FB 45. I have been silent again for some time but not because nothing is happening with JKD. Professor Amos has suggested we aim to get swabs from 1000 dogs for his gene search and this is keeping me frantically busy. But now I have extra hands volunteering to help, and with show breeders now finding they can actually do something to help, things are moving faster. Sharon McCurdy is doing a marvellous job in gearing up the facebook folk for swab collection, and I have a number of people organising collections in several other countries too. We could be half-way towards our target already, but don’t forget we have another 500 to go, so if anyone reading this has a Boxer and is prepared to collect a simple oral swab exclusively for this research, please get in touch either with Sharon Mc Curdy on facebook or me by email (bcattanach@steynmere.freeserve.co.uk)..
It has continued to worry me that the numbers of samples from affected dogs we have is too low, and in this regard it is especially frustrating that the Breed Council health committee is not interested in contributing. But as has been reported elsewhere, there have been several new JKD cases in the last week or so. They number 7 as of now, 3 from one litter. No major show stud dogs are involved, and pedigree publication did not come early enough to warn of dangers. I should be getting swabs from all of these cases, although one vet has sent a piece of tissue in lieu at euthanasia. Vets really are helping now. I also have swabs from three foreign cases coming in, so numbers for research are looking healthier, but at what cost to owners. It is quite sickening.
Meanwhile at the research level, DNA extractions from the samples churn on; Professor Amos’ team is pretty busy.
It has continued to worry me that the numbers of samples from affected dogs we have is too low, and in this regard it is especially frustrating that the Breed Council health committee is not interested in contributing. But as has been reported elsewhere, there have been several new JKD cases in the last week or so. They number 7 as of now, 3 from one litter. No major show stud dogs are involved, and pedigree publication did not come early enough to warn of dangers. I should be getting swabs from all of these cases, although one vet has sent a piece of tissue in lieu at euthanasia. Vets really are helping now. I also have swabs from three foreign cases coming in, so numbers for research are looking healthier, but at what cost to owners. It is quite sickening.
Meanwhile at the research level, DNA extractions from the samples churn on; Professor Amos’ team is pretty busy.
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