Letters to the Editor CORRECTION TO EDITORIAL In a recent DOG NEWS editorial it was mentioned that Take The Lead offers breakfast to all exhibitors and that M&E supplies a luncheon to all Exhibitors. Fact of the matter is that the luncheons for the Exhibitors are provided through the generous donation of Ruth Pereira. We all thank you Ruth and apologize for the error. RE: AUG 28, DEBARKING, PG 10 You might want to check further on the possible results of de-barking. We had a four legged visitor in our home that it took me a week to notice that she was a total loudmouth... except that she was absolutely silent. There are different ways for the procedure to be done, from “bark softening” to the silence we saw. Thankfully, I only had to imagine how obnoxious the little sweetie would have been otherwise. Wyoma Clouss Meridian, ID ON BUD MCGIVERN AND CADAVER DOGS Bud was a longtime friend of mine in the dog game. We would always get together for a golf game at Pebble Beach, where we went to a local Vizsla breeder and we had a great time. I saw him every year at Westminster and Westchester. He was a loyal member of the clubs. If he had to come in a wheelchair he would, which he did the last year or two because he had a terrible fall and sustained some injuries, which kept him from judging and doing other work. We also had a professional bond because Bud was an oral surgeon and I was a longtime coroner in Louisville and Jefferson County, Kentucky and we had a mutual interest in cadaver dogs. I was very interested to read Sharon Pflaumer’s article on Cadaver Dogs (Dog New, Sept. 4, 2015). We were very fortunate to know Kelly Nelson, who professionally trained cadaver dogs in Oklahoma. He supplied them for various police departments in several states and he also supplied our offices with cadaver dogs. I sent a deputy to spend a week working with the cadaver dogs, as we had a terrible problem with people jumping into or being pushed into the Ohio River. After 9/11, Bud was working on identifying remains through dental records and he invited me to come and bring my cadaver dog but I only had one cadaver dog that was professionally trained and one deputy for the entire area. We could not afford to spare the dog because we had too many cases. My cadaver dog was with us for 10 years with a trained professional deputy, which is absolutely necessary to handle a cadaver dog. We sent her on a lot of cases, working for us and the police department. She could find a body in 20 feet of water and the dive team for police department could go get the body. That’s my experience with cadaver dogs. They are essential to a coroner’s work and the police department and I strongly recommend that they all get a cadaver dog if they don’t have one. Dr. Richard Greathouse Taylorsville, KY 186 Dog News
SPONTANEOUSLY OCCURRING CANCER IN DOGS HELPS TO INFORM HUMAN DISEASE In a paper published on September 16, 2015 in Genome Research by Elvers et al, a collaboration between eight US and international institutions of veterinary and human medicine and biomedical research, the benefits of One Health become clear. With funds provided by the NIH, the AKC Canine Health Foundation and others, the researchers successfully defined molecular subtypes of lymphoma, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in dogs, from three specific dog breeds in comparison to the same human cancer. According to senior author Dr. Jessica Alfoldi of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, “Working with the tumor DNA of golden retrievers, cocker spaniels and boxers, we have identified genes with known involvement in human lymphoma and other cancers as well as novel genes that could help in the discovery of much-needed new treatment options for cancer.” There is a growing body of evidence to substantiate the genetic and prognostic similarities between human and canine cancer. “Naturally occurring cancers in dogs, who so closely share our homes and lives, are proving to be invaluable targets of study that will advance our understanding of cancer in both species,” says Dr. Diane Brown, Chief Scientific Officer for the AKC Canine Health Foundation, one of the organizations to provide funding for this work. She goes on to say, “The findings from these studies will ultimately lead to novel approaches to combating this devastating disease.” While lymphoma is the most common cancer in all dogs, the inherent genetic similarities between dogs of the same breed facilitate the study and identification of disease-causing mutations and cellular mechanisms. Such findings can then be applied to research into human cancer, thus helping to determine predisposing genetic markers for human disease at the same time. The investigators, working with samples from pet dogs, have capitalized on this scientific fact. Publication: Exome Sequencing of Lymphomas From Three Dog Breeds Reveals Somatic Mutation Patterns Reflecting Genetic Background Link to our website: http://www.akcchf.org/research/successstories/spontaneously-occurring-cancer-in-dogsinforms-human-disease.html Susan Lilly, CFRE CEO AKC Canine Health Foundation Raleigh, NC A REQUEST FOR AN APOLOGY In your “And More” column of Sept. 11th, you discuss the inaugural PeeWee class that debuted at the Somerset Hills show. As the person who brought this idea to our club, I was very disappointed that your reporting was not only inaccurate but negated the mission of this very successful event. You were at the show. Instead of relying on the reports of a third party, had you come ringside to hear what was announced, you would have learned that Emma Rogers, the very talented 11
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year old Junior with her Great Dane, was there demonstrating what could be accomplished with practice and hard work. The other child, Charlize Sutton and her Mom, Roxanne, were there to show the PeeWees and their parents the procedure that we would follow and what would be expected of them as they entered the ring. These girls are both from within the sport, yet neither of them were among the PeeWee entrants, nor were the Junior Showmanship Master Class entrants who so kindly agreed to volunteer outside the ring as “buddies” to the newbies. As a matter of fact, with the exception of one PeeWee who is Emma Rogers’ younger sister, contrary to what you wrote, all the PeeWee entrants were new to the sport. It is very unfortunate that you chose not to get your facts from either our very capable Show Chair, Lisa Warren, or myself who ran the PeeWee event, but rather to print as fact someone’s mistaken impression that the PeeWee event, “ did not accomplish what it was set out to do.” You owe the Club, the PeeWees, the “buddies”, the 4-H Leaders and the stewards who worked so hard to welcome these youngsters into our sport, an apology. Sue Goldberg Warren, NJ THE AUTHOR RESPONDS: You are correct I was at the show. In fact I DID watch some of the children perform. Indeed I wrote, which you totally decided to ignore, and I quote, “Not that it was not fun to watch and presented a-one perfectly as far as I could tell...”! What I did question was the fact again as reported to me by a person very familiar with juniors ( since I know very few of those participants) that most of them were “the usual exhibitors and their off-spring” and since I was under the impression that one of the purposes of this Special Attraction Class was to draw new participants into the sport, I concluded that it did not accomplish what the class was set out to do and that the Class (which these pages have supported since its proposal) will work at shows that primarily draw outside spectators! Matthew H. Stander FREE WEBINAR ON EXERCISING YOUR DOG’S BRAIN Did you miss the live webinar last weekend about the importance of mental stimulation in dogs with Dr. Karen Overall, MA, VMD, PhD, DACVB, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Veterinary Behavior - Clinical Applications and Research? Good news! VetVine, our partner in this educational series, has made the presentation available to watch on demand (free registration is required). In this highly informative and engaging webinar, dog lovers learn the importance of mental stimulation in dogs and how a well exercised brain can positively impact dogs both mentally and physically. The first two webinars in the series -- on canine cancer and joint health in dogs -- are also available on demand. Our next live webinar will be on Monday, November 23, at 8:00 pm EST, featuring Dr. Andrew Hillier, BVSc, MANZCVS, DACVD. Dr. Hillier will be speaking about itchy dogs and what pet owners can do to help reduce skin irritation. Registration is now open for this event! Thanks for your continued support and for your commitment to help all dogs live longer, healthier lives. AKC CHF Raleigh, NC