Re: Re: [pyrnet] Re: Pano and diet

[JGentzel@aol.com]

<<As Carolyn Hardy once said - "once you think you know it all - you need to get out of the breed" - so therefore, I have always sought to keep learning by asking "experienced breeders" for their input, as I have with both you and Joe.>>

Carolyn was a wise woman and very experienced breeder.  

<<Proper nutrition over generations possibly reversing a break down in genetics???>>

Fascinating.  Where can one go to learn more about this concept i.e. good food will alter the genes?

Much of the rest of your post is good reason to be skeptical of heresy or anecdotal evidence.  One must take sources of experience carefully and evaluate the source before taking any of it seriously.  Having said that experience can be very valuable, but we all know those who never learned anything over their years, so it too is dangerous by itself.

<<Also ask yourselves this - have you noticed a decrease after having "outcrossed" or visa versa?   Can you go back and check your pedigrees and see if there were common lines at that time in which you saw a higher incidence?   Could it be coincidence that maybe you outcrossed when changing foods as well?   Are you absolutely sure none of the other pups sold to pet homes had it?   Could they have had "mild" cases which can go unseen?>>

To answer your questions in-order above.  I have looked very carefully at genetics and relationship using my computer data base (presently at about 14 thousand Pyrs in Compuped) that I tag genetic problems.  It is clear to me it is associated with breeding lines in as far as incidence, but all lines have some of it.  The genetic makeup is unknown i.e. recessive, dominant, or combination of both.  One could never rule out pups not in your hands would have a case of it.  I have always believed that because Pyrs have such a high pain tolerance, many cases would go unnoticed and that is why the severe cases concern my so much i.e. the pain must be really great for them to react this way and for so long a period of time.  

There are always mutant genes, but I am not aware that nutrition has ever caused a genetic change out of the laboratory.   I think we are only dealing with good nutrition states in this discussion anyway, at least I am.  

Joe