health issues as well, usually coat loss and they very rarely live beyond 3 or 4 most dying before a year I believe.
Becky
Reply With Quote
OZZYSMUM
Dogsey Junior
OZZYSMUM is offline  
Location: Northampton
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 66
Female 
 
25-07-2008, 10:32 PM
It is so strange to find this topic as i am in the middle of trying to find out if my Bobby has Achondroplasia which as i am sure you will know is a form of dwarfism he is a shih tzu, at first i thought that he was just going to be small as he got to a certain height and stopped growing but when i shaved his coat off it became clear that his legs were just not right he is in proportion in the body and head but his legs are not right at all they are small and bowed, he is going in to be castrated on Wednesday and i am getting the vet to do a chromosome test to see if thats what it is here are some pics what do you think



Reply With Quote
OZZYSMUM
Dogsey Junior
OZZYSMUM is offline  
Location: Northampton
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 66
Female 
 
25-07-2008, 10:37 PM
I forgot to mention my other shih tzus do not have bowed legs there legs are in proportion to the body and they are not to short they all look normal
Reply With Quote
pod
Dogsey Veteran
pod is offline  
Location: UK
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,558
Female 
 
25-07-2008, 10:43 PM
Hi OM. I don't think there can be much doubt that Bobby is Achondroplastic as this is normal for the breed. All Shi-tzus are I believe.

The bowed limbs do sometimes go along with this condition too.
Reply With Quote
Reply
Page 2 of 3 < 1 2 3 >


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools


© Copyright 2016, Dogsey   Contact Us - Dogsey - Top Contact us | Archive | Privacy | Terms of use | Top