IDIOPATHIC EPILEPSY IN THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG - Page 1

Hi

I am going to dive straight in to find out the latest on the above title. I realise that I will be as unpopular as a turd in a swimming pool but here goes.

As epilepsy is a worldwide disease, in foreign descendants of Ingosohn of Erol as well as from the ‘usual suspects’ descendants within the UK. We know for a fact that idiopathic epilepsy is still out there. Worldwide. This is NOT just a UK phenomenon.

Have any of the European GSDs having epileptic progeny come to light? I contacted the SV about 18months ago but they don’t keep any records on Epilepsy?! But I do know for certain of at least one dog that has sired at least one puppy with idiopathic epilepsy.

I have seen pro-active breeders in many other breeds have an epilepsy database naming known epileptic dogs in their breed for breeders knowledge when planning matings and wondered why the German Shepherd Dog breeders are reticent to be as proactive regarding this disease as it is still out there with many unsuspecting GSD owners having to deal with the aftermath.

This is NOT witch hunting, this IS protecting our beloved breed’s future generations to come. Breeders really DO need such a database to ensure that their puppies are the healthiest in body and mind that is humanely possible.

Any comments will be much appreciated.

Marilyn,

This has been discussed in past forum.

https://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/community.read?post=939530-epilepsy-in-the-german-shepherd-dog

I realise that I will not be very popular but this problem really does need resolving for future breeders to ensure the pups we breed are as healthy in body and mind as we possibly can get them.

We owe this to the dogs we breed and the people who purchase them.

I know that there is a lot of apathy amongst some breeders and some actually believe once the unfortunate pup has been sold it is not their problem.

I have been one of the unfortunate people who researched my puppy before purchasing him from diligent breeders who researched the mating before going ahead with it.

Unfortunately, as you already know, my lad started seizing at 3 years of age. We invested a lot of time and money into giving him some semblance of a normal life, but he died during a Status Epilepticus event at nearly 6 years of age.

It is something breeders should be aware of but unfortunately some of them don’t appear to comprehend the impact on the affected dog and its owners.

Sorry to keep raising this topic, but to me, it is a very important one.

In the American lines, Woodacre's Dakota and Stuggart Sundance Kid are known to have produced epilepsy.

From my notes: 

Gayville’s Nasko – English GSD, produced epilepsy. Also very prevalent in Lornaville kennel lines due to inbreeding.

 

It ahs been traced back to Hendrawen's Quadrille of Eveley (1964) and Avon Prince of Alumvale (1954)

 

Other British lines carrying epilepsy: Bricketwood have now changed their affix to Riveryare.  Traced the ancestry of a white shepherd imported to Australia. 

Unfortunately, the link I have to this dog no longer works:  http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/community.read?post=666772-chocolate-gsdssigh&p=14

Thanks Sunsilver. Some breeders appear to be under the dillusion if they steer clear of the UK dogs, especially those that go back via the usual suspects to Avon Prince of Alumvale, their lines are clear.

Spoiler Alert! What about Ingosohn of Errol’s other descendants which weren’t sold across the pond to UK or USA? A lot of the progeny were kept in Germany and their progeny would have spread across Europe in later times.

It really is time for some breeders to pull their heads out the sand and realise that the problem is more widespread than they would like to think.

Lets see if this works.

https://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/community.read?post=666772-chocolate-gsdssigh&p=14

I found that link, GSD Heritage. The problem is the 'search' function doesn't target a particular post, and that thread is 19 pages long!  :'(   Mind you, if you have the time, that whole thread contains a wealth of information, and is well worth a read!

I scrolled through it, but managed to miss the exact post. which was by Hundmutter. 

Edit: found the post!

Footnote:
I have today traced back a new, Australian, White Shepherd
pedigree posting,  and guess where I ended up, after a detour
through US dogs and Spanish dogs:   Bricketwood,  Debylyn, Heidi's
Cuddle n Kiss, and on and on ...

Ballack von der Brucknerallee:

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/dog.html?id=730234-ballack-von-der-brucknerallee

This dog was chosen as Sieger in 2016 and 2015. He is line bred on lines known to produce epilepsy.

Thanks guys. Informative reading and much appreciated. I am now going to prod the hornets nest.

I notice that a lot of the big breeders are on this site and that their silence is deafening.

As I said previously, this is NOT a witch hunt but it IS definitely a problem which is again on the increase and needs addressing.

It is phenomenal just how many GSDs are on the Facebook Epilepsy forums suffering from Refractory Idiopathic Epilepsy. By the way, for those that don’t know, refractory means doesn’t respond to treatment.

It appears that this is a huge problem with the epilepsy the GSD suffers from. My heart goes out to each and every death that occurs on a daily basis on those sites. Things look great as the dog goes a long while without seizures, then bam! They have a Status Epilepticus event which ends badly for the poor dog and the distraught owner.

They are not all orders dog. Some pass at 3 years of age or younger.

You know, 1 line of the pedigree instantly jumps out for me as I have seen this line in a few other epileptic dogs pedigrees but without proof I cannot say which line it is.