Category: Newsletter

The Answer Way back in 1983 we first started recognizing episodic fevers in Shar-Pei often associated with a swollen, painful hock joint. Later on it was observed that an early-onset kidney failure occurred in many of these dogs as well. I remember many individuals, including myself, remarking that this has to be associated with the wrinkles in some way and now we know it does. An important article was recently published in March, 2011, entitled ―A Novel Unstable Duplication Upstream of HAS2 Predisposes to a Breed-Defining Skin Phenotype and a Periodic Fever Syndrome in Chinese Shar-Pei Dogs‖, Mia Olsson et...

On October 23-25, 2009 I attended the AKC Canine Health Foundation 2009 National Parent Club Health Conference held in St. Louis, Missouri. This was the seventh conference which is held biannually and was sponsored by Nestlé Purina PetCare Company. The purpose of the conference is several-fold. It brings together many of the top researchers in the canine health field to bring the attendees up to speed on their AKC-CHF grant projects. It also allows the various parent club health representatives to catch their vision of the future – future diagnostic tests, future areas of research, and future therapies for canine...

What’s new on the Shar-Pei front? I have not heard anything specific about the NIH (National Institute of Health) study involving FSF. The preliminary information a few months ago indicated the researchers were pretty close to identifying the genes responsible for FSF. Many thanks again to those of you who allowed blood sample for this study to be taken from your dogs. New information indicates FSF is an autoinflammatory disease and most likely represents an inflammatory response dysregulation problem — a problem involving messenger substances (cytokines, chemotactic factors), receptors, inflammatory mediators and cells involved in the inflammatory response. We are...

What’s new on the Shar-Pei front? I have not heard anything specific about the NIH (National Institute of Health) study involving FSF. The preliminary information a few months ago indicated the researchers were pretty close to identifying the genes responsible for FSF. Many thanks again to those of you who allowed blood sample for this study to be taken from your dogs. New information indicates FSF is an autoinflammatory disease and most likely represents an inflammatory response dysregulation problem — a problem involving messenger substances (cytokines, chemotactic factors), receptors, inflammatory mediators and cells involved in the inflammatory response. We are...

Veterinary medicine has changed quite a bit in the last decade with the advent of alternative medicine, three year vaccine protocols, raw food diets, wellness exams, specialty clinics, and other changes. I’ve always tried to advise clients based on my experience with my own dogs, keeping current with the veterinary literature, clinical experience with all the dogs in the practice, new information available on the Internet and talking with colleagues and specialists. I still give my dog’s annual vaccinations which I have been doing for 26 years with no adverse consequences, I know of. I still feed good quality commercial...

GAG Mimetics Amyloid deposits are complex structures where the amyloid fibrils are intertwined with other amyloid proteins called proteoglycans that are always present in the deposits regardless of the type of amyloid fibril present. Proteoglycans, especially the sulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSGAG) molecule portion of specific proteoglycans, have been shown to interact with the amyloidogenic amyloid proteins. These GAGs promote fibril formation. Glycosaminoglycans may affect precursor processing, folding of the amyloidogenic proteins to form a beta-pleated sheet conformation or polymerization and deposition of amyloid fibrils. An increase in the rate of synthesis of glycosaminoglycans in tissues in which amyloidosis developed would argue...

As many of you know I suffered a fractured heel bone at the end of May and have been recovering ever since. I’m still in physical therapy and realize an older body takes longer to heal. I want to thank you for your continued support, well wishes and help during this time. You have been patient in picking up your pets and putting them on the exam table for me, allowing me to sit down to do exams and waiting a little extra time for me to get medications, etc. Your help has been instrumental in my rehabilitation. Likewise I...

I received information about a potential study to be done into the immunopathology of Familial Shar-Pei Fever/Amyloidosis in the Shar-Pei. I’m giving the Shar-Pei fancy in this area a heads up as I will be relying on you and your dogs to help with blood samples. Samples would be collected from the following groups of dogs: 1. Adult Shar-Pei dogs with an FSF history but no current symptoms. 2. Healthy adult Shar-Pei dogs with no history of FSF that have not had recent vaccinations or any clinical signs of infectious disease within the previous month. Approximately 20 mls of peripheral...

The E.R.D.-Screen™ Urine Test I’ve been receiving many questions on the new E.R.D.-Screen™ Urine Test from Heska. I would make the following comments about the test: Amyloidosis in the Shar-Pei primarily affects the medulla (central part) or the urine concentrating region of the kidney and proteinuria (protein in the urine) is not a significant aspect of this syndrome. As amyloidosis can involve the glomeruli in the cortex (outer region of the kidney) and result in proteinuria the E.R.D.-Screen™ Urine Test may be useful here as an early detection test. The urine protein:creatinine ratio is still important in these cases as...

From Dr. Vidt… I recently attended the AKC Canine Health Foundation Parent Club Health Conference held in St. Louis, MO in October. At the conference were representatives of various breed club health committees, members of the AKC Health Foundation and researchers, veterinarians and canine nutritionists involved in all aspects of canine health. Presentations covered canine cancer, canine nutrition, the Canine Genome Project, the use of breed health surveys, funding of canine health research, and the AKC Canine Health Information Center. It was a great time for me, as the Chairman of the Health Through Education Committee of the Chinese Shar-Pei...