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Veterinary Practice News Editorial Blog:
Monday, March 24, 2008
Breeding a Tailored Wellness Plan
Marissa Heflin
Senior News Editor of Vetpracticenews.com and Veterinary Practice News
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Can you guess Chance's breed?
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Chance came into my life unexpectedly. I was working as a veterinary nurse in an emergency veterinary clinic in Los Angeles when a man came running through our front doors around midnight, exclaiming that he had hit a dog.
He was very apologetic and offered to pay the hospital bill in its entirety. However, he made it clear that he couldn’t keep the dog.
The dog turned out to be a 6-month-old black stray. We treated him for a broken front right leg. Otherwise he was in good health.
Long story short, I adopted him and named him Chance.
I watched him grow into a healthy 90-pound dog. But he seemed a bit disproportioned—Chance has a thick muscular torso, much like a Rottweiler, shepherd-like legs that are somewhat bowlegged, a pointed nose, stand up ears and a curly tail. I’m curious as to what breed he really is.
It turns out I’m not the only one.
Passers-by frequently stop me when I’m walking Chance around the neighborhood and ask what breed he is. I reply that he’s a mixed breed, my guess being a mix of German shepherd, Rottweiler and Akita.
They often shrug and offer their analyses, which have, in addition to my guesses, included Husky, Labrador and Beauceron. Believe it or not, I’ve had a couple of people insist he’s part wolf.
He can look intimidating. (But let the record show he’s very friendly.) It’s not uncommon that grown men walking in my direction will cross the street after a quick glance at him.
On several occasions, I have had children come up to me and ask if he’s a bear or part bear. No, I reply. That’s certainly one thing I can rule out.
Apart from my driving curiosity, I’m interested in knowing what breed he is from a medical standpoint. Having worked several years in a veterinary hospital, I have seen many large breed dogs suffer from hip dysplasia, arthritis and joint pain. Even Chance.
When Chance was about 4 years old, he began exhibiting signs of stiffness and mild lameness in his two hind legs. It was especially apparent when he tried to sit or stand for long periods of time. After a thorough medical evaluation, the veterinary surgeon suggested tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) surgery for both knees.
I’m happy to say that Chance, now 8, is doing well.
Many breeds are predisposed to certain health issues.
Breed-specific information, such as health, appearance and behavioral characteristics, are becoming increasingly important in creating care and wellness plans for pets.
Not knowing Chance’s lineage makes creating a plan a little more challenging. But this mystery is soon to be revealed.
I am working with Mars Veterinary to get Chance tested with the company’s Wisdom Panel MX, a DNA-based mixed breed analysis test for dogs, which was rolled out nationally in veterinary clinics and hospitals last year.
With a blood sample, the test can identify more than 130 breeds that may be present in mixed breed dogs, representing 99 percent of dogs registered by the American Kennel Club, according to the company.
Mars Veterinary generates a customized report from the results, including detected breeds, breed-based behavioral profiles and information about breed-driven physical attributes.
Chance will be taking the test in the coming weeks and I look forward to receiving the results, which I will share with Veterinary Practice News readers.
I also look forward to working with my veterinarian to develop a more tailored wellness plan for Chance.
In the meantime, I wonder if my own breed analysis will line up with the test results. I have my guesses. What’s yours?
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