TIBETAN TERRIERWORLD CONGRESS 2003

STURBRIDGE VILLAGE MASSACHUSETTS

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

HAPPY, HEALTHY & HARMONIOUSTibetan Terriers in the United Kingdom

Produced by:THE TIBETAN TERRIER ASSOCIATION &

THE TIBETAN TERRIER BREEDER & OWNERS CLUB

1.

There are two clubs for Tibetan Terriers in the UK. The Tibetan Terrier Association founded in October 1967 one of the oldest clubs for Tibetan Terriers in the world and the Tibetan terrier breeders and Owners Club founded in 1987. Both clubs are run according to Kennel Club guidelines and both have the health and welfare of the breed at heart.

The committee of the TTA is as follows:

TTA

Patron: The Venerable Rimpoche Chime YoungdongPresident: Mr Stuart ChamberlainVice Presidents: Mrs Irene Chamberlain, Mr Stuart Chamberlain, Mr Mike Davies, Mrs Connie Downey,

Mrs Pat Noujaim, Dr Mike TempestChairman: Mr Mark JamesHon Sec: Mrs Carol SayerHon Treasurer: Mrs Val TaylorCommittee: Mr Joe Ashwood

Mr Antonio SkaboullosMrs Pam DavisMrs Krista GuziolekMrs Jane Heritage Mrs Lyn PurslowMs Lesley RussellMrs Pat Tempest - Vice-ChairmanMrs Lesley Cooper

 The committee of the TTBOC is as follows:

 TTBOC

President: Mrs Judith Robin – SmithChairman: Mr Tony JohnsonHon Sec: Mrs Philippa GilbertHon Treasurer: Mr Richard GuilfordCommittee: Mr Glenn Davies

Mr Neil SmithMr Glynn DavisMrs Sue GarnerMs Sue BirdMs Wendy Gardner

Regular meetings are held throughout the year and both clubs organise similar events and produce newsletters and yearbooks. The TTA has a sub-committee which records, (from any documented evidence) Hip and Eye test results and any other documented Health Problems. We do rely on our members passing on the relevant information and do nothing on a whim or a rumour. This sub-committee is called the Breed Records Sub-Committee and its current members are – 

Mr Mark James – Chairman.Mrs Pat TempestMrs Pat NoujaimMrs Lyn PurslowMrs Val Taylor Mr John Symonds

The call from the World Congress organisers for a poster on health related issues made me sit down and think and I concluded that everything we do as breed clubs is related to the health and welfare of this breed that has such a large following around the world.The UK poster is based on the Health, Happiness and the Harmony of the breed.

2.

The breed clubs have neither jurisdiction nor control over the breeding of Tibetan Terriers in the UK. This is entirely the perogative of The Kennel Club who have no regulations in place regarding the use of eye tested or hip scored breeding stock. It is possible to register offspring from affected stock. However, the Kennel Club does publish the latest known eye and hip status of the parents on the Registration Certificate as shown on the example below.

In order to encourage breeding from tested parents, The Tibetan Terrier Association and The Tibetan Terrier Breeder and Owners Club both make Eye Testing & Hip Scoring a condition of being on their Breeders list. They require that only stock with a clear eye certificate, obtained within the previous 12 months, and with a hip score from the KC/BVA scheme are bred from. We are working towards encouraging breeding only from stock that have achieved around the breed average score of 15.

The Tibetan Terrier Association keeps up to date records of all eye certificates and hip scores and these are openly published in their in house magazine TT Talk.

In 2001 there were 897 TT's registered at The KC, of which 353 dogs were eye tested and 135 hip scored (with a range between 3-82).In 2002 there were 966 TT's registered, of which 360 dogs were eye tested and 160 hip scored (with a range between 0-37).

3.

At present we have hip scores for 1000 dogs. This puts the Tibetan Terrier into the category of Breeds with the highest number of dogs tested. We are very proud of this as a percentage of the number of registrations. It means that we are very pro-active at trying to improve our hip status. Our breed average score has improved over the last few years but we are not altogether sure that this is a true indication of the progress being made because we are aware that some breeders do not submit poor hips for scoring.

The UK clubs organise Shows of which there are two types- 1.Championship Shows - These normally attract an entry of some 180-200 TT’s and they are important to evaluate the breed for breed type, structure, movement and temperament. Eye testing sessions are held at these shows and money is raised for health issues. The club stand also raises money and recently the TTA donated £2,500 To the British Veterinary Association to help with purchasing much needed equipment relevant to research into Eye anomalies, we hope to make a further contribution this year from money raised by our Vice-President Mrs Irene Chamberlain with her Tombola table at all TTA events. Shows are also the place to watch and learn and exchange ideas with other exhibitors. This has become more relevant as we do see exhibitors from Europe at our shows, now that we have the Pet Passport scheme and if you comply with all the requirements of the scheme you can travel throughout Europe and the USA without putting your TT’s into quarantine.Kennel Club Challenge Certificates are on offer at these shows and you require three from three different judges to become a Champion in the UK

 2. Open Shows - These show are more relaxed and are important for the training of up and coming judges Challenge certificates are not on offer at these shows. Our Shows help to develop the Harmony of the Breed.

3. Seminars / Judges Exams - Both the UK breed clubs run seminars and judge’s exams each year. At the seminars we regularly have speakers on health issues such as HD or eye problems etc and the judges exams are important to develop our judges so they understand our breed and are able to asses it correctly.

4. Yearbooks / Newsletters - These are important to the clubs as they are the only contact with many of our member’s .Hip and eye test results are published and articles on Health issues such as Cushing’s disease and Perthes Disease are printed. It is also means of communication with our members and we often ask them to give us any information regarding health issues they may have experienced with there TTs for example is there a above average occurrence of Cruciate Ligament problems occurring in our breed?

 

4.

5. Fun – Day - What has this to do with the health/welfare of the breed you may ask! Well this day is run mainly for our non-showing members and this year we had over 100 TT’s that we would not normally see. It gives a chance in a very informal way to assess them for type and soundness and there temperament. We run the Kennel Club Good Citizen scheme, which is making the dog and owner responsible and well behaved. We also do some agility and have TT racing which is a lot of fun.

   6. Rescue and Welfare - This is a very important to both clubs as we re-home some 20/30 TT’s each year for many different reasons, temperament is often one of them and these dogs are always assessed before being re- homed .The rescue officers spend many a long evening on the phone offering help and advice and trying to avoid re-homing.

 7. Discover Dogs - The Kennel club has set this up and we are always glad to take part. It gives the public a chance twice a year to see all breeds together and most breeds have a stand. It gives us the opportunity to promote our breed and again offer help and advice.

8. Good Citizen Dog Scheme - The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme is the largest national Training Programme in the UK, Which promotes socially acceptable dogs by way of creating responsible dog owners. Whether you have a domestic pet or a show winner. There are three levels Bronze, Silver and Gold, and many TT's have passed all three.

Produced by:

Mark James, Pat Tempest, Lyn Purslow, Krista Guziolek, Glenn Davies

THE TIBETAN TERRIER ASSOCIATION

Contact: thechairman@the-tta.org

THE TIBETAN TERRIER BREEDER AND OWNERS CLUB

Contact: thechairman@ttboc.co.uk

5.

The following was taken from the Summer 2003 Newsletter produced by The Tibetan Terrier Breeder And Owners Club.

HIP DYSPLASIA AND PERTHES DISEASE:WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

By Dr Mike Tempest

Hip Dysplasia, usually abbreviated to HD, is a problem of the hip joint. This joint is a "ball and socket" type of joint, with the head of the thigh bone (the femur) being "the ball" and the pelvic girdle being "the socket" (the acetabulum). In a perfect animal the ball fits tightly into the socket with no looseness. Variations away from a perfect fit occur to cause a badly formed joint, with varying degrees of severity. Indeed, any variation from perfect, no matter how small, can be regarded as dysplasia. As the hip is a joint, there are obviously several components associated with either the "ball" or the "socket" or both that contribute to the problem and these components are all scored in the BVA.KC HD Scheme. However, the most common cause of the problem is one of a shallow 'socket', CAUSING THE "BALL" TO BE LOOSE. To put this into easily understood language, Willis (1989) likened the perfect hip to a cup with a tennis ball placed in it, where there is a very tight fit between the tennis ball and the lip of the cup. At the other extreme, he likened a very severely dysplastic hip to a saucer with a tennis ball rolling around loosely upon it. There will, of course, be a wide range in the degree of dysplasia as the shape of the socket varies from "cup" to "saucer".

Perthes Disease is just my simple abbreviation of the longer and more correct name of Calve-Perthes Disease, which is also known as Legg-Perthes Disease (probably named after two scientists who both claim to have discovered the condition). It is a problem of the head of the thigh bone. Whereas the essential problem of HD arises from a shallow socket, in Perthes Disease the problem arises from a degenerative "ball". Here there is some death and decay in the head of the femur, which may become flattened rather than the normal round. There is enlargement of the neck of the femur, loss of minerals from the bone and some collapse of the bony support of the "ball". As with HD, there is variation in its severity. This then leads to degeneration in the joint, which is where confusion between Perthes Disease and HD often occurs.

One further difference between HD and Perthes Disease is that generally in HD, both hips are similarly affected (the term used is bilateral), whereas in Perthes Disease, one "ball" is a lot worse than the other (unilateral). From the score of the x-ray submitted under the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme, this would give a score on one side of the hip much worse than on the other side, particularly in the femoral head/neck exostosis (extra bone deposits) and femoral head recontouring criteria (the other criteria are more associated with the socket and the fit between the ball and the socket).

The main differences are summarised in the table below:

Reference: Willis, M.B. (1989). Genetics of the Dog. London, H F & G Witherby Ltd.

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Hip Dysplasia Perthes Disease

Shallow "socket" Degenerative "ball"

Bilateral Unilateral

More common/severe in large breeds Most common in small breeds

Complex multi-factorial inheritance Simple recessive inheritance indicated

Environmental influence Other factors, eg. Restricted blood supply

Both involve some degeneration of the hip joint

6.

The following was taken from a previous edition of TT Talk produced by The Tibetan Terrier Association

CUSHING’S DISEASE

The following was taken from an article written by Trevor Turner in Our Dogs, July 5th, 2002.WHAT IS CUSHING’S DESEASE?

Although still known as Cushing’s Disease in North America, in Britain we tend to favour the term Cushing’s Syndrome since the condition produces a much wider variety of signs (symptoms) than are normally associated with any particular disease. The more accurate medical term is hyperadrenocorticism, indicating that it is caused by high circulating levels of cortisol in the blood stream. Cortisol is the naturally produced form of cortisone or corticosteroid. Cortisol is produced by the outer part of the cortex of the paired adrenal glands. These are closely associated with the kidneys.

The name of the condition is derived from that of Harvey W Cushing, a Boston surgeon (1869-1939).

Today, Cushing’s Syndrome is one of the most common hormonal problems found in the dog.

WHAT CAUSES HYPERADRENOCORTICISM

The most common cause is over production of adenocorticotropic hormone, (ACTH), by the pituitary gland. ACTH controls the secretion of the cortisol (cortisone) by the adrenal glands. Over production of ACTH is usually caused by a tumour and thankfully most of these pituitary tumours are benign.

Approximately 85% of all cases of Cushing’s Syndrome are Pituitary derived Hyperadrenocorticism (PDH).

This can occur in young middle-aged dogs.

DIFFICULTIES

The other main type, Adrenal Dependent Hyperadrenocorticism (ADH) is again usually caused by a benign tumour, this time centred in the adrenal glands. This type is usually found in older dogs (10-12 years of age) and only accounts for 10-15% of all dogs with Cushing’s Syndrome.

Finally, mention must be made of iatrogenic Cushing’s Disease. Here the problem has been caused due by the administration of cortisone for another medical condition, a skin problem for example. This is an area, which always presents me, as a veterinary expert witness, considerable difficulties.

The usual scenario is that a dog with a devastatingly itchy skin condition has been controlled by not cured, sometimes for years, by the administration of a very appropriate dosage of cortisone. Then, suddenly, the dog develops Cushing’s Disease. The owners, unsurprisingly, are concerned that the veterinary surgeon has ‘over done’ the drug! Usually there is no evidence of this at all. It is a risks and benefits situation just like the treatment of epilepsy with anti-epileptic drugs which allow the dog to lead a normal life but long term can have side effects on the liver.

THE CLINICAL SIGNS OF CUSHING’S SYNDROME

Usually there is an increase in thirst and urination, together with polyphagia (increase in appetite). Hair loss, lack of energy, muscle wastage and obesity with a pendulous abdomen can all follow. In addition panting, pigmentation of the areas of the body that have lost hair, lack of sex drive etc., can also occur.

Subclinical cases will often present with a minimal hair loss and a paper-thin skin. This is frequently attributed to advancing years by the owner.

7.

CAN IT BE ACCURATELY DIAGNOSED?

Accurate diagnosis depends upon laboratory results of a series of blood tests, the most important of which is the ACTH stimulation test. Other tests will then be needed to decide whether we are dealing with PDH or ADH. Treatment obviously depends on the type of Cushing’s.

Iatrogenic Cushing’s obviously has to be treated by the discontinuation of any corticicosteroids being administered. This, unfortunately, can lead to recurrence of the original condition. ADH often responds to surgery, particularly if the adrenal tumour is benign but obviously the surgery is not without risk.

Finally, PDH, the most common type of Cushing’s, is usually treated medically. For many years this condition has been successfully treated in dogs using products intended for human use. Today there is a drug, Trilostane (Vetoryl) that is licensed in the UK for treatment of Cushing’s in dogs. However, it should be borne in mind that sometimes treatment may be for life and regular monitoring, approximately every three months, at least initially, will be necessary, therefore treatment can be costly.

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