As some of you may already know the university in Utrecht (NL) has developed a test, which can determine the mutation of the gene that is responsible for dwarfism (achondroplasia).
Dwarfism is a nasty disorder which you don’t wish upon any breeder or dog. A dwarf has a badly developed hypophysis, which means that certain hormones (such as growth hormones) are not produced. Due to the shortage of the production of the thyroid stimulating hormone, they have a slow functioning thyroid. Besides the fact that these dogs stay small, they are also haunted by various nasty side effects (e.g. baldness, itching, inflammations, malfunctioning of the liver and kidneys, slow behaviour) when they are not treated with medicines on a daily basis.
One case of dwarfism is known to me within the CSW breed. Because this kind of gene mutations never come incidentally, there must have been born more dwarf CSW. (If one dwarf dog is born, then it means that approximately 18% of the dogs is carrying the gene.)
But not always dwarfs are recognised in a litter… Dead born pups and pups behind in growth are often not recognised as dwarfs. Moreover, 90% of the living born dwarfs dies in the first week.
With the Saarloos wolfdog it has already become clear that this disorder appears much more than ever thought.
Based on the genetic basis of CSW, it is feared that it could be the same in the CSW breed.
But with the development of the dwarfism test it has become possible to prevent further dwarfs being born within certain breeds!
I’ve heard from the researchers at the Utrecht university (who are working on this subject since years), that the mutation that leads to dwarfism in the Saarlooswolfdog breed is identical to the one of the German shepherd.
So the gen test is exactly the same for the German shepherd as well as the Saarlooswolfdog.
Based on the fact that the CSW also has the German shepherd as an ancestor, it is certainly feasible that the genetic background of dwarfism in the CSW breed is exactly the same as with the Saarloos wolfdog.
In this case the same dwarfism test can be used for the CSW breed as well!
But….
To see if the genetic mutation of the CSW has the same background, it must be determined that at least one dog is carrying this mutation.
Therefore
Blood is needed from at least one dog which is suffering from dwarfism, or which is certainly carrying the mutated gene by being the parent of a dwarf dog.
Thus:
I am doing an urgent appeal for the health of the breed to all readers of this forum to contact me by personal message or by e-mail ([email protected]) in case you know somebody who has a CSW with dwarfism or a parent of one.
I do not care about the names of the dogs!
My only hope is to find owners who are willing to cooperate, to determine if the new dwarfism test is also valid for CSW
I can give those owners more information after they have contact me.
With this request I do not intent to start up suggestions or speculations about the possibility that a breeder may has had a dwarf in his or her litter!
The only request I have is to connect me with owners of a dwarf TW or owners who have a parent of dwarf CSW.
If we find owners who are willing to cooperate and the results of the tests are known, I will of course inform everyone here at the forum.
In advance I would like to thank you for your cooperation!
Best regards,
Mijke