IVDD Research at UC Davis: help needed

[Bobbie]

Permission to Crosspost

IVDD RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CA - DAVIS


Hello:

My name is Linda Stowe and I'm the founder of Dodgerslist,
www.dodgerslist.com a group organized to help fight IVDD in
Dachshunds, a breed where the average of 19%+ have this terrible disease.

A few years ago we contacted a researcher, Dr. Mark Neff, at the Univ
of CA Davis and asked them to do gene research for IVDD. They agreed
and at this time, they have over 1000 Dachshund cheek swabs.

At the present time, they would like other breeds who have a high
incidence of IVDD in their breed also. You can learn more about their
research at http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/research/canine/projects/ivdd/
. I would like to ask your help in helping Dr. Neff find an answer for
our Dachshunds and other breeds as well.

If you would like to help, please email me at lstowe@uiuc.edu . I will
send you 4 cheek swabs with instructions and a short questionnaire
along with a postage paid envelope to send them directly back to
Davis. This is very easy to do. If you can send verification of IVDD
from a vet, that would help also.

If you can help, please contact me and I'll send you the swabs.
Together we can find an answer to this terrible disease. I hope for a
speedy and full recovery for your dog.

Bobbie's note: Contact Linda directly, not me, at lstowe@uiuc.edu

IVDD-Intervertebral Disk Disease- is one of the two main causes of corgis needing carts. A very good source of info on IVDD is the Disabled Dachshund Society Handbook http://www.ourdds.org/ or available on the Corgis on Wheels website (probably to members only.) I'm going to post some info from that book below.

[corgimom]

Thanks for posting this, I plan on sharing this with my vet.

[Bobbie]

More information: what are the symptoms of IVDD?

What Do I Look For?
The signs of back problems vary based on the source of the problem. Here is a list of common symptoms and behaviors to watch for.
• Reluctance to move
• Reduced activity
• Slower movement
• Stiffness or difficulty climbing stairs
• Difficulty with walking and jumping
• Very tense abdomen
• Hunched back due to muscle tension
• Crying or shaking
• Inability to move rear legs
• Loss of bladder and bowel control
As in people, the symptoms of IVDD can vary widely. If your Dachshund exhibits any of the above signs, immediately restrict his movement by placing him in a crate and take him to the vet.


(Note: replace "Dachshund" with "Corgi"!)

Preventing IVDD:

Corgis are much less susceptible to IVDD than Dachshunds are, so some of the above is more than needed for corgis. For corgis, the major prevention is probably not allowing jumping DOWN from high objects (good luck with that!) and keeping weight down. Corgis are certainly tough enough to play with children and do regular jumping. Dachshunds have a horribly high incidence of IVDD (20%) while for corgis it is less than 1%.

[CorgiMum]

Bobbie, thanks so much for your extremely informative posts on these important corgi health issues.

[Dillydoodle]

Bobbie,
Thank you for posting all that information, i will be printing it out to keep on file

Emilie

[corgimom]

I was just on the phone with my vet as he was checking on Owen and mentioned this to him - he said he had heard about it and actually had a patient whose daschund had surgery recently at U.W. Madison - I told him I would bring this info with me this week when I see him.

[taflar]

Whenever you see the symptoms Bobbie mentioned or think your dog might have a back problem take them to the vet NOW!!! This is an emergency and you need immediate medical help. DO NOT wait till morning or till the vet opens on Monday. The sooner you get your dog treated the better their chance of recovery. Waiting can cause your dog to become paralized.

Peggy

[Bobbie]

Whenever you see the symptoms Bobbie mentioned or think your dog might have a back problem take them to the vet NOW!!! This is an emergency and you need immediate medical help. DO NOT wait till morning or till the vet opens on Monday. The sooner you get your dog treated the better their chance of recovery. Waiting can cause your dog to become paralized.

Peggy

Absolutely. If surgery is to work it should be done within a few days. And if the vet says there is no chance and you should put your dog down, you do not need to do this. Dogs DO recover after the vet or neurosurgeon has said it will not happen, and dogs can live happy lives paralyzed. Whether or not you are prepared to deal with the worst outcome or not, it is not something you need to decide on the spot- you can see how much recovery your dog has, and make a decision based on quality of life after recovery. Some dogs recover without surgery, also, but the best chance of total recovery is with surgery, which is very expensive and not always a choice.

Bobbie