Work on the boxerjkd website seems to be tailing off a little as most of the pedigrees are now posted. With a few exceptions they have been well-received. New cases continue to trickle in and they will go up as soon as the paperwork is done. Information on the disease is also being added to the site, but the question is where to go next. We have made contact with a French group with like objectives and have learned that they have had up to 100 JKD cases. And we have accessed a research thesis on renal problem s in a large group of Italian Boxers. This expands the range of age of onset of JKD considerably.
The complexities of JKD, understandably, are not appreciated by most breeders, even at the level covered by boxerjkd, and here lies the main issue that now has to be resolved. JKD effects are variable and diagnosis is difficult. This is not my scene. The diagnosis aspect is not a genetic problem, but I have managed to get an open appointment with a nephrologist who has expressed interest in JKD. I hope to tempt them with a research project that might suit an able student. The only major difficulty I envisage is ensuring that there would be the material for analysis and this would depend on full breeder support. If I am to sell JKD, substantial support will be needed.
Ascertaining this is the object of this note. I am sending this note round clubs and to the dog press to see what level of support breeders might offer. Support would probably take the form of screening for JKD effects at all ages and following up animals of interest, and this would all be in confidence. So I now ask clubs and breeders if they would like to help. This would allow another step towards resolving JKD, but without breeder support it won’t and can’t happen, and everyone will just have to muddle on as best possible with the information available. JKD would then probably remain with us forever. So, if those of you who would be willing to help, especially those most at risk of JKD, could please contact me, or boxerjkd, I will try and sell our problem to the nephrologist. I am looking to do this by September, so please speak up now.
The complexities of JKD, understandably, are not appreciated by most breeders, even at the level covered by boxerjkd, and here lies the main issue that now has to be resolved. JKD effects are variable and diagnosis is difficult. This is not my scene. The diagnosis aspect is not a genetic problem, but I have managed to get an open appointment with a nephrologist who has expressed interest in JKD. I hope to tempt them with a research project that might suit an able student. The only major difficulty I envisage is ensuring that there would be the material for analysis and this would depend on full breeder support. If I am to sell JKD, substantial support will be needed.
Ascertaining this is the object of this note. I am sending this note round clubs and to the dog press to see what level of support breeders might offer. Support would probably take the form of screening for JKD effects at all ages and following up animals of interest, and this would all be in confidence. So I now ask clubs and breeders if they would like to help. This would allow another step towards resolving JKD, but without breeder support it won’t and can’t happen, and everyone will just have to muddle on as best possible with the information available. JKD would then probably remain with us forever. So, if those of you who would be willing to help, especially those most at risk of JKD, could please contact me, or boxerjkd, I will try and sell our problem to the nephrologist. I am looking to do this by September, so please speak up now.
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