Photo by Karen Winter.
The new DEPOHGEN™ test for the genetic mutation that can cause Delayed Post-Operative Hemorrhage (DEPOH) can now be ordered using a credit card, which means it is now available to people outside the United States!
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Recommended Health Tests
Photo by Margory Cohen.
Thankfully, congenital heart disease is rare in Deerhounds, but it does occur.
We have written about percutaneous coil embolization before; here is a first-hand report from the owner of a Deerhound who has undergone this procedure.
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The SDCA Health & Genetics Committee has published two position statements on genetic testing, the first being an introduction to genetic testing and the second on Factor VII. It appears that we will have more genetic tests sooner rather than later (YAY!), so it is imperative that all breeders understand how to use these tests and owners understand how they are used so we can all work together to eliminate these disease-causing variants without reducing the breed’s gene pool.
The SDCA Health and Genetics Committee has expanded the list of labs whose results will qualify dogs for CHIC (Canine Health Information Center) numbers. Even if you don’t want to get CHIC numbers on your dogs, the list of labs below is a resource for anyone who wants to test their dogs for Factor VII deficiency or a liver shunt.
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Deerhounds, like many other breeds, can have congenital liver shunts. Here is more information about that condition.
The SDCA Health and Genetics Committee recommends that the following health tests be done on Deerhounds:
The nature of liver shunt, its symptoms, how to test for it, and what treatment is available.
Read moreCLINICAL GUIDE for ECHOCARDIOGRAM EXAMINATION for Scottish Deerhounds
Below are the normal ranges for Scottish Deerhounds that you should share with your veterinarian and specialist.
These values were established by Dr. Philip Fox, from the cardiac clinic he did at the Vermont National Specialty in 2004. It is the only data extant for our breed, and it was never published by Dr. Fox (however Betty Stephenson did publish them in The Claymore).
Also, please do not think that “Scan in a Van” and the other mobile technologies one sees at dog shows are a substitute for an evaluation by a veterinary cardiologist. Those are for screening purposes only, and it’s definitely “Buyer Beware”–the variability of echo equipment and the skill of the person performing the echo need to be taken into consideration.
The following is a general clinical guide for echocardiographic examination based upon normal Scottish Deerhounds (avg wt, 45kg) :
Left atrium (mm) should be no larger than 50-55 mm Aorta (mm) should be no wider than 30-33 mm
LA:Ao ratio should be <1.5:1
Left ventricle end diastolic dimension should be no greater than 55-60 mm
Left ventricle end systolic dimension should be no greater than 40-45 mm
LV Wall end- diastolic thickness should be > 8-9mm
LV Shortening fraction should generally be > 20 %, and more comonly, >25% Heart Rhythm should be sinus or sinus arrhythmia
Note: The echocardiogram is one part of the data base that includes medical history , physical examination, ECG, and chest radiograph. Optimal diagnosis is based upon consideration of these variables.
These should be used as GENERAL guidelines and a particular normal dog, particularly a large or small animal, could fall outside of this range.