Cyclic Hematopoesis (sp?)

[1sheepdoggal]

I got a call today from a gal that has a Border Collie. He is 11 months old and was doing great up until about 3 months ago. She said her vet said it was genetic. I have a pup here out of that litter and he is fine and dandy, and I havent heard of any other pups having a problem. Does anyone know what this is, how it effects a dog. What causes it? She said her vet said her dog could possibly live till it was two yrs old but that keeping the dog alive and well has cost her quite a bit so far, and she doesnt know what she will do yet. She was pretty broke up trying to talk to me about it, so I didnt get much info. Anyone have any knowledge or experience with Cyclic Hematopesis? (she spelled it for me over the phone, so not sure if that is the correct spelling)

It is also called Grey collie syndrom but this dog, its sire, dam and litter mates are all blk/wht dogs. The vet said each parent must carry the abnormal gene (autosomol recessive) in order for the pups to be effected. It doesnt add up. Is it possible this pup has been missdiagnosed?

[Northof49]

Here is one arcticle on it. I have heard of it in Rough Collies http://www.upei.ca/~cidd/Diseases/clinical...matopoiesis.htm

 

and here is another one from a Rough Collie Breeder

http://www.pennylanecollies.net/GrayCollieSyndrome.html

 

I have never heard of it in border collies.

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

It seems to be pretty much a rough collie thing. This was the first thing I found just doing a Google search:

 

How is cyclic hematopoiesis diagnosed?

 

Affected dogs have a light silver gray, possibly mixed with light beige, hair coat and a characteristic light coloured nose. Pups usually experience clinical illness by 8 to 12 weeks of age and are brought to the veterinarian at that time, if the breeder does not recognize the defect before then.

 

The disorder is diagnosed based on the cyclic fluctuation in blood cell numbers, as well as the characteristic coat coloration.

 

I'd really encourage this person to get a second opinion. The fluctuations in CBCs mentioned can also occur with tick borne illness. Note that the pup would have been very seriously ill by eight weeks old - the article says they are usually born very weak and small, and remain noticeably so while the litter is growing. The gray color is pretty unmistakable too, apparently - was this pup gray?

 

From Merck:

 

All affected dogs have a diluted coat color, known as a pleiotropic effect, with phenotypically black hairs diluted to charcoal-gray and phenotypically brown or sable hairs diluted to silver-gray.

 

(bold added by me)

 

If the pup was indeed gray then all the best to her. Your pup is safe because non-gray pups are not affected. Obviously you wouldn't breed the parents again. Good luck!

[1sheepdoggal]

No Becca, no grey pup. Just a regular blk/wht pup. It is Hanks Brother. Sonja didnt pick up Alex ( AKA Kelly) and take him home until he was about 11 weeks old, he was the picture of health, and had been since he was born. I suggested tick related problems too, as well as advised getting another opinion. She assures me she will fight to keep Alex comfortable and healthy till he takes his last breath, and that it doesnt matter what it costs her to get him diagnosed properly, but her vet seems to have her pretty convinced. They have don a lot of testing, and at one point though he had Addisons. Ive done the reading, and I know the dog, and most of its just not adding up for me. Id hate for her to give up just yet and settle on this diagnosis, it just isnt making sense to me enough yet to believe it.