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Bella, Buster, Genetics, and Grooming

October 30, 2008

Bella is getting spayed today. She’s also having her broken and loose teeth pulled. She’s got two such teeth. And she’s having that matted fur behind her ears shaved off. She’ll come home practically a new dog! (Not that the matted fur or broken teeth slow her down any. She’s been happy and healthy otherwise.)

We checked with the vet to make sure he’s not using any of the drugs listed here, because Bella might be sensitive to those drugs:

Some breeds of dogs are more sensitive to certain drugs compared to other breeds. For example, Collies, Australian Shepherds and other breeds are often more sensitive to the antiparasitic drug, ivermectin.

Ivermectin is a heartworm medicine. This is called the “Buster Alert” for aussies because an aussie named Buster died from this genetic mutation and the effects of pet medications to treat kennel cough.

The list of drugs also includes heart medications. Bacall, our oldest cat, is on these heart meds. So we need to be extra careful that Bella never eats Bacall’s medicines. Obviously, that’s a no-brainer. None of our pets should eat Bacall’s meds. But this is more serious for Bella. If she has the MDR1 gene, she could die from some common pet medicines.

Affected dogs include:

Approximately 3 of every 4 Collies in the United States have the mutant MDR1 gene. The frequency is about the same in France and Australia, so it is likely that most Collies worldwide have the mutation. The MDR1 mutation has also been found in Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties). Australian Shepherds [Bella's primary breed], Old English Sheepdogs, English Shepherds, German Shepherds, Long-haired Whippets, Silken Windhounds, and a variety of mixed breed dogs.

What does this tell me? It tells me breeders need to knock it off. The genetic problems from “pure” blood lines are too many to count, from hip dysplasia to this drug sensitivity that can kill them.

It makes me VERY angry to think about all the breeders who continue, not only to produce baby animals when there are plenty available at shelters, but who produce these genetically deformed creatures who MUST rely on humans for survival. Floyd, for example, our little poodle, MUST be groomed regularly. He simply cannot live with that fur without a human to maintain it. And he HATES getting groomed. (He’s getting better, though.) The poor baby was abandoned not once, but at least twice. Fickle, fickle people who don’t give a shit about anything but themselves. First there was whoever dumped him at the pound un-neutered and un-groomed. Then, the people who “adopted” him, never groomed him, and dumped him again.

It makes me VERY angry to think about how many other dogs are bred to be dependent on people and then those people screw them over by neglecting them, abusing them, or abandoning them.

Sigh.

Anyway, that’s the news. Bella is getting spayed. This way she can go to dog parks and doggy daycare and other places where she can hang out with her own species. And she’ll never produce puppies who won’t find homes.

(PS - We’re going to test Bella for this gene. It’s a simple cheek swab test that costs about $75.)

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