Boxers - kidney disease - help/info needed

Dear All,

Dr Bruce Cattanach (genetics expert and Boxer breeder) has been asked by a group of Boxer breeders to investigate a juvenile renal dysplasia (kidney disease) that seems to be around to assess whether it is inherited or not. He needs some detail of the dogs (eg KC registered name and date of birth if possible), their diagnosis and pedigree – all in confidence.

If you have a Boxer that has been diagnosed with kidney disease or sadly have already lost a Boxer with kidney disease you will still be able to help him and also the breed we all love. By providing him with the info above.
(or if you know of someone who has a Boxer with the above perhaps you can forward this info request to them)

If your dog is a rescue perhaps the Rescue involved may be able to forward the pedigree details on to Dr Bruce Cattanach directly, thus your dog could still help with this investigation.

Dr Cattanach's email details are bcattanach@steynmere.freeserve.co.uk
If you can help with this it would be much appreciated
Thanks in advance
Kirstine

BUMP

With the added published info from Dog World this week from Dr Cattanach

I wrote last time that the kidney disease had broadened;
I am afraid it is getting worse. Just as an example,
I have just heard of another litter with two affected pups and this time I would never have taken the sire in question as a candidate for carrying the gene but would have written the case off as a chance spontaneous occurance despite there being two cases in the litter.
But then I learned that the bitch had produced four cases in a previous litter, this to a dog who had produced seven cases in two other litters.
One can't explain this away easily.
I think I may now have well over 20 cases, but most are dead.
What I can't understand is how this has not been brought to attention much sooner.
It is incorrectly stated in the last breed council report that I have suggested a breeding control scheme;
this is totally incorrect.
There is absolutely no scope for a breeding control scheme.
There is only one option and this is a gene screen, hence my focus on seeking this.
As I wrote last time, a screen for the gene has virtually been set up using a new method which seems ideally suited to the situation.
The research suggests that five cases, plus a larger number of controls, would be the minimum number required.
I have got 4 promised, even if three are from one litter, but the situation seems bleak for getting any more.
The dogs have to be a year or so old before developing the disease and then survival is limited. There is therefore only a small window of time when blood collection is possible.
A further limiting factor is that while
breeders who have been hurt by the disease are working hard to help,
others are standing back and refusing to get involved.
All I can think to do is go ahead in early January with the blood samples that I will have collected from the few certain cases, trust that some of you will help me get enough of the needed controls and then hope the
screen will work well enough to provide some indication of the region where the gene lies.
It is a sad business.
Bruce Cattanach.

Your breed needs YOU.
If you can help with DNA donation (plus pedigree information) from Boxers with kidney disease,
or donate DNA (plus pedigree information) for control purposes please do get incontact with
Dr Bruce Cattanach on bcattanach@steynmere.freeserve.co.uk
Title the Email Kidney Disease and I'm sure he'll get incontact.

Thanks

Thanks for posting this update Kirstine. Some scary stuff going on in boxers at the moment

Thanks for that, I brought this to the attention of my vet a few weeks ago, when it was published .

Hopefully if more vets are aware too, they will be able to help catalogue the disease.

At least "something " is being dont, and hopefully with Dr B on board, we will see results and the gene test will become available.

Do i still contact him or is it too late as he has published his findings?

It was absolutely devastating to get the news this week on how ill Katie is. Time & time again vets have told us the condition is probably congenital.

Would i not have to let her breeder know i was doing this?

Hi Helen,

Yes please do contact Dr Bruce Cattanach.
I know he is still very actively collating any cases that come up. If you contact him with Katie's pedigree information I'm sure he would be interested to hear from you.

If in some way postive things can come from this and each DNA sample that is donated has the potential to prevent another Boxer from having to suffer kidney disease it is certainly worth doing.

As Katie is your dog technically you do not need to contact the breeder of Katie. As her medical records etc are all yours to do what you want with.
However most caring/responsible breeders would want to know if any of the dogs they have bred have developed any health issues especially serious ones.

Some breeders however from Bruce's report would seem not to want to help with this. This is where it is sad I feel as we all should be doing our utmost to rid our breed of any health issues that become apparent.

So the bottom line is if you want to help and want to help prevent further suffering of other Boxers from kidney disease
You do what you feel is right.
I know certainly if I had an affected Boxer I would be donating DNA as I wouldn't want any dogs or their owners having to go through the pain of kidney disease (or other conditions).