Report on HOD Research Progress
Report on Osteosarcoma Research Progress

*New info on Canine Influenza Virus
 

As many of you know, the ISCA Foundation has been sponsoring research by Drs. Keith Murphy and Alison Starr about HOD (Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy). There were speakers at our health conference at the National in Wisconsin 2010, and gave us insight into their progress thus far.
That progress is encouraging. However we are at a critical juncture. We MUST get more samples from HOD affected dogs!
ISCA members had made it clear to the Health committee and the ISCA Board and Foundation that HOD was an important disease process for us to fund. While we are so lucky to have the protocol in place, written and researched by our own Gary Brown DVM ACVS, the causes of HOD remain a mystery as do the genetic aspects (if any) of HOD.
The only way we can help to unlock the mysteries surrounding HOD is to SUPPORT the research by sending in samples from affecteds! It is time for our owners and breeders to make this a priority! Just to highlight how much progress we seem to be making, I am including part of a note I received from Dr. Alsion Starr:
“We have completed preliminary analyses with the SNP arrays, and I have some intriguing data, but I need more dogs - particularly affecteds (I can get more normal controls from CHIC) - to confirm.”
This is VERY exciting news. It is URGENT that any owner or breeder that knows of a HOD affected dog (this means a dog who actually had HOD) to be SURE that we have blood samples from that dog to assist in our study.
The sad fact is that we know that there are many more HOD affected dogs, who are living excellent lives, whose owners have not taken the time to send in DNA samples.
There are two ways to do this. You can follow the links on the ISCA website that explains how to submit blood samples to CHIC. For those who prefer to have the info in written form here in the Memo, here is the outline of how to submit a sample:
OFA/DNA/CHIC Repository
OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) has established a DNA repository into which individuals may contribute blood samples of the dogs they own. The samples will be stored for use in future research and would be available to researchers interested in specific disease projects. At the National Specialty in Oklahoma City on Wednesday May 4th our Health Clinic Blood draw will include the opportunity for owners to participate. Blood drawn from dogs who have been affected by any of the following three diseases, or who have had affected siblings or parents will not be charged for this. They are: epilepsy, osteosarcoma or HOD. All you need to do is to indicate on the online form if your dogs have had any of these or if the families have been involved with any of these three.
You can enter your dog’s blood into the repository even if you have not experienced these particular problems. The ISCA Foundation will pay the $20 entry fee for your participation.
Online forms are found on the OFA website: www.offa.org.
The forms are available on these webpages:
http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/chic_dnaapp_main.pdf  for the main application, and the health survey, which must accompany the samples is at http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/CHIC DNA Bank health survey.pdf
Canine Genetic Research at Clemson University
Samples may also be submitted directly to Dr Murphy’s lab. The link to that website’s HOD page is posted below. There you will find forms and instructions for participation. http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/departments/genbiochem/people/faculty_web/kmurphy/projects/hod.html
If you have questions you can contact Dr. Alison Starr directly:
Alison N. Starr, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Clemson University
51 New Cherry St; 319 BRC
Clemson SC 29634
office: 864.656.0191
fax: 864.656.0393
Alison Starr ASTARR@clemson.edu
http://www.clemson.edu/cgr
Any blood samples sent will automatically be forwarded to CHIC, so that other researchers can also access them, once Drs. Starr and Murphy have finished using them.
If there is a financial reason for your not sending your dog’s blood sample via either of these methods, PLEASE contact me privately! Best way to contact me is via email: rsetter@att.net. You are also welcome to call my cell 908 216 2357, although I work midnight shifts and can be hard to get on the phone!
Funds may be available for you to help with shipping and other related costs. All of us fall on tough financial situations from time to time, and it is important to the health of our beloved Irish setters that no person hesitate to be part of this study with their HOD affected dog due to lack of funds.
All inquiries of this nature will of course be kept confidential.
If you prefer to discuss that circumstance with Dr. Starr instead of me, please do not hesitate to do so. She too can help to facilitate shipping, etc.
Please be sure to talk to your fellow breeders about this study and the need for samples. We will once again be doing a DNA clinic at the Oklahoma National Specialty in May. However the need for research samples is SO urgent that we would greatly appreciate an HOD affected samples be sent to either CHIC or Drs. Murphy & Starr as soon as possible.
It is important that we all remember that our participation in any of the genetic studies ISCA Foundation sponsors is one of the major ways to help unlock the key to better understanding of these diseases.

Protocol for treatment of Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD) in Irish Setters.
HOD is a serious illness affecting puppies, usually between 4-7 months of age. It is characterized by fever, pain, swelling of the joints, lethargy, lack of appetite. If left untreated permanent deformity of the front legs may occur. The treatment protocol recommended here has been developed by ISCA member, S. Gary Brown, DVM, an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Brown may be contacted at gary@vetortho.com .  It is recommended that the dog’s veterinarian be the contact with Dr. Brown for most efficient and timely treatment.

Osteosarcoma Study
Funded by ISCA Foundation

The Health Committee has recommended that ISCA become part of a new study into the genetic causes of certain types of cancer in canines. Osteosarcoma is a major cause of death in large breed dogs, Irish Setters among them. ISCA has participated in the first part of an osteosarcoma study with the Broad Institute at MIT. This study has been able to identify preliminary regions of the canine genome that may influence risk in Rottweilers. This new study will continue this work with two of the foremost cancer researchers in the world, Drs. Matthew Breen and Jaime Modiano. Tissue or blood samples may be sent to Dr. Matthew Breen, Dept. of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 4700 Hillsborough St. Raleigh, NC 27606. Include dog's name and pedigree. Phone in advance to 919-513-1467 and ask to speak to Tessa Breen.
The study is called: Heritable and Sporadic Lesions in Canine Osteosarcoma. The research will use advanced technology to pinpoint specific genes that are associated with breed-dependent risk, using Rottweilers, Golden Retrievers and other breeds. Since Irish Setters are already in the Broad study, we feel this is a good opportunity for us to continue this work. The ISCA Foundation has received two large gifts totaling $5,100 which has been contributed to the AKC Canine Health Foundation for this project.

OFA/DNA/CHIC Repository

OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) has established a DNA repository into which individuals may contribute blood samples of the dogs they own. The samples will be stored for use in future research and would be available to researchers interested in specific disease projects. At the National Specialty in Santa Rosa on June 13th our Health Clinic Blood draw will include the opportunity for owners to participate. Blood drawn from dogs who have been affected by any of the following three diseases, or who have had affected siblings or parents will not be charged for this. They are: epilepsy, osteosarcoma or HOD. All you need to do is to indicate on the online form if your dogs have had any of these or if the families have been involved with any of these three.
You can enter your dog’s blood into the repository even if you have not experienced these particular problems. The ISCA Foundation will pay the $20 fee for your participation
Online forms are found  on the OFA website: www.offa.org.   The forms are available on these webpages:
http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/chic_dnaapp_main.pdf  for the main application, and the health survey, which must accompany the samples is at http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/CHIC DNA Bank health survey.pdf

Questions can be answered by Anne Marie Kubacz at rsetter@att.net  or Jan Ziech at JanRedDog@msn.com. 

WHAT IS CLAD AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE?

CLAD (Canine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency is an inherited condition which is seen in Irish Setters and Irish Red and White Setters. It has been found in England and in Scandinavia, where the original research was done. The carrier rate was about 12% at the time, but through careful breeding it has come down. CLAD is carried as a recessive mutation in which the dog requires two copies of the gene (CD18) in order to be affected. A dog with one normal gene bred to a dog with a mutant gene will be a carrier. If both parents carry the gene the offspring will be affected.
Affected dogs are unable to mount an immune response because the gene controlling the activity of white blood cells in the body cannot function.
The symptoms of CLAD are severe, repeated bacterial infections. Onset may be early, in young puppies. Several puppies in a litter may be affected. They are often small at birth and appear not to thrive. Typical symptoms include gingivitis, skin lesions, dermatitis of the feet, lethargy, lack of appetite and various types of bone deformity. Thickening of the lower jaw develops with pain so that the dog will be reluctant to open its mouth. Anemia is usually present as well as involvement of the lymph nodes.
There is no cure for this disease which grows progressively worse as the dog matures. Most puppies die early or are euthanized before a year.
In the United States we are fortunate not to have identified any affected or carrier Irish Setters in recent years. However, due to the increased rate of international matings through the use of frozen semen, or importation of dogs/bitches, it would be prudent for breeders to act preventively, not reactively.
That is why the Health Committee recommends DNA testing for CLAD at the same time that the test for PRA is performed. It is done using the same blood sample and records are kept at Optigen and reported to CERF and OFA. If you have already tested your dog for PRA, you may test for CLAD alone.

Connie Vanacore, Health Committee Past Chair
Linda Kalmar, DVM, Health Clinic Chair
Additional CLAD Information

Canine Health Information Center (CHIC)
ISCA is a member of the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) which is a repository for information about the health clearances for which Irish Setters have been tested.
The AKC Canine Health Foundation (AKC/CHF) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) jointly sponsor the CHIC database. The mission statement of CHIC is to provide a source of health information for owners, breeders and scientists that will assist in breeding healthy dogs.
In order to enter an Irish Setter into the CHIC database, the Health Committee determined that clearance information about hips, eyes and thyroid must be included. Once a dog has been tested for these three conditions it is eligible to be admitted to this data base. For the exact tests required, and to search for Irish Setters listed with CHIC, consult the CHIC website. 

Recommendations
The Irish Setter Club of America recommends that dogs used for breeding have all available veterinary health clearances. The most often used tests are those that measure eyes (PRA), thyroid levels and hips. Hip X-rays are used to determine the status of a dog’s hips. A veterinarian performs X-rays and the radiographs are usually sent to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) where a panel of veterinarians grades them. Hips are rated Excellent, Good, Fair or with 4 grades of dysplasia. Another method of evaluating hips is done through PennHip. OFA now recognizes hip evaluations from PennHip.

Other Research Projects

Bloat
The largest study ever undertaken into the causes and risk factors leading to bloat (gastric dilatation volvulus- GDV) in large and giant breed dogs was undertaken at Purdue University over a period of 5 years. The study was conducted by Dr. Larry Glickman at Purdue and involved almost 2,000 dogs. The study was begun with support from Morris Animal Foundation and ISCA. We were one of the first breeds to enter the study and our participation gave impetus to the AKC Canine Health Foundation to enter. As a result eleven breeds were included in the study. Findings were published in several issues of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and summaries appeared in several issues of the ISCA Memo To Members starting in April, 2000.

Epilepsy
ISCA has supported research into finding the causes for idiopathic epilepsy in our breed. We have been part of the study undertaken at the University of Missouri School of Veterinary Medicine in conjunction with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. This study is ongoing. For information about epilepsy or to join the study, contact the canine epilepsy network at: www.canine-epilepsy.net

New Epilepsy Study - Samples Needed!
The U of Missouri  is working in conjunction with a lab in Finland which has just been awarded more than $1 million to study epilepsy through SNP mapping. They are accepting new blood samples. Those who would like to participate can do so by logging on to the U of Missouri epilepsy network www.canine-epilepsy.net . There is a link there to access an online seizure survey and a sample submission form.

VonWillebrand’s Disease 
In April and May 2005, over 200 samples were collected from Irish Setters to determine the presence of VonWillebrand's Disease, astounding the veterinarians at Cornell. You all can be proud of our willingness to cooperate in this study. The Health Committee approved a suggestion by the research veterinarian at Cornell to cooperate with the research team at the British Animal Trust in England. Follow up testing is dependent upon research at British Animal Trust.

Health Information for Irish Setter Owners
The Health Committee has published an informative booklet which breeders and owners will find useful in identifying what is normal in growing puppies and older dogs. It describes many conditions which affect our breed. The book costs $3.00 for individual copies and $2.50 for multiples of 10 copies. They are ideal to include in puppy packets. Available from Connie Vanacore or from ISCA Secretary, Fran Sloughy, 20 Maple Shade Lane, Fleetwood, PA 19522. Make checks payable to the ISCA Foundation.

Article on Degenerative Myelopathy in Irish Setters

Health Survey results now available! Large file, may download slowly. Adobe Acrobat Reader needed.

Videos and Podcasts available from the AKC Canine Health Foundation

Important Information Regarding Running Titres on Dogs Vaccinated with RecombiTEK vaccine:

Dr. Ronald Schultz has provided us with important insight about running titers on dogs vaccinated with RecombiTEK vaccine. It is important that the lab to which you are sending your titers performs the viral neutralization (VN) test (Primarily University Labs, Cornell, CSU, Michigan State, Others). If this test is not used and your puppies are low responders, they would give a false negative result on the tests other then VN, whereas they would be pos. on the VN test. A Pos. on the VN is a titer 4 (or 1:4) or above!

Dr. Schultz said if you wanted to send your serum to his lab he would perform a CDV and a CPV-2 titer for $25.00. It will take about 3 to 4 weeks for results. The address of his lab is: Dr. Laurie Larson, 2015 Linden Dirve, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706  Submission form