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Hip Dysplasia...Hereditary or Environmental?
It can be either or both:
Hereditary:
Sometimes the hip sockets in a Newf pup are just not right from the beginning. This can vary from
1) Sublexed (good formation but not a snug fit) which can improve or deteriorate depending on the care given.
2) Good formation but the "ball" is not in the socket, in which the formation will deteriorate over time
3) Poor formation of either socket or ball or both
How do you know if it’s environmental or hereditary??? If x-rays are taken later in life you may not know in cases of mild
to moderate dysplasia. I suggest X-rays around 4 months of age.
Environmental:
If your puppy is blessed with great hips, are you home free? Absolutely not. Even the best puppy hips can deteriorate
from stress or injury. Newfie puppies grow very fast from 3 months to 8 months; they will get almost too adult height in
those few months. The rapid growth alone stresses the joints and ligaments, add rough play, slipping, jumping, climbing
while the hip sockets are still forming and dysplasia is born.
The hip socket and the "ball" of the leg bone are suppose to be a nice fit
If all goes well, the movement in the perfect fit will encourage good development and bone. But injury can cause the
perfect fit to get "loose" or the "ball" to get misplaced.
Any extra play in the still forming joint will cause an improper formation and the joint to lose its smoothness, the socket
becomes shallow and deteriorate. (dysplasia)
Because of the improper fit** this bone has lost its nice round shape. This is mild dysplasia. This dog will have arthritis
and some problems as he ages.
*** Improper fit can be environmental (stress or injury) or heritary
Injury can cause this! Some of the biggies that can cause your pup to be dysplastic are: (these are also the causes for
elbow and stifle/patella problems)
1) Slipping and sliding on slick floors (tile, linoleum, and wet grass): Your puppy sliding across the floor after a toy is
cute but it can also cause him to become a cripple. Access to slick floors should be avoided or at least limited to No
running or playing
2) Stairs: You know that stairs are a work out, well a Newfie pup body is a stressed body, add stair climbing, between
the added stress and the angle it makes his hips work it’s a hip destroyer. No stairs until he is 1 year old period!
3) Over exercise: Tired muscles and ligaments are prone to injury. Never force exercise on your puppy. Do not
encourage him to play when he wants to rest. Take care not to venture too far away from home when going for a walk
(the walk back may be too much for him)
4) Jumping: Jumping over things/on things. The worst.... holding a toy up and having him leap up into the air to get it
(its the landing, if he lands on the front legs, bad for the elbows, lands on the hind legs it’s bad on the hips and patella’
s.)
5) Improper balance in feed: Always feed a high quality dog food
It can be either or both:
Hereditary:
Sometimes the hip sockets in a Newf pup are just not right from the beginning. This can vary from
1) Sublexed (good formation but not a snug fit) which can improve or deteriorate depending on the care given.
2) Good formation but the "ball" is not in the socket, in which the formation will deteriorate over time
3) Poor formation of either socket or ball or both
How do you know if it’s environmental or hereditary??? If x-rays are taken later in life you may not know in cases of mild
to moderate dysplasia. I suggest X-rays around 4 months of age.
Environmental:
If your puppy is blessed with great hips, are you home free? Absolutely not. Even the best puppy hips can deteriorate
from stress or injury. Newfie puppies grow very fast from 3 months to 8 months; they will get almost too adult height in
those few months. The rapid growth alone stresses the joints and ligaments, add rough play, slipping, jumping, climbing
while the hip sockets are still forming and dysplasia is born.
The hip socket and the "ball" of the leg bone are suppose to be a nice fit
If all goes well, the movement in the perfect fit will encourage good development and bone. But injury can cause the
perfect fit to get "loose" or the "ball" to get misplaced.
Any extra play in the still forming joint will cause an improper formation and the joint to lose its smoothness, the socket
becomes shallow and deteriorate. (dysplasia)
Because of the improper fit** this bone has lost its nice round shape. This is mild dysplasia. This dog will have arthritis
and some problems as he ages.
*** Improper fit can be environmental (stress or injury) or heritary
Injury can cause this! Some of the biggies that can cause your pup to be dysplastic are: (these are also the causes for
elbow and stifle/patella problems)
1) Slipping and sliding on slick floors (tile, linoleum, and wet grass): Your puppy sliding across the floor after a toy is
cute but it can also cause him to become a cripple. Access to slick floors should be avoided or at least limited to No
running or playing
2) Stairs: You know that stairs are a work out, well a Newfie pup body is a stressed body, add stair climbing, between
the added stress and the angle it makes his hips work it’s a hip destroyer. No stairs until he is 1 year old period!
3) Over exercise: Tired muscles and ligaments are prone to injury. Never force exercise on your puppy. Do not
encourage him to play when he wants to rest. Take care not to venture too far away from home when going for a walk
(the walk back may be too much for him)
4) Jumping: Jumping over things/on things. The worst.... holding a toy up and having him leap up into the air to get it
(its the landing, if he lands on the front legs, bad for the elbows, lands on the hind legs it’s bad on the hips and patella’
s.)
5) Improper balance in feed: Always feed a high quality dog food
Cystinuria in Newfoundland Dogs
By Sharon Gwaltney DVM PhD
Cystinuria is an inherited disorder caused by a defect in the transport of cystine, an
amino acid, in the kidney tubules. Normally, cystine that is filtered in the kidney is
reabsorbed within the tubules, resulting in little cystine in the urine. Dogs with cystinuria
do not properly reabsorb cystine (and a few other amino acids) in the kidney tubules,
causing the urine to contain abnormally high levels of cystine. Cystine is insoluble in
neutral pH or acidic urine, so excess urinary cystine results in formation of cystine
crystals, which in turn can lead to formation of cystine calculi (stones) in the kidney
and/or bladder. Because males have long, narrow urethras compared to females,
irritation and blockage by calculi is much more common in the male. Males with cystinuria
suffer repeated inflammations of the urinary tract and are at risk for urinary blockage,
which can, if not treated promptly, lead to kidney failure, bladder rupture, and death.
By Sharon Gwaltney DVM PhD
Cystinuria is an inherited disorder caused by a defect in the transport of cystine, an
amino acid, in the kidney tubules. Normally, cystine that is filtered in the kidney is
reabsorbed within the tubules, resulting in little cystine in the urine. Dogs with cystinuria
do not properly reabsorb cystine (and a few other amino acids) in the kidney tubules,
causing the urine to contain abnormally high levels of cystine. Cystine is insoluble in
neutral pH or acidic urine, so excess urinary cystine results in formation of cystine
crystals, which in turn can lead to formation of cystine calculi (stones) in the kidney
and/or bladder. Because males have long, narrow urethras compared to females,
irritation and blockage by calculi is much more common in the male. Males with cystinuria
suffer repeated inflammations of the urinary tract and are at risk for urinary blockage,
which can, if not treated promptly, lead to kidney failure, bladder rupture, and death.
What is SAS ?
1. What is SAS?
Subvalvular aortic stenosis, also referred to as subaortic stenosis or SAS, is a common heart defect in dogs,
especially Newfoundlands, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, and German Shepherds.
The heart anatomically is divided into 4 chambers separated by 4 valves. The 4 heart valves ensure that blood
only flows in one direction through the heart. The aortic valve separates the main pumping chamber (left ventricle)
from the aorta, a large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body. In dogs with SAS, there is added
tissue below the aortic valve (hence "subaortic"). This abnormal tissue creates an obstruction ("stenosis" is the
scientific term) that the heart has to overcome to pump blood to the body. This stenosis makes the heart work
harder than normal. A heart murmur is created by blood being pumped across the stenosis into the aorta.
2. What happens to dogs with SAS?
SAS comes in many grades of severity. We subdivide them into mild, moderate, and severe. Dogs with mild
disease usually lead a normal life without complications. Dogs with severe disease may die suddenly or develop
exercise intolerance, fainting, rear limb weakness, or fluid in the lungs (heart failure). Heart failure can cause
coughing, rapid breathing, or shortness of breath. The course of dogs with moderate disease is hard to predict. All
dogs with SAS are predisposed to heart valve infections (endocarditis).
3. How do dogs "get" SAS?
SAS is transmitted genetically. This has been studied in the Newfoundland breed; the mode of inheritance in this
breed is either autosomal dominant with modifiers or polygenetic. Dogs with mild disease do not necessarily
produce dogs with only mild disease, ie a dog with mild disease may sire a litter with severe disease. This defect
develops very soon after birth (at approximately 3 weeks of age), and continues to worsen through maturity.
4. How is SAS diagnosed?
SAS is suspected based on a combination of physical examination findings including a heart murmur heard over
the aortic valve. In dogs with a murmur, definitive diagnosis and assessment of severity requires echocardiography
with Doppler. Echocardiography allows visualization of the 4 heart chambers and valves and the anatomy of the
subaortic area. Doppler allows estimation of the pressure created in the heart by the obstruction. The degree of
pressure elevation correlates with the disease severity. Some dogs with very mild disease are hard to distinguish
from normal dogs even with this technology.
Radiographs of the heart and an electrocardiogram (ECG) are important in the evaluation of dogs with moderate to
severe SAS but are usually normal in dogs with mild disease.
5. What should be done if my dog has mild disease?
These dogs should not be bred so castration or spaying is recommended. Due to the risk for heart valve
infections, prophylactic antibiotics should be prescribed by a veterinarian for any potential bacteria exposure
(dentals, skin infections, minor cuts or abrasions).
6. Can a dog with severe disease be treated?
Therapeutic options are limited. Surgery can be performed at some Universities, but it is expensive. Balloon
catheter dilation can also be performed at some referral centers. This procedure involves passing a catheter with a
balloon on the end down an artery in the neck. The balloon is centered across the stenosis and then inflated to
open up the stenosis. This procedure helps to decrease the obstruction in some dogs. Medical therapy may be
prescribed to try and decrease the work load of the heart (beta-blockers) or treat signs of heart failure once they
develop.
7. How can I decrease the risk of transmitting this defect?
First, have all breeding animals listened to at maturity by a veterinarian. If no murmur is present, these adults do
not have clinical SAS.
Second, have all litters listened to carefully. Timing of this exam is tricky; the older the puppy is at the time of
examination, the better. Age is important because the defect is progressive early in life such that a murmur will be
easier to detect in a 16 week puppy than an 8 week old puppy. Also, young puppies can have innocent murmurs
(murmurs not caused by a heart defect). Innocent murmurs go away by 16 weeks of age. Innocent murmurs are
difficult to differentiate from mild SAS. We recommend pups be at least 8 weeks old for screening; 12 weeks old is
better, and 16 weeks old is ideal. If a pup is to be used for breeding, auscultation should be repeated as a mature
adult (over 1 year of age). If pups with SAS are detected, have the sire and dam examined, and do not repeat
breeding.
1. What is SAS?
Subvalvular aortic stenosis, also referred to as subaortic stenosis or SAS, is a common heart defect in dogs,
especially Newfoundlands, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, and German Shepherds.
The heart anatomically is divided into 4 chambers separated by 4 valves. The 4 heart valves ensure that blood
only flows in one direction through the heart. The aortic valve separates the main pumping chamber (left ventricle)
from the aorta, a large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body. In dogs with SAS, there is added
tissue below the aortic valve (hence "subaortic"). This abnormal tissue creates an obstruction ("stenosis" is the
scientific term) that the heart has to overcome to pump blood to the body. This stenosis makes the heart work
harder than normal. A heart murmur is created by blood being pumped across the stenosis into the aorta.
2. What happens to dogs with SAS?
SAS comes in many grades of severity. We subdivide them into mild, moderate, and severe. Dogs with mild
disease usually lead a normal life without complications. Dogs with severe disease may die suddenly or develop
exercise intolerance, fainting, rear limb weakness, or fluid in the lungs (heart failure). Heart failure can cause
coughing, rapid breathing, or shortness of breath. The course of dogs with moderate disease is hard to predict. All
dogs with SAS are predisposed to heart valve infections (endocarditis).
3. How do dogs "get" SAS?
SAS is transmitted genetically. This has been studied in the Newfoundland breed; the mode of inheritance in this
breed is either autosomal dominant with modifiers or polygenetic. Dogs with mild disease do not necessarily
produce dogs with only mild disease, ie a dog with mild disease may sire a litter with severe disease. This defect
develops very soon after birth (at approximately 3 weeks of age), and continues to worsen through maturity.
4. How is SAS diagnosed?
SAS is suspected based on a combination of physical examination findings including a heart murmur heard over
the aortic valve. In dogs with a murmur, definitive diagnosis and assessment of severity requires echocardiography
with Doppler. Echocardiography allows visualization of the 4 heart chambers and valves and the anatomy of the
subaortic area. Doppler allows estimation of the pressure created in the heart by the obstruction. The degree of
pressure elevation correlates with the disease severity. Some dogs with very mild disease are hard to distinguish
from normal dogs even with this technology.
Radiographs of the heart and an electrocardiogram (ECG) are important in the evaluation of dogs with moderate to
severe SAS but are usually normal in dogs with mild disease.
5. What should be done if my dog has mild disease?
These dogs should not be bred so castration or spaying is recommended. Due to the risk for heart valve
infections, prophylactic antibiotics should be prescribed by a veterinarian for any potential bacteria exposure
(dentals, skin infections, minor cuts or abrasions).
6. Can a dog with severe disease be treated?
Therapeutic options are limited. Surgery can be performed at some Universities, but it is expensive. Balloon
catheter dilation can also be performed at some referral centers. This procedure involves passing a catheter with a
balloon on the end down an artery in the neck. The balloon is centered across the stenosis and then inflated to
open up the stenosis. This procedure helps to decrease the obstruction in some dogs. Medical therapy may be
prescribed to try and decrease the work load of the heart (beta-blockers) or treat signs of heart failure once they
develop.
7. How can I decrease the risk of transmitting this defect?
First, have all breeding animals listened to at maturity by a veterinarian. If no murmur is present, these adults do
not have clinical SAS.
Second, have all litters listened to carefully. Timing of this exam is tricky; the older the puppy is at the time of
examination, the better. Age is important because the defect is progressive early in life such that a murmur will be
easier to detect in a 16 week puppy than an 8 week old puppy. Also, young puppies can have innocent murmurs
(murmurs not caused by a heart defect). Innocent murmurs go away by 16 weeks of age. Innocent murmurs are
difficult to differentiate from mild SAS. We recommend pups be at least 8 weeks old for screening; 12 weeks old is
better, and 16 weeks old is ideal. If a pup is to be used for breeding, auscultation should be repeated as a mature
adult (over 1 year of age). If pups with SAS are detected, have the sire and dam examined, and do not repeat
breeding.
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