This is a special thread for Mastiff health issues - where to go to find out more about the issues and what they are, what testing is available and where to find out about it.

Some good news to add!

CROSS POSTED WITH PERMISSION

I am pleased to announce that OptiGen has officially announced their new
CMR (Canine Multi-focal Retinopathy) DNA test that is now available to
Mastiffs. Most of us are more familiar with the description of Retinal Dysplasia
Focal/Folds.  The cost of this new test is $95 + $7.50 for the OFA
registry. We can get a 5% discount for filling out OptiGen's online submission
form and another 20% off if we participate in a 20/20 satellite clinic.

OptiGen has also announced that for all Mastiffs (from any country) that
have previously been PRA DNA tested with them, we do not need to send in
more blood.  OptiGen can use blood that they have archived from
previously tested Mastiffs regardless if we paid for long-term storage or not.
This will be a huge savings by not having to pay shipping and possible
veterinarian expenses.

CMR in Mastiffs is an autosomal recessive disease, so the gene mutation
is inherited from both the mother & father.  By utilizing OptiGen's new CMR
DNA test and by following their breeding recommendations, we can still use
dogs in our breeding programs regardless of their genetic status.  This will
allow us to eliminate the disease from our gene pool while maintaining
the positive traits that we desire.

OptiGen has posted more information and details on this new test on
their website at:

http://www.optigen.com/opt9_test_cmr.html

I would like to thank all of you that sent in blood samples on CMR
affected Mastiffs & made this test possible!!

Anna May
MCOA Health Committee Co-Chair

=====================================

Entropions! My 4 month old puppy has entropions in both lower eye lids. The optomologist tacked both lower lids and we are hoping he will grow into his skin. Has anyone had any experience with entropions? Eye tacking?

That is really great news. Thank you for letting us know.

It's very traumatic when a family member is diagnosed with cancer. You may be surprised to know that often that family member is your dog or cat. Unfortunately, cancer is very common in companion animals, but thanks to advanced veterinary medicine, many of these animals are surviving while continuing to have a wonderful quality of life. Although a cancer diagnosis can be frightening, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Foundation (the “ACVIM Foundation”) and Tails of Hope Foundation have compiled the following information to help you get the best treatment possible for your beloved family member: 

What are the common signs of cancer in companion animals?
As in human cancer, detection is the first step to recovery. Knowing what to look for could save your companion animal's life. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, common signs of cancer include:

Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow

Sores that do not heal

Weight loss

Loss of appetite

Bleeding or discharge from any body opening

Offensive odor

Difficulty eating or swallowing

Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina

Persistent lameness or stiffness

Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating

My companion animal has been diagnosed with cancer. This seems very scary! What does this mean?
Cancer is a very general term that means that a normal tissue in your companion animal's body is no longer behaving in a normal manner, and is growing and developing outside of the body's usual regulation and control. Depending on the type of cancer, your veterinarian may also tell you that your companion animal has a "tumor" or a "mass".  These are very nonspecific terms and do not indicate whether or not the disease is easily treatable. Cancer causes problems in the body by affecting local structures, or by spreading to other organs (metastasis).

Who treats cancer in companion animals?
There are several types of Board-certified Veterinary Specialists who work together to treat cancer. Specialists are veterinarians who, after graduating from veterinary school, seek additional focused training in certain areas. This training usually lasts an additional 3-4 years (one year of internship, and 2-3 years of residency, depending on the specialty). At the end of this training, the Specialist must pass a certifying exam. 

The types of Board-certified Veterinary Specialists who treat cancer are:

Medical oncologists
A veterinary medical oncologist is a veterinarian who specializes in the overall diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and will usually administer chemotherapy. Medical oncologists are Board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). Their credentials will usually read "Diplomate ACVIM - Oncology". For more information, including a searchable database, please visit http://www.ACVIM.org.

Radiation oncologists
A veterinary radiation oncologist is a veterinarian who specializes in the treatment of cancer with radiation therapy. Radiation oncologists are Board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR). Their credentials will usually read "Diplomate ACVR (RO)".  For more information, including a searchable database, please visit http://www.acvr.org.

Surgeons
A veterinary surgeon is a veterinarian who specializes in surgery. Veterinary surgeons are Board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). Their credentials will usually read "Diplomate ACVS". Some surgeons have a special interest in surgical oncology, however there is currently no formal certification for surgical oncology as a subfield. For more information, including a searchable database, please visit http://www.acvs.org.

After a cancer diagnosis, your medical oncologist can suggest, based on your companion animal's condition, what the best treatment protocol is, which may include surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation, as discussed below.

How do I find appropriate treatment for my companion animal?
Your first resource is your family veterinarian (general practitioner) who knows you and your companion animal well. Your family veterinarian can:

Help obtain the diagnosis; help inform you about the disease; and offer treatment options and/or referral to the appropriate Board-certified Veterinary Specialist.

You are encouraged to obtain a referral to a Board-certified Veterinary Specialist from your family veterinarian whenever possible. This ensures the proper transfer of medical information and is beneficial to the Veterinary Specialist, and will help your companion animal receive the best care possible.

Is cancer treatable?  What kind of treatments can I expect?
Advances in veterinary care have made many cancers treatable and capable of being put into remission, or possibly cured, while preserving the animal's quality of life. Not all cancers are curable, and different types of cancer respond to different treatments in different ways and with different levels of success. There are many different options, depending on the type of cancer, where it is located, and how advanced it is. Some cancers are quite benign and easily treated. Others are locally aggressive but do not tend to spread to other parts of the body. Others are systemically aggressive and spread to other organs.

Depending on your companion animal's condition, diagnostic testing or management may be needed including:

Advanced laboratory testing of various blood or tissue samples

Biopsies and tissue analysis

Diagnostic imaging

Chemotherapy

Radiation therapy

Surgery

Cancer vaccines for certain types of cancer (e.g., melanoma)

A friend of mine was treated for cancer and seemed very tired and sick most of the time. Is it fair to put my companion animal through that?
Dogs and cats seem to tolerate anesthesia, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy more easily than people. Also there are many different treatment options used for your companion animal with cancer. The goal is always to cure the cancer if possible, but in many veterinary patients, a complete cure may not be possible at the time the disease is diagnosed. In this case, the goal of treatment is to put the cancer into remission and lengthen your companion animal's life while providing a good quality of life. Companion animals' lives are too short to allow them to feel poorly for any length of time before we switch to another treatment protocol. There certainly can be complications associated with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, but many are mild and self-limiting, and most companion animals tolerate the process well. The specific things you might expect your companion animal to experience vary with the treatment and any underlying conditions your companion animal might have, and should be discussed in advance with your veterinary oncologist. Don't allow your friend's experience to prevent you from at least learning what your options are, and how your veterinary oncologist thinks your companion animal would respond! You may be surprised at how good your companion animal feels during the treatment.

What is the role of surgery and what should I expect if surgery is recommended for my pet?
Surgery is important for the removal of "gross" or solid/visible disease, and is most useful in the treatment of a single, discrete mass. The goal of cancer surgery is usually to remove not only the visible mass, but a rim of normal tissue around it — this amount varies with the type of cancer. The reason for this is that some tumors will extend microscopic "fingers" of cancer into the normal tissue which cannot be seen with the naked eye. Therefore, the incision that is made to remove the tumor is often larger than you might expect. The successful removal of a tumor may be limited by the presence of nearby anatomic structures that have important function and cannot be damaged. In order to perform surgery the patient must be anesthetized. There are certain risks associated with surgery and anesthesia, therefore it is important to test for and discuss other, unrelated, underlying medical problems that may exist so that the safest protocols may be chosen. The tissue that is removed is submitted for histopathologic analysis, so that important information including the type of tumor, a prediction of its biologic behavior, and the "margins" of the surgical resection (how close the tumor extends to the surgical incision, and therefore the likelihood that any microscopic cells were left behind) are known.

How does chemotherapy work and what should I expect if chemotherapy is recommended for my companion animal?
Chemotherapy is important in treating systemic or metastatic cancer and works best when disease is microscopic. Alone, it is not very useful for treating solid masses or tumors. Most chemotherapeutic agents work by inhibiting cancer cells which divide and reproduce in an uncontrolled manner. However certain other normal cells in the body are also rapidly dividing, which is why some chemotherapy protocols are associated with side effects involving the bone marrow (and infection-fighting cells) or the gastrointestinal tract, for example.

When is radiation therapy indicated, and what should I expect if radiation therapy is recommended for my companion animal?
Radiation therapy is best utilized for treatment of local microscopic disease in a specific area after a discrete mass is removed with incomplete margins (meaning that tumor cells remain in the surrounding tissue).  It is helpful for treating microscopic disease that is left behind because of anatomy limitations, or because the disease was more extensive than could be detected preoperatively. However some tumors can be treated by radiation therapy without surgery, and sometimes "palliative radiation therapy" may be indicated if surgery is not possible. "Palliative radiation" will not cure the disease but it may slow progression or relieve discomfort associated with the cancer. There are many different protocols, which can involve few treatments of a relatively large radiation dose, or many treatments of a much smaller radiation dose. Side effects are possible, but vary according to the protocol recommended, and the area of the body being treated, and should be discussed with your radiation oncologist. It is very important that the patient be positioned exactly the same way when receiving radiation treatments, and that he or she does not move during the treatment, so a very short anesthetic episode is typically necessary for each treatment.

What kinds of payment plans are available for cancer-related care?
We encourage you to discuss the likely cost of treatment for your companion animal upfront with your veterinarian. Many payment options are available for veterinary treatment including veterinary payment plans, veterinary financial aid programs, or assistance programs, including the Sponsor-a-Pet^SM Program provided by Tails of Hope Foundation.

Special thanks to Michele Steffey, DVM, DACVS; Philip Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology); Carolyn Henry, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology); and Sandy Willis, DVM, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine) for preparing this information.

For more information about cancer in companion animals or for more information about the campaign, visit http://www.ACVIMFoundation.org or http://www.tailsofhopefoundation.org

i got a question. my pup is 11 months old yesterday and for the past 3 weeks or so i've noticed that he is growing one heck of a bump on the top of his head. it feels like bone right in the middle rear base of his skull. i know hes doing his awkward growing thing, but he kinda looks likes Pluto ( the big yellow dog) from good morning Micky lol. lately his diet has consisted mainly of whole chicken thighs w the bone ground up and eagle pack holistic large breed. he gets about 4 chicken thighs per serving twice a day w two eggs and shell in his kibble. too much calcium? he kinda looks like a cone head ha ha. i have to pump up his food so he eats. as it's readily over 100 degrees out side and still about 75 - 80 in my house. he just will not eat when its hot, and he needs to grow. ill post a pic latter.

That is completely normal on a growing puppy. He is going to have a huge head -

I think Lori meant to say "big head" 

Sounds like a hygroma and yes mastiff get them. Leave it alone and it will go away. Its from laying on hard surfaces.

I have a French Mastiff who is 5 years old. We have been noticing that our dog for the past year has been incontenent of stool. He has bowel movement no matter where he is, in his bed or while on a walk. We take him for walks and sometimes he starts going to the bathroom and doesnt notice until it's too late. In the mornings sometimes he'll wake up next to his own stool. He's a very stubborn dog and likes to mark his territory. Starting a couple of years ago he started urinating on the couch or in the middle of the room infront of us and lately it has turned into bowel movement. He doesn't have diarrhea he eats fine and only doggie food, he drinks plenty of water, and the local vet said there's nothing wrong with him that he's just trying to make us angry. But it's obvious that he can't control it. Any recommendations other then calling nanny 911?

Cystinuria Screening Basic information: Cystinuria screening $40
 
Ship the urine sample in a labeled tube with ice packs in an insulated container (urine must be received cool) via overnight, next morning delivery on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday to:
 
University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital
Metabolic Laboratory Room 4027
Attention: Cystinuria Screening
3900 Delancey Street
 Philadelphia, PA  19104-6010
 
Phone: 215-898-3375 Fax: 215-573-2162
Use FedEx or UPS, not USPS!
 
The shipping address and information on PennGen’s website will also work.
 
Ideally feed the dogs 2-4 hours before collecting the urine.  Please include the time of urine collection and what the dog’s diet, supplements and medications are on the submission form.
 
Anna May

I have been a fond visitor to this site ever since we got our first Mastiff. He is almost two years old now and his name is Rocky.  He has been the best addition to our family.  I've never been one to post, but Rocky has been tentatively diagnosed with Wobblers disease.  We are very worried and would like any advice or information about this disease.

Osteochondritis Dissecans Veterinary & Aquatic Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith		Print Article | Email Article
Osteochondritis dissecans, commonly known as OCD, is a disease of the cartilage that can affect various joints in a dog. In any joint in the body, two bones come together and movement is allowed between them. Where the two bones meet an exceptionally smooth area of cartilage covers their surfaces. This acts as a cushion and protects the underlying bone. If anything disrupts this smooth cartilage surface, movement of the joint becomes painful. In a dog with OCD, this cartilage is damaged or grows abnormally. Instead of being attached to the bone it covers, it separates or cracks. A loose flap of cartilage may form, or an entire piece may break loose. These are known as joint mice. Who gets OCD? OCD is primarily a problem in large or giant breed dogs. It has been reported in small dogs and cats, though it is not very common. It affects male dogs more frequently than females, most likely due to the males' larger size and increased stress on the joint. It generally occurs when the animal is between 4 and 10 months of age, though it can show up in older dogs. There are several breeds that despite being larger breeds have decreased incidences of the disease including the Doberman Pinscher, Collie, and Siberian Husky. What are the symptoms of OCD? OCD may affect the shoulder, elbow, knee or hock, although the shoulder is most commonly affected. The symptoms are lameness in the affected limb. Some dogs have a barely noticeable limp and others are unable to bear any weight on the leg. The lameness tends to worsen after periods of exercise and improves after rest. When it affects the shoulder, a shortened forelimb stride may be noted due to reluctance to flex and extend the shoulder joint. Occasionally, the disease will affect both limbs simultaneously and the dog may be reluctant to move. How is OCD diagnosed? Diagnosis is based on history, physical exam, and radiographs (x-rays). On physical exam, we notice joint pain. For instance, most healthy dogs show no resistance when their shoulder joint is fully flexed and extended. However, if they have an OCD lesion in their shoulder, they may resist shoulder manipulation and may even cry out in pain when it is attempted. In addition, this flexion and extension of the shoulder joint may worsen the lameness. Radiographs of the affected joint are taken to confirm the diagnosis. The dog is often sedated so that full relaxation of the joint can be obtained. Several views of the affected joint and the healthy joint on the other side are taken for comparison. A change of the bone underneath the damaged cartilage is often visible. If the radiographs are not confirmatory but OCD is still suspected, radiographs may be taken again in 2 to 3 weeks. What causes the formation of OCD? Trauma to the joint, hereditary factors, rapid growth, hormonal imbalances and nutrition may contribute to the formation of OCD. The cause of OCD is considered to be multifactorial. It is thought that there are several factors that contribute to the formation of OCD lesions including trauma to the joint, genetics, rapid growth, hormone imbalances, and nutrition. Trauma, whether chronic or acute, may contribute to the formation of OCD lesions. Injury to the surface cartilage may lead to the separation of the cartilage from the bone or cause a decrease in blood supply that leads to cartilage flap formation. It appears that there is a genetic link between parents and offspring and the formation of the disease. Certain breeds and genetic lines are much more likely to develop the disease. Careful screening of parents against this disease is recommended during the selection of all breeding animals. OCD usually occurs during periods of rapid growth. Therefore, it has been suggested that nutrition that creates rapid growth may lead to the increase in incidence of the disease. How is OCD treated? There are currently two ways to treat OCD, conservative medical treatment or surgical removal of the lesion. Conservative treatment may be indicated for dogs that have early mild symptoms of OCD or where a specific lesion cannot be identified on radiographs. Conservative treatment consists of strict rest for 4 to 8 weeks. Leash walking is permitted but no running or playing is allowed. Anti-inflammatories and painkillers such as carprofen (Rimadyl) may be indicated. In addition, the use of glucosamine/chondroitin products has been suggested, yet there are no current studies that confirm their beneficial use in this particular disease. Conservative treatment may be difficult in young, active puppies who may still need to undergo surgery, if the symptoms do not improve. Surgery is indicated in animals that show severe symptoms, in cases where large lesions are identified on radiographs or when conservative treatments fail. The surgery is very straightforward. The affected joint is opened and the offending flap, defect, or joint mouse is removed. The prognosis is generally good when the shoulder joint is affected. With other joints, degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) is more common. When the elbow is affected, the OCD may contribute to the development of other abnormalities in that joint. How is OCD prevented? Prevention consists of careful selective breeding that avoids the breeding of animals with a history of OCD. Young large and giant breed dogs should not undergo strenuous activity, particularly jumping activities. Housing on hard concrete surfaces has been linked to increased OCD lesions in pigs and may also contribute to problems in the dog. Providing a good balanced diet that promotes even, sustained growth is also recommended. Talk to your veterinarian about what is best to feed your dog. Summary OCD is a cartilage problem that affects young large and giant breed dogs. It is due to several factors including genetics, trauma, rapid growth, and nutrition. Treatment is either conservative including strict rest, or surgical removal of the damaged cartilage. Prevention is aimed at good genetic selection, reduced activity, and careful feeding.