[Esme]

Hello..my almost 5 year old Standard Poodle has been diagnosed with SA..my vet suggested strongly that I inform the breeder of this diagnosis so that the parents of my dog are not bred again. Has anyone here ever had to have this conversation with a breeder before? This breeder is by all accounts in my previous research is reputable although there are some disgruntled dog owners. When I got our dog I also delivered a puppy from the same breeding to another family..should I also get in contact with them?
I have spent thousands on meds, biopsies and there will be more meds to consider..we also just lost our miniature poodle to complications from Cushing Disease in November.
Thanks for listening

 

[scooterscout99]

There's also a poodle health registry where you can make such a announcement public.

Poodle Health Registry

 

[Eclipse]

Hello..my almost 5 year old Standard Poodle has been diagnosed with SA..my vet suggested strongly that I inform the breeder of this diagnosis so that the parents of my dog are not bred again. Has anyone here ever had to have this conversation with a breeder before? This breeder is by all accounts in my previous research is reputable although there are some disgruntled dog owners. When I got our dog I also delivered a puppy from the same breeding to another family..should I also get in contact with them?
I have spent thousands on meds, biopsies and there will be more meds to consider..we also just lost our miniature poodle to complications from Cushing Disease in November.
Thanks for listening

You should absolutely let the breeder know as he/she, will need (and should want to) to make note for the future of their breeding programs. If they don't own the stud, they should also inform that owner that their dog has produced a dog diagnosed with SA. Even responsible breeders can have things crop up in their lines, even being careful and doing all health testing, if someone breeds long enough odds are they will have an issue at some point. Doing all health testing decreases the odds of potential health issues, but doesn't eliminate them. The breeder should also absolutely let the other owners of the littermates of your dog know that there has been an SA diagnosis on a pup from the litter so they can be aware of it in case they have any issues with their dogs in future and can make their vets aware a littermate has SA. As I noted, health issues can crop up but how the breeder handles a health issue in a dog they produced greatly influences whether or not they are responsible. Are they honest and above board about the problem? Do they "come clean" with people or do they try to hide the issue? You did note "some disgruntled dog owners" though I don't know what you meant about that - were there other health issues people complained about, etc.?

As well, as has been already mentioned, you should also absolutely add your dog's diagnosis to the Poodle Health Registry so that others researching pedigrees and health issues when doing their due diligence searching for puppies can note the SA issue. I have known/heard of breeders that don't want people to report health issues - genetic or otherwise - to registrations for fear of people avoiding their lines, but people have a right to know (IMHO anyway).

SA can run the gamut, I have seen dogs that you would barely know were affected and dogs that were almost hairless. Hoping your boy is one of the lesser affected ones...Hang in there.....

 

[Esme]

Thank you for both responses..I will definitely register with the poodle health as I am sure this breeder sells outside Canada..I will be informing the breeder...the disgruntled people I was referring to were not about health issues..I hope we have started the treatment early enough for my girl that the hair loss can be corrected but she is not looking too good right now..fingers crossed anyway..Thank you again.

 

[Eclipse]

Thank you for both responses..I will definitely register with the poodle health as I am sure this breeder sells outside Canada..I will be informing the breeder...the disgruntled people I was referring to were not about health issues..I hope we have started the treatment early enough for my girl that the hair loss can be corrected but she is not looking too good right now..fingers crossed anyway..Thank you again.

I hope things look up for your girl (sorry, for some reason I thought your dog was a boy in my prior post). They have made a number of advancements in treating SA dogs from what I have heard. I've never dealt with it in one of my dogs, but have known a couple Standards with it. In addition to the physical issues, I know people often struggle with emotional issues of SA in the coat loss and appearance of the dogs, particularly since Poodles are such a "coated" breed and there is focus on hairstyles, etc. I know there is a FB group for it, one of the mods is a mod in another Poodle group I belong to, and I have heard good things about the group, always good to hear and be able to discuss an issue with those who have first-hand knowledge and can offer their experiences and tips and support.....you might want to join it....https://www.facebook.com/groups/1037582446280841/

Hopefully, your breeder will support you when you speak to her. I know my breeder has always been there when I have had any questions over the years and always been supportive of any dogs she has bred. While not really "genetic" per se, my older girl had toe cancer a couple of years ago (not uncommon in a number of dark-coated breeds, black/blue Standards, Giant Schnauzers, etc.). I informed my breeder and she reached out to all the other owners of littermates (and my dog was 10 at the time) to advise them and give them reminders on what to look for. My girl recovered fine from the toe amputation since I caught it very early as I knew the signs, and it was also squamous, not melanoma, but was good info for other littermate owners to have. Likewise, my younger Standard had a very severe reaction to her first rabies vaccine and I almost lost her. Again, while not genetic, my breeder reached out to all littermate owners to advise them and remind them to tell their vets that a littermate had had an extreme reaction. I'm sure she supported any other owners of dogs she bred over the years in a similar fashion if there was an issue.

 

[Esme]

Thank you Eclipse for the referral to the SA group..I have sent my application to join group. I am very happy to have found the Poodle forum. I wish I had found this group when our other Poodle was ill with Cushings disease. It has been a rough past six months. Thank you again

 

[tyspoodles]

My 6 year old silver sable was diagnosed about 4 months ago. She cannot tolerate the medication, but the oil baths, using almond oil are working beautifully and her hair is coming back. That Facebook page is extremely helpful. Good luck with your baby.