Sanctioned by the United Kennel Club

Articles

Buyer Beware
by Roxie Peltier

Now you have decided that getting a Leonberger puppy is the right thing to do. How do you go about finding one? Before you reach out and put down your deposit, stop and ask the breeder some fundamental questions.

1) How long have you been breeding Leonbergers?
2) How old is the dam and how many times has she been bred?
3) Where are the puppies raised?
4) What type of health guarantee do you have?
5) Have both the sire and dam cleared Thyroid, CERF, and hips and elbows? Ask to see the test results.
6) Where will the litter be registered?
7) May I see a copy of your puppy contract?
8) May I see the pedigree of both the sire and the dam?

Don't be persuaded by a breeder making statements like:

A Leonberger should not be bred before two years of age. OFA will not give a rating until the dog is 24 months. Always ask to see the OFA rating or get an OFA number and verify the rating on the OFA website open registry. Do your research and take your time choosing a puppy. You will find it a much better experience when you do.

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Symptoms of Inherited Polyneuropathy

The symptoms of inherited polyneuropathy are Laryngeal paralysis (LP) and Polyneuropathy (PN) . Ask yourself the following questions:

LP/PN
* does my dog quickly tire after exercise?
* has his “bark” changed over the past year. Does he sound “hoarse” when he barks?
* is he panting more than he used to, especially during warm weather?
* is his breathing getting louder, so that you find yourself raising your voice when he is in a room with you?
* is he coughing after taking a drink or eating?
* is he “awkward”, sometimes tripping over his own feet?
* do you sometimes notice “something just not quite right“ for a second or two, when you watch him move around your yard? Have you noticed any tremors in his legs or feet when he stands still?
* is he “high stepping” with his rear legs? Does he look like he is trying to walk through high grass, or riding a bicycle, lifting his knee up high and then plopping his foot down on the ground?
does your vet tell you “it’s probably just arthritis” when you ask about his gait?

If you are noticing any of the above symptoms, please don’t be misled into thinking they are because he is a “large breed” or an “old dog”. LP and PN are not diseases themselves but rather symptoms of a disease. Contact the LCA Health Committee for more information or ask your vet to contact Dr. Diane Shelton, the researcher working with the LCA on the inherited form of polyneuropathy in Leonbergers, for referrals to a specialist in your area who is familiar with the disease in Leonbergers.

Dr. Shelton’s contact information for your vet is:

phone # 858-534-1537

fax - 858-534-7319

If you are the owner or breeder of a Leonberger diagnosed with, or showing symptoms of this disease, there is a Harvey’s Leos Support Group email list available to you. (Harvey was the first Leonberger in the US to be diagnosed with the disease) Contact Ann Rogers at Cherrywoodleos@yahoo.com and she will sign you on.

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In order to be able to develop a carrier test for Inherited Laryngeal paralysis/Polyneuropathy in the Leonberger Dog, researchers need as much information as possible on families with closely related affected, and also unaffected dogs. Because your dog is a close relative of an affected Leo please ask your veterinarian to put this sheet along with a copy of his/her pedigree so they know who the dog is, in your dog’s file now so you will not have to think about doing a post-mortem biopsy when the time comes.

The ONLY way this disease can be diagnosed is through nerve/muscle biopsy and the only way we can ever stop it is through YOUR help. The biopsy is very small (only a couple of centimeters) but is very important to the research that hopes to eradicate this disease.

This is what the vet needs to collect post-mortem: Cranial tibial muscle and peroneal nerve, preserved in 10% buffered formalin. Nerve and muscle specimens must be separate, individual specimens for proper evaluation.

Please send the nerve/muscle samples to Dr. G. Diane Shelton, Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0612, USA . If your veterinarian has questions please contact Dr. Shelton at (858) 534-1537

Please also have your vet send 10ml EDTA blood ( purple top) by overnight express to:

Dr. Ned Patterson

Small Animal Medicine and Genetics

University of Minnesota/College of Veterinary Medicine

C303 Veterinary Teaching Hospitals

1352 Boyd Ave.

St. Paul, MN 55108

Phone: 612 625-5799

Let your Leo’s legacy be that he or she helped to solve the mystery behind this disease.

Thank you from the Leonberger community.