Checklist of common diseases:

NECROPSY REPORT

WSCC/RB/BIMBS U-CH, U-CD CRYSTAL'S LI'L PISTOL VON TASZ,
WETT, FGDCH, AM/CN CD, OA, OAJ, DSA, CGC, CH (S&D), OFA (H&E), 88% VWF - July 31,1993 - December 20, 2006

Luger and his mom, Ashlee, were the first White Shepherds I ever met.  I’d seen them from a distance, but never got to have hands-on until I saw a picture in our local paper of a White Shepherd performing for the K-9 Klick.  At that time, I had Abby, now 14, a little Golden mix with a lot of talent.  I hooked up with Pam and Michelle Koons and Abby tried to follow in Luger’s footsteps and perform in both the K-9 Klick and the Rock N’ Roll K-9s.  When Ashlee had her second litter, I was there for Diana’s evaluation of the nine pups and I came home with Kyra.  The bond between Michelle and Luger inspired both Becky Joyce and I to want to see what Kyra and sister, Star, could do. 

Luger was my first experience with a true ambassador for the breed.  He performed in many public shows, fairs, and competitions throughout the U.S. and was ranked as the highest German Shepherd Flyball Dog Champion.    I was there when he was the first white German Shepherd Dog to compete in the UKC ring.  He took Best of Winners that day and earned a Total Dog award.  He earned a BIMBS at the Kalamazoo Kennel Club after a long day of showing and against a huge group.  He demonstrated to Michelle and I that when allowed to participate in protection training, he became calmer and more confident than ever, versus displaying inappropriate aggression feared by people who may not understand this natural instinct to protect.  Most of all, in 2000, he demonstrated the “heart” of our breed by hanging on to life when all the experts said to “let him go.”  Michelle couldn’t do it and the cancer they predicted he had been there and although he lost part of a lung, he went on to perform at the GSDCA National show in agility and complete his Open title.  Their “win” picture was taken with the then president of the GSDCA, Ken Downey, Jr.  He earned a Select I in Canada when he was nine years old and never stopped wanting to work.

Although it was a very difficult decision for Michelle to make, she decided that when the time came Luger would have a necropsy.  There were things that he was diagnosed with when he was about six that confused both of us—since he rarely showed any symptoms that could be attributable to these diseases.  Michelle reinforced what I always tell people which is that you have to make this decision ahead of time because it will not happen otherwise in the emotion of the devastating loss. 

Luger collapsed while Michelle was at a firefighter training session.  She left there and Luger was taken to emergency.  Based on their findings, they recommended he be taken to Oakland Veterinary Referral Services where he had surgery.  They found Hemangiosarcoma of the spleen and liver and he was euthanized.  Michelle and her dad, Larry, sat together that night and waited until they could drive him to MSU for the necropsy.  Michelle had called me from the vet’s office to ask me to forward necessary paperwork which I did.

Luger was the first OFA Good dog I became aware of that later was diagnosed with HD.  We were surprised at this and had many e-mail discussions with OFA to confirm this diagnosis.  A CT scan and bone scan were performed in July, 1999, at MSU and this is where the diagnosis originated.  We sent x-rays to OFA and they confirmed the diagnosis.  They called it late-onset HD.  The necropsy report confirmed that Luger had mild Hip Dysplasia, more severe in his left hip joint than his right, but still considered mild.

As a point of interest, two of his offspring just recently had OFA and PennHIP done as a contribution to the PennHIP project and both the male, Lazer, and the female, Kimber, had OFA Good scores.  The male had a DI of 0.41 and 0.30.  The female was diagnosed by OFA with Spondylosis and by PennHIP with mild HD in her right hip (not reported by OFA) with a D.I. of 0.52 and 0.48.  These dogs are almost eight years old.

Necropsy confirmed:

Cause of death:  Hemangiosarcoma of spleen and liver

Hip Dysplasia, mild

Lumbosacral Stenosis—narrowed at L7-S1

Diagnosed at necropsy:

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) L7-S1

Spondylosis (Multifocal bridging) L2-L3, L7-S1

Arthritis

The additional changes reported on but not entered into the database which may be consistent with aging in canines are:

Heart—mild multifocal stromal fatty infiltrates, Cardiac arteries—moderate to severe arteriosclerosis, Lung—mild pulmonary congestion with mild multifocal to coalescing pulmonary edema, Adrenal gland, mild multifocal cortical hyperplasia, Prostate gland, diffuse prostatis atrophy, Cervical lymph nodes, severe multifocal to focally extensive medullary erythrophagocytosis, hemosiderosis and plasmacytosis, Lumbar spinal cord, nerve roots, mild to moderate multifocal myelin and axonal degeneration with mild, multifocal perineuritis, Lumbar skeletal muscle, moderate to severe multifocal denervation atrophy with stromal fatty infiltrates, Lumbar skeletal muscle, moderate to severe arteriosclerosis, Skin, right elbow, chronic lymphoplasmacytic and focally granulomatous dermatitis with epidermal hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis, findings consistent with pressure point, Skin, right distal forelimb, acrochodon.

 The White Shepherd Genetics Project, LLC is grateful to Michelle for allowing this necropsy to be performed.  This is one of the important ways we can help our breed.  If you have a candidate for necropsy and live in the United States, please contact me; if you are in Canada, please contact Joanne Chanyi.