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

["Linda Weisser" <lmweisser@comcast.net>]

> I was hoping to see the part about diet changing genetics that was offered up
earlier.  Maybe that is still to come?

<<This was food for thought and to me is common sense.>>

Diet can possibly have a lot of effects.  Changing genes is simply medically not a
possibility.  Genes can be changed suddenly only by mutations.  Those are random and
not generally controlled by anything and most of them die out because they are
detrimental.  The appearance of mutations is seldom a reason for much of anything.
Other than those mutations, genes are not that easily changed in the short term.  And
a generation or two in the world of evolution is definitely short term.


<<   As Linda wrote if you eat just a grapefruit yes you will feel lousy.   Well, if
you feed your dog dried up food with little or no nutritional value - then they too
eventually will feel lousy - moreso I worry about the offspring and their offspring.
Is it coincidence that we are seeing more cases of cancer in our dogs along with
other genetic breakdowns?   Could it be that over the years of feeding poor
nutrionally based foods they have taken their toll?   >>

Well, in keeping with Barb's defense of annecdotal evidence, I herewith present, once
again <g> my standard schtck about food.  I have fed my kennel of dogs ONLY kibble
and not a very upscale kibble at that for nearly 30 years.  My dogs still hold to
their historical life span which in my kennel is about 12+ years generation after
generation.  My bitches are good whelpers except in cases where their mothers
weren't.  Clearly genetics and not food.  My pups grow well, slowly and normally. I
have few cases of any form of the well known genetic issues.  In all my years in the
breed I have had exactly TWO cases of cancer in my own kennel.  One classic bone
cancer, one a jaw cancer which was not osteosarcoma.  I admit to have bred a few dogs
who died of cancer.  Perhaps more lately of bone cancer than before.  But I do not
control how these dogs are fed or the environmental situation in which they live.  I
do NOT repeat all of this to toot my own horn or pat my back.  I do because I think
that there is simply the most amazing amount of hype surrounding dog food and disease
and once in a while I need to open my mouth and say, HEY!!  :-))

<<No kidding duh!  What do you feed your dogs?   Do they not "market" their foods?
Look at the foods that now contain glucosamine - which really is silly once it's
cooked out it has no value at all - but folks buy into it!>>

Plus which of course, it is not enough to be theraputic.

<<Studies - studies - well to warrant a study folks need to speak up and one way is
to fill out a Health Survey..... vbg!   If there is such a high incidence of Pano out
there as you say Joe, then the Canine Health Foundation should be made aware of this
from the GPCA and maybe a scientific study can be done.>>

Before we worry about studies about pano perhaps the GPCA could put some serious
money into the just to be funded project on the potential genetic links in bone
cancer.  Bone cancer will kill a lot more Pyrs than pano ever does.

Linda