2017 July August

and its near relatives should assume they
are dealing with an inherited condition.
This is especially the case if you are aware
of another related dog with seizures.
As for this being something new, I ran
into an Aussie with epilepsy was in the
early 70s, when I was new to the breed. It
belonged to someone in the obedience class
I was attending. She had been told that
epilepsy just happened in some dogs. At
that point not a great deal was understood
about the inheritance though it was known
that epilepsy was a very common canine
ailment and did seem to be more common
in some breeds, an indication of inheritance.
Attacking someone who has publicly
stated she her dog has a health problem
does no one any good – though the breeder
may think it is protecting his good
reputation. (In my view this behavior says
something rather different about his
reputation.) Some people do this to bully
people into silence and when done publicly,
as it was here, it intimidates others from
coming forward.
About 15 yars ago there was a sea
change in attitudes about epilepsy and more
than a few people started sharing
information. Unfortunately, over the years
as some folks moved on, new people came
into the breed, and some of the old deniers
continued in their behavior, there are those
who are again finding excuses for epilepsy
to avoid dealing with it. Perhaps the worst
attitude is “why bother, it’s everywhere.”
This does nothing to prevent the heartache
of having a dog with severe epilepsy, nor
does it “improve the breed.” Quite the
opposite.
Cover-ups and denial never make
anything better. Share information on dogs
with epilepsy and do your best to make
breeding decisions that improve epilepsy
risk, even if it is only from high risk to a
little less high a risk. Any improvement is
progress.
Is storm sensitivity inherited, or a
conditioned issue? Is there a way to know
if a pup is sensitive before purchasing?
It isn’t just storms. Dogs can be
reactive to gunshots, fireworks, vehicle
backfires and other loud percussive noises.
The condition is generally called Sound
Sensitivity because it involves a type of
sound rather than a specific source of the
sound. This is a relatively common
behavioral issue in collie-type dogs, which
Project:
Study Goal::
Conducted by:
Q&A
Featured Research
Border Collie Collapse (BCC)
NOTE: This was formerly called Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC). The
new name has been given to distinguish between the similar disease in
Labradors, for which a gene has been identified, and the condition seen
In herding dogs, including Aussies. It is extremely frequent in Border
Collies which is what lead to the name.
To identify genes responsible for causing BCC in Australian Shepherds,
Border Collies and other breeds in order to develop a DNA screening test.
Dr. James Mickelson
University of Minnesota
Samples needed from: Samples needed from purebred Australian Shepherds that have exhibited
an episode of collapse during exercise.
Sample type:
Contact:
Blood preferred
Katie Minor
University of Minnesota
C339 Veterinary Teaching Hospitals
1352 Boyd Ave.
St. Paul MN 55108
612-624-5322
minork@umn.edu
For information on other studies looking for samples from Aussies, go to:
www.ashgi.org/home-page/how-you-can-help/research-support/current-research-for-aussies
includes Aussies. It is innate behavior and
you can’t train a dog out of it though you
can do things to mitigate the fear and panic
it can cause.
There is no DNA test for this condition.
It typically isn’t seen in young puppies,
arising when the dog is an adult and can
increase in intensity as the dog gets older.
I’ve had sound sensitive dogs and it was a
relief when they finally got old enough their
hearing declined. (50 pounds of dog curled
up shivering on your head during a
nighttime thunderstorm isn’t fun!) This is
genetically based, so if one or both parents
have sound sensitivity then it is likely that
at least some of the offspring will, too. If
the parents do not and also don’t have
relatives that are affected, then the pups
probably will not have it.
I’ve got a 12 years old Aussie girl who was
diagnosed last year with EPI after a bout
of recurring pancreatitis. Since that time
I’ve run across several other Aussies with
this. I understand that EPI is more than
likely genetic. This is a dog I bred, I bred
her parents, and I’ve bred 1/2 siblings, and
I still have a littermate. None of these have
exhibited any sign of EPI. How prevalent
is this in our breed? Has it been around
for a while and we’re just now getting
better at diagnosis and recognizing it?
[NOTE TO READERS: EPI is Exocrine
Pancreatic Insufficiency – not to be
confused with “epi” the abbreviation many
people use for epilepsy.]
EPI itself isn’t terribly common.
However it is an autoimmune disease and
that type of disease is common in the breed.
One often sees different ones within the
same family rather than the same disease
in several individuals. EPI may also be a
misdiagnosis (though I doubt it in a dog the
age of yours) for hereditary cobalamin
malabsorbtion as that disease can mimic
AUSSIE TIMES May-June 2017 71