Claymore Columns

Navigating the Blogosphere: The Institute for Canine Biology

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Deerhound by Pekka Winter

Last month a member of the Health and Genetics Committee called my attention to an organization called the Institute for Canine Biology (ICB), and in particular its 16-point manifesto entitled “Why You Need Population Genetics:  The “Elevator Pitch.”  During the discussion that followed, I expressed my opinion about the organization and its manifesto to the committee by email.  Since then, a couple of Deerhounders have asked me about the ICB, so I thought it would be a good idea to devote this month’s column to the organization.

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Tylosin-Responsive Diarrhea

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by John Dillberger, DVM

Reprinted from the September/October 2010 Claymore

I have not written about diarrhea before now because, frankly, the subject is too large and complicated to tackle in a monthly column. That is partly because diarrhea is not a disease in itself, but a symptom of disease. The list of diseases that can have diarrhea as part of the picture would itself fill many pages of this magazine.

Given the plethora of causes for diarrhea, where should an owner or veterinarian begin when presented with a dog having diarrhea? Intuitively, the best chance of ending an episode of diarrhea is to identify the underlying disease and treat it. For that reason, diagnostic tests are often part of the initial response to diarrhea. But while diagnostic tests are often helpful, one can also treat diarrhea directly, without knowing the cause. How a dog responds to treatment can provide a valuable clue to the cause of the diarrhea. This month’s column deals with an example of this approach. Read more →

Three Articles on Neck Pain

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A compendium of Claymore Health and Genetics columns on two possible causes of “Deerhound Neck.”

Here is another article on Deerhound Neck that was posted on July 11, 2016.

Some Deerhounds can develop mild-to-severe neck pain that isn’t apparently related to injury. Causes can range from something simple, such as the dog habitually sleeping with its head hanging off furniture or thick dog beds, to something more serious. John Dillberger, DVM, delved into two possible causes—Steroid-Responsive Meningitis-Arteritis and Cervical Vertebral Facet Joint Arthrosis—in three separate articles in his Health and Genetics column in The Claymore,  all of which are reprinted here.

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