Boxer heart health : round 3

By email
Monday 10th June

'Dear Mr ,

Apologies for the very long email trail attached, by way of the history of my concerns.

I am trying to find the right person or group of people to initiate a serious discussion about the prevalence of aortic stenosis in Boxers.

I am not satisfied with the response of the Boxer Breed Council vet advisor, who admits that he is neither a cardiologist nor a geneticist. I have not had a response from the KC health breed survey. Indeed, the links on the KC website to the breed health survey do not open. I have not had a response from the breeder of my puppy.

In short, everyone seems to be saying 'bad luck'.

This is not acceptable. This is not bad luck. This is bad breeding. 

Clearly, the gene for AS is prevalent in the Boxer gene pool. It may even be more prevalent in the south of England, but there is no data to establish this. The gene for AS does not follow Mendelian inheritance, thus, more information needs to be collected on animals affected with, or who have died from AS, as the existing database is woefully incomplete.

I am not a breeder, nor do I show my Boxers. I am lover of the Boxer breed. Only when breeders are compelled to provide information on the incidence of AS in litters, and when the KC collects comprehensive data from owners of AS-affected Boxers and vets who see affected dogs in practice, will the AS gene be bred out of the breed.

To watch a young dog die of AS is heart-breaking. A Boxer unable to run and jump and box and play is pitiful.

I have not included the cardiology report and pedigree here, due to the number of recipients. Please let me know if this would be of any use to you.

I look forward to your response.'

Boxer heart health 1

Boxer heart health 2

Themba's story

Who gives a damn anyway? Update on Boxer heart health

Right. Well. I did get a response from the Boxer Breed Council. But it's pretty much as I expected. The Kennel Club can't force breeders to get Boxers checked for heart defects like aortic stenosis. Some breeders do. And some breeders lie. Some hope it won't happen to them.

And none of that helps us make a decision about which adorable puppy to buy. So you take your chances and hope for the best.

I've taken the decision to go public with the information I have on the pedigrees of my two Boxers (one deceased from aortic stenosis), in the hope that other people will be able to avoid these breeders and pedigrees when choosing a Boxer puppy in the south of England (Surrey/Sussex/Hampshire). 

My approach is not endorsed by the Kennel Club or the the Boxer Breed Council. I have not had a response from the breeder of my 6mo puppy, Zozi. I did get a response from the breeder of the dog (Themba) now deceased, who offered to take the dog back and destroy him. Themba lived a short but happy life with us.

I would welcome feedback from other Boxer dog owners about their experiences with aortic stenosis, particularly in Boxers with the same pedigree as either of my two. Please help to collect data on the incidence of aortic stenosis in Boxer dogs, because only by collecting this information, can we be sure that aortic stenosis is bred out of the Boxer gene pool.

Tyegarth Tololo (Themba b. s29/06/2007 d. 01/09/2012)

WidleyLodge The Hobbitt (Zozi the puppy b. 21/11/2012

You can read Themba's story here.

Boxer heart health

This is the email I have sent to the Boxer Breed Council today. The day we found out that Zozi has moderate aortic stenosis (AS), a congenital heart pathology, caused by a faulty gene in her pedigree. 

"I have just had my 6mo Boxer puppy diagnosed with moderate aortic stenosis. This is particularly distressing as I lost a 5yo dog last year to the same condition.

I checked her pedigree for AS, but as you know the data from heart checks is of little use. A cardiologist checked both parents, who were clear of murmur.

Obviously, the genetic link for AS is present in her pedigree but until comprehensive data are collected on deaths from AS in pedigree Boxers, we will continue to receive devastating news like this.

What is the Breed Council doing about this? There is a public awareness of Boxer heart health, and it is damaging the breed. The momentum to reduce AS in Boxers seems to have stalled.

I intend to publish my own research and conclusions on my blog in order to start an online forum, and would welcome your comments."

You can read Themba's story here.

Muddy Sunday, Monday, Tuesday....

When will it end? Not the World, just the weather! I have been rather stoic until today. Today is the first day of our holiday at home, and it's jolly cold and wet. We aren't going away. For one thing, we've had two weeks in Hawaii and ten days in South Africa already. And for another, I'm afraid to leave Themba at the kennel, in case the worst happens while we are away. Anyway, our PA is back from her holiday in the sun and I have Dr B to myself for a whole week. I remember just a couple of weeks ago, we were blaming the other half of another blogger for the wet weather (in jest of course). 

Jill at Christmas Pie Crafts was convinced it was his fault as he had taken a week off work. Well, this week we can blame Dr B. Who, by the way, thinks it's fun to watch the (boring) Tour de France on telly, even though we don't have a clue what's going on. He is also selectively deaf, and when I told him that the beetroots were doing well, he replied 'Figs? We've never had figs'!

Yesterday was the annual Cranleigh 10km run, normally a pleasant morning, but not yesterday. The runners were sent off with a warning - no mad dashes, the mud is treacherous. I wouldn't know about that, just that I threw his socks away.

Themba had his follow-up heart scan today. I found it all a bit much and was close to tears as he lay on the exam table. Dr B and the Vet, heads together, muttering over measurements. The conclusion? No change. His condition is severe, prepare for the worst. Pay another £100. At least we're agreed he won't have any more scans, just lots of love and attention.

The waiting game

Some of you may know that we have had an anxious wait for the results of little big dog's visit to the Cardiologist. We suspected that his heart murmur was aortic stenosis, based on Dr B's experience of the human heart, but until Themba had a couple of episodes of syncope (fainting) this Spring, we had no idea if this was serious or not. 

Our very own 'droopy dawg'

Last week, Themba underwent a series of tests to determine the cause of his collapse. First, he had an ECG, then an echocardiogram, and lastly a 24hr Holter monitor. He is a most good-natured dog and took it all in his stride. The ECG didn't show anything alarming but the echocardiogram (a bit like an ultrasound) showed that his heart is impaired and that he has severe aortic stenosis (a narrowing of the main artery as it leaves the heart, filled with fresh oxygenated blood for the body). He is not (yet) in heart failure.  

The canine cardiologist (like a GP with specialist interest) wanted to rule out something awful called ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy); in humans the most common cause of unexpected sudden death in the young. She checked his pedigree and we were relieved to see that his line does not carry the gene for ARVC. The 24hr Holter monitor showed no arrhythmia's and we are reassured, but the prognosis is still poor. 

Themba with Holter monitor (under his T-shirt) and
Brin showing solidarity in a T-shirt of his own!

He is now taking beta blockers, to slow down his heart activity, but it is not a treatment; it is simply a means of protecting his welfare and making sure that he has a good quality of life. The vet has warned us that he will continue to decline. Many dogs with this diagnosis have a median survival of just 19 weeks following diagnosis. This is horrific for us to contemplate. We plan to repeat the echocardiogram in mid-July to better understand the rate of decline in his heart function.  

The really frightening aspect of this condition is that whilst we can control (much) of the mad Boxer bouncy activity, he is just as likely to collapse while chasing the neighbour's gardener as jumping up for the doorbell. And we feel we shouldn't restrict his activity, he should be free to have as much fun as possible. In fact, he seems to be coping very well with his dodgy ticker, probably because we have kept him lean and fit. He is still going for his jog in the morning, a little slower these days, and our lovely evening walks. He still enjoys playing ball, but rests a bit in between each throw. The heat of May was clearly a factor in his severe collapse, but I hope that we can have a period of stability and happiness.

In other news, the puncture wound on my finger is healing well, although I still have a haematoma under my nail, which we are rather dramatically referring to as the crush injury. The side-effects of the antibiotics and Tetanus injection have eased. I have had this reply from the A&E Matron: 

'Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have spoken to both staff involved and it would appear that there was a miss-communication between the receptionist and the Senior Nurse that she spoke to. The receptionist implied to the nurse that you were enquiring about Rabies injection, to which she quite rightly advised that if bitten by a dog in this country there should not be the need for a rabies injection but that we should contact the Health Protection Agency for advice if you had been bitten outside the UK.

I would like to apologise for the inconvenience that this caused you and re-assure you that the clinical staff are trained and up to date with such matters.

I have relayed to the receptionist concerned that she should have booked you in to the department and allowed you to be triaged by the nurse rather than getting involved in clinical questioning.'

The rain continues in Shackleford. As of yesterday, we had already had double the average monthly rainfall for June, the third month in a row that expected rainfall has been way exceeded. Unfortunately, it's also quite cool and I fear for my veggies this week. The carrots look especially sad, but everything looks a bit soggy. And I had to release a dead mouse from the bait trap - yuck!

So, that's the waiting over, now to get on with having some fun. We're getting away to the New Forest in the next few weeks,  to a lovely dog-friendly hotel, and can't wait to tell you all about it.

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Little big dog

I wrote about Themba's story earlier in the year. This brave little dog has overcome so many challenges, and now it seems that his aortic stenosis is getting worse. The recent hot weather has made him more susceptible, and I have been horrified to see him collapse, lose continence, fit and froth, and at one point I even thought he had stopped breathing. I rubbed his chest with my knuckles and shouted 'Themba, can you hear me?' There was no response. I ran inside and brought the ice tray out to the garden where he had collapsed. I pushed ice cubes under his lips and started chest compressions, a la Vinnie Jones in 'Hard and Fast' hands-only CPR. He came round with a start, his tongue rolling about, his eyes wild. I know now that he wasn't in cardiac arrest, he had fainted and stopped breathing. It took him over an hour to recover so we lay together in the garden, with Brin, until he was OK to walk back to the house. He's just too heavy for me carry.

The irony is that MrB is a cardiologist. He sees this kind of condition in human patients all the time. He runs the cardiac resuscitation program, but he wasn't as home when Themba collapsed, and he couldn't be contacted by phone either, as he was dealing with an emergency at the hospital. We are used to that, and we cope very well.

Themba has a referral for a canine cardiologist. She will measure the gradient across the aortic stenosis. This will give us an indication of the severity of condition. We hope that beta-blockers will help to control his heart rate, and that this may prevent further collapses. We are restricting his exercise at the moment, although he is actually a very fit boy. I'll keep you posted.

And in the meantime, have a fantastic Diamond Jubilee weekend. You can catch up with the Greensand Way runners, running 108miles for charity, or pop along to the Godalming Jubilee Run and fun day* on Monday 4th June. I will be marshalling the run at the intersection outside The Charterhouse pub.

*Message from the organisers: The Fun run is now full. To prevent over crowding, the entry to the Fun Run is capped at 275. Please do not attempt to enter this event on the day if you have not already registered.

5k and 10k run: Online registration will close Sunday 20:00. There's absolutely no entry allowed on the day. So please enter before Sunday 20:00.

With almost 720 registered across the runs and family fun run it is important to arrive in good time and read this website or the emails you receive. Details of parking are below and the race day itinerary will be released soon.

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Themba’s story

Themba is a delightful little Boxer dog. He is highly intelligent, spirited, even naughty. And he packs a punch. He’s tough. Which is just as well, given his health issues. He was advertised in the local paper. The Breeder wasn’t all that friendly but a little research turned up that she is a top breeder of Boxers and has been a judge at Crufts. Themba has a pedigree as long as my arm. He was also crypt-orchid, has a broken tail and has aortic stenosis. But apart from that, he’s ace.

Being crypt-orchid can be a problem, so he underwent a small procedure to remove the undescended testicles from his body when he was about a year old.

There is nothing we can do about his tail. I think it must have been damaged during rough and tumble with his littermates. He was born shortly after the ban on tail docking was implemented in the UK.

And then there is the aortic stenosis. This is a problem in Boxers, but there is a register, which is supposed to provide prospective Boxer puppy buyers with information. I only found this register by chance this year. Themba’s dam and sire were tested for aortic stenosis. The bitch has it. That in itself doesn’t preclude her from breeding (based on pure Mendelian genetics), but it should mean that the breeder tells buyers about it. She didn’t, but our vet is very good and picked it up straight away. And he has been seen by a cardiologist. There is no treatment required at the moment, but he may suffer from heart failure as he gets older. He has collapsed a few times due to over-exertion but there is no evidence that this is related to his heart problem.

The Breeder did offer to take him back, but as he could not be used for stud, I worried that he would be destroyed. So we kept him, warts and all, and I so glad we did. Brin adores him.

This story raises two important issues. One, dog breeders need to be brought to account. This breeder was highly successful. We saw both Themba’s parents and they were fine dogs. She was not a puppy farmer. We felt confident in our purchase. We asked all the right questions. Our puppy was Kennel Club registered. Shouldn’t the Kennel Club have told us that his mother was registered with aortic stenosis, albeit mild?

Secondly, our two puppies, both pedigree Boxers, came from very different backgrounds. Brin was bred in a family home. We met his mother and grandmother, both beautiful animals. We were interviewed by the breeder’s young children! He was completely socialized to dogs, cats, horses and children. A clear example of nature versus nurture.

We have had the Boxers in our lives for five years, and we couldn’t honestly say which one we love more. They are part of our family, and in case you are wondering, Themba means ‘hope’ in Zulu.


You can read Brin's story at Christmas Pie Crafts, where I am guest blogging today.

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Poorly dog

My little big dog has aortic stenosis. He was born that way and is mostly OK. He is my special little one, but he's as hard as nails. He was a bit off colour this morning, nudging me in the kitchen and then helping himself to my bed after my husband had left for work. I thought he might be a bit hot, so we went outside to play.

It was a beautiful morning, and he was fine with the ball games as usual. He and the big big dog then played tug-o'-war happily together while I completed the mandatory 30 minutes on the treadmill in the summerhouse. I started a new painting and they sat at my feet. 

Then, the demon gardener arrived. He works next door and is quite a challenge. I can't say I like him and I know the dogs haven't warmed to him either. He arrives with a toot in his huge 4x4, roaring down the driveway. Then makes a real spectacle of collecting the bins and recycling boxes, whistling and banging as he goes. After that comes the lawn mower up the tarmac driveway to pick up leaves! and more leaf blowing, all the way into the road.

The dogs bark at him. And he shouts back. I've asked him not to acknowledge the dogs, I don't think he understood. So, if I'm around I stand at the fence, making sure the dogs are otherwise occupied and he keeps well away. 

But I was miles away with my painting today. I kept an eye on things and it seemed OK, then the barking and running in circles started. The two dogs egging each other on, until the little big one collapsed.

I had stopped to watch and saw his back legs go, then he toppled over onto his side, convulsing and frothing. The big big dog was alarmed and so was I. I held his head, his eyes rolled back and his tongue was pale. He was down for about a minute but it felt like an age.

I do hope this isn't the start of poor health for him. The vet said his murmur is getting louder but there is nothing we can do about it. He is such a lovely dog and even wanted his walkie this afternoon. We just had a short walk and now he is asleep in the lounge. What a day.

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