Below is a list of the conditions reported
by various
Vizsla books as being hereditary or genetic in the Hungarian Vizsla. Depending upon which book you
read, different problems are listed.
As you can see, some conditions are considered hereditary by some authors,
whilst they were not listed as such by others. Other reference books
and internet lists include other disorders.
In general, the number of diseases reported to occur in
a breed tends to reflect how popular the breed is in the dog population
– common breeds having more diseases attributed to them than less common
breeds. This is because with more dogs, there is more opportunity to
recognise a breed predisposition. In less common breeds, there may be few
disorders listed because it can take some time before sufficient number of
affected dogs are seen, and recognised, as having an inherited disorder.
(this is where differences in incidence and prevalence come into the
scheme of things).
[Incidence and prevalence -- Example: A veterinary
surgeon has seen 20 cases of green fluorescent ears in dogs (!). The
clinic has seen; 10 Labradors, 7 Weimaraners, and 3 Hungarian Vizslas with
the condition.
So are green fluorescent ears more common in Labs?
Maybe. Maybe not... This vet (unlike many), can also tell us how many dogs
of which breeds they have seen in the same time they have seen green
fluorescent ears. They have seen 1,000 Labradors, 700 Weimaraners and 30
Hungarian Vizslas.
Hmmm. 10 in 1000 Labs is 1%. 7 in 700 Weimaraners is
1%. 3 in 30 is 10%. Woops. Yes we have seen green fluorescent ears more
often in Labs (they have a high incidence), but that is because they are
more popular. The condition is more prevalent in the population of
Hungarian Vizslas that this clinic sees. ]
Listing of various dog breeds by disease can also vary
according to the source data they use. Lists of hereditary diseases/breed
dispositions found in some reference books will have drawn their lists of
diseases affecting the breed from admissions to veterinary teaching
hospitals. These hospitals are often referral centres – the places where
unusual or difficult cases are sent for diagnosis and/or treatment. The
'minor' and/or common problems are not likely to be presented for
treatment there, but will be dealt with by local veterinarians. Thus,
problems you may have seen your veterinarian about may not be listed, and
other things you have never heard of, are listed. Other references will
list a condition that has been reported to have occurred once in a breed,
but include it as the condition is considered inherited in other breeds.
What is often overlooked is that in these lists of diseases by breeds,
once a disease has been reported for a breed, it usually stays on that
list, forever. And in theory, it might be the only occurrence ever (ie, it
was that unusual, the vet wrote it up). But if it is reported, it
makes its way onto a list.
There can also be differences in what conditions are reported as
occurring in different sub-populations within a breed - eg von
Willebrand's disease (vWD) is known to occur occasionally in Vizslas in
North America. Last time I spoke with the laboratory here, no Hungarian
Vizsla in Australia had been diagnosed with vWD.
Lists are generally unable to tell you how common a
disorder is in the breed. They are perhaps best considered as a starting
point from which to find out what has been reported. .. but remember -
because something hasn't been reported or listed doesn't mean it hasn't
happened.. or won't!
Skin
lumps not already listed
sebaceous cysts [benign]
Boggs revised,
Boggs 2nd revised^
Skin
lumps not already listed
warts
Boggs
revised
Skin
rash of puppies ("Vizsla rash")
Boggs^,
Coffman^,
Gottlieb, Gottlieb 2nd edition, Harris
Soft
tissue sarcomas
Boggs
2nd revised
Squamous
cell carcinoma
Boggs
2nd revised
Tail
defects
Boggs revised,
Boggs 2nd revised, Gottlieb, Gottlieb 2nd edition, White
von
Willebrand Disease
Boggs revised,
Boggs 2nd revised, Coffman, Pinney, White
^ indicates not discussed under hereditary conditions, but elsewhere in
the book. Adapted from: "Hereditary Disease in the Vizsla" in:
Vizslas Down Under 1999-2001.
Hereditary