Dr. Jeff Vidt

With a special interest in the medical problems of the Chinese Shar-Pei

Dr. Jeff Vidt Blog

Newsletter

Newsletter: Volume 11, Issue 1 November 2007

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...

Newsletter

Newsletter: Volume 11, Issue 1 November 2007

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...

Editorial

The National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA)

Over the last several years there has been a subtle but aggressive attack on the companion animal fancy in this country by animal rights activists such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and others. These groups have learned confrontation, protests and violence are not the way to help their cause and have enlisted the help of politicians to further their agenda through anti-purebred dog legislation, dog control legislation, dog sterilization legislation and breed specific dog bans. They operate in the name of animal welfare but their purpose is completely...

Editorial

The Attack On The Human-Companion Animal Bond

With the recent discussions on breed specific legislation (BSL) with the Louisville animal control ordinance and the Denver Pit Bull ban as examples dog owners have been forced to come face-to-face with a powerful opponent – the animal rights movement. I haven’t been too concerned when their efforts were directed against laboratories using laboratory animals, the veal calf industry and the foie gras industry but the attack on companion animal owners has crossed a line that has existed for thousands of years – the human-companion animal bond. A good friend of mine, Alice Fix, has written an excellent article which reveals the agenda...

Research

Study To Map the Chinese Shar-Pei Genome

The University of California-Davis has an ongoing study to map the Chinese Shar-Pei genome headed by Dr. Neff. This is a FREE study and requires the cheek swabs from several hundred dogs. Their goal is to study the genetics of “breed-defining traits” in the Shar-Pei and through this to gain more information on the etiology of Familial Shar-Pei Fever. Below is the link to order the free cheek swab kits (4 cheek swabs per dog). You will be provided with directions and forms as well as a FedEx mailing number to use for the return post. Follow the directions and...

Newsletter

Newsletter: Volume 10, Issue 2 December 2006

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...

Health Issues

Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia

Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is an antibody-mediated or complement-mediated cytotoxic destruction of circulating red blood cells (RBCs). The term “hemolytic” refers to the release of hemoglobin from the damaged red blood cells which imparts a reddish color to the normally clear serum. IMHA can be either primary, also known as idiopathic or autoimmune, or secondary. Primary IMHA is the most frequent cause of IMHA in dogs and it is an autoimmune disorder with no recognized underlying cause. IMHA typically affects young adult and middle-aged animals, and is most common in Cocker Spaniels, Poodles, English Springer Spaniels and Old English Sheepdogs....

Frequently Asked Questions

Pigment Changes

Lentigo Lentigo is a genetic cause of hyperpigmentation. In dogs the condition occurs as black spots called lentigines which occur most commonly on the ventrum (underside of the trunk). These appear in mature dogs and can increase in number and size over a period of several months. They have been called “tar spots”, “age spots” or “pigment spots”. These are due to localized increases in the number of melanocytes (pigment cells) and melanosomes (pigment packages within the cells). I usually associate these with dilute pigmentation in Shar-Pei. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation This is the most common form of hyperpigmentation. Dogs typically produce...

Health Issues

BLOAT

This condition is one of the most devastating acute syndromes seen in dogs. It is also known as gastric torsion, gastric dilatation-volvulus, or GDV. Torsion or volvulus refers rotation of the stomach on its mesenteric axis which results in malposition of the stomach obstructing the inlet at the cardia and the outlet at the pylorus. Dilatation refers to stretching the stomach beyond its normal dimensions. In my experience it is not uncommon to see post-anesthetic gastric dilatation without torsion in Shar-Pei. As they recover from anesthesia many have “stormy” recoveries with excessive air swallowing and salivation. Whether these go on...

Newsletter

Newsletter: Volume 10, Issue 1 April 2006

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...