Re: [PyrNet-L] SAS- Threat to Pyrs?

[darrell goolsbee <dgg@star-telegram.com>]

Sub-aortic stenosis has been confirmed in three closely related Pyrs.
And it does pose a very grave threat to the breed, perhaps sooner than
we realize. This may be the "800-pound gorilla'' of heart problems in
dogs because of its inheritance. I've been talking to the Newf HC
chairman, and she says that the mode of inheritance is dominant with
variable penetration, and SAS is impossible to get rid of once it gets
established. There are *some* similarities to a recessive inheritance
pattern, but the variables mean that there is really no set pattern of
inheritance.

<<If the following is true, why should only a few "identified" dogs be
checked?>>

I wouldn't want to speak for the Health Committee, but I believe that
widespread heart checks are not being recommended at this time because
of the cost and the fact that the disease *so far* is confined to one
family group. Unfortunately, I suspect that this will not be the case
for long.

As Kelly said, SAS can be presented so mildly as to go unnoticed, or it
can be so severe as to cause sudden death. The checking process *can* be
quite expensive. First a dog is examined by ascultation (sp?), and if a
murmur is present, ultrasound is needed for definitive diagnosis. And
that can be quite costly, $200-$400.

<<How do you identify a problem this complicated without checking?>>

There is really no way to ID this without checking, and I would urge
*all* Pyr owners who have a dog that is suspected to have a heart
problem to get it examined by a veterinary cardiologist. And any young
or middle-aged dog that dies suddenly and unexpectedly really should
undergo a necropsy.

All heart problems, of course, are not SAS. But we need to get an idea
of where this is ASAP. And I would also recommend that *all* Pyr
breeders get up to speed on this ASAP. We are going to be running
information on SAS in the Jan./Feb. Bulletin.

Some cardiologists and those in some other afflicted breeds recommend
that if an SAS case is diagnosed, both parents and all siblings of the
affected dog be removed from a breeding program. This may sound extreme,
but it must be done if there is any way to slow the spread of SAS. And
if breeders aren't willing to make these kind of sacrifices, it won't be
long before we join the list of SAS breeds.

Darrell Goolsbee
Fort Worth, TX