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American Hairless Terrier Health Issues
AHT Diseases & Illnesses According to the AHTA, the following diseases have been reported in the American Hairless Terrier and/or the Rat Terrier (AHT parent breed): Malocclusions, demodectic mange (juvenile and generalized), Legg-Calve Perthes, patellar luxation, liver shunt, deafness, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, diabetes, cleft palate, immune mediated hemolytic anemia, seizures, Blue Dog Disease, club foot, frontal leg diameter abnormality, allergies, Von Willebrand's disease, heart murmur, Cushing's disease, hernia, blindness, and thyroid problems. All these diseases are found in other breeds as well, they are not specific to the AHT. Many of the above disorders have appeared only once or twice in the breed while a few others are a bit more widespread. Luxating patellas. or "slipped knees," which are common in many small breeds, seem to be the main concern. A few cases of Legg-Calve Perthes, deafness, mange, and allergies have also been reported in the AHT. In general, the American Hairless Terriers are happy, healthy, and long-lived little dogs. They are playful, lively, and loving companion dogs. They are smart and excel in all dog activities they take part in. They just need to be protected from sunburn and from getting too cold. Contact your local AHT breeders or the AHTA club (see the AHT Links page) for more specific information about AHT health issues and concerns.
Sweet Lucy's Ailments During her lifetime, Lucy has encountered several illnesses. She had mange as a puppy, but her other health problems have started in older age (10+ years). Demodectic Mange As a young puppy, Sweet Lucy suffered from generalized demodectic mange (red mange, demodicosis). Demodectic mange is caused by the tiny Demodex canis mite. They are usually transmitted from a mother dog to her pups. These mites live inside hair follicles and are normally harmless. Sadly, in some susceptible individuals the mites' growth rate becomes uncontrollable and causes a serious skin illness. Demodicosis can be localized affecting only a few areas or generalized affecting most of the body. Due to a genetic component, dogs with generalized mange should not be bred. Loss of hair is the most noticeable symptom of this disease. Since my Lucy is hairless, this symptom didn't occur with her. Instead, she acquired pimple like bumps covering about half of her body. Diagnosis was made by skin scrapings. Lucy's "red mange" was resistant to therapy, and she received a long series of Mitaban dips at my vet's office. At each visit, my vet also performed a skin scraping to follow up on the presence of Demodex mites (dead or alive) in her skin. I saw those cigar-shaped mites under the microscope myself. Lucy's treatment lasted several months, but she was cured. No relapses! After finishing her treatment, she was spayed. Newer treatments options include the broad spectrum anti-parasite medication Ivermectin and the heartworm preventative Interceptor. Demodicosis articles -- Demodectic Mange by Wendy Brooks, DVM, Demodectic Mange by Mar Vista Animal Medical Center, Demodex in the Dog by T. J. Dunn, DVM, and Demodicosis by Alice Jeromin, DVM (offsite links). Hypothyroidism Lucy was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at the age of 10 years. I have heard of a couple of other AHT's with the same ailment. Hypothyroidism usually occurs in middle-aged or older dogs. Spayed and neutered dogs may have a higher incidence of hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is the most common hormone problem in dogs. It occurs when the thyroid gland does not secrete an adequate quantity of thyroid hormone thyroxine. Coat and skin problems are the most common manifestations of hypothyroidism. Hair becomes thin, dull, and falls out easily. Symmetrical hair loss along the trunk is common. Skin might be cooler to touch, be darker than normal, and feel leathery. Skin might also be greasy due to seborrhea and inflamed due to secondary bacterial and fungal infections. Dog might itch. Other symptoms include mental dullness, lethargy, obesity, heat seeking behavior, mood swings, muscle wasting on the head, facial paralysis, head tilt, disorientation, muscle weakness or paralysis, lameness, eye problems, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, abnormal heart rate or rhythm, atherosclerosis, suppressed immune system (susceptible to infections), anemia, abnormal cycles, infertility, and high puppy death rate. Sweet Lucy's hypothyroidism was detected with a routine senior blood panel during her yearly check up with my veterinarian. She had no noticeable symptoms, other than being a little less active and less social than usual. She also seemed to have just a bit oilier skin than normal. Lucy's hypothyroidism is controlled with thyroid hormone supplements. She now takes the prescription medication Soloxine (levothyroxine sodium) twice a day. It took several tries to find the right dosing for Lucy. Soloxine has perked Lucy up to her previous activity level. She is energetic and playful again! Online articles -- Hypothyroidism in Dogs by Wendy Brooks, DVM, and Hypothyroidism in Dogs by Cargill & Vargas (offsite links). Heart Murmur Shortly before Lucy turned 10 years of age, she was diagnosed with a heart murmur. At first, she needed no treatment, just continued evaluation. About a year later, Lucy's heart insufficiency advanced to the point where she needed to start medication for it. At first, she was only taking the prescription drug Enacard (enalapril maleate), but she's now on Lasix (furosemide) as well. These medications have increased her spunkiness and she is doing better overall. Enacard is an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. It is used as a vasodilator in the treatment of heart failure, cardiomyopathy and high blood pressure. Enacard helps the heart beat more efficiently, prevents fluid build-up in the lungs, lowers blood pressure, and improves ability to tolerate exercise. Lasix is a diuretic. It is a useful medication in conditions where the removal of excessive fluids would be beneficial, for example, congestive heart failure and edema. Its side effects include increased thirst and urination. Lucy's heart problems are caused by a 'leaky' heart valve. She has mitral valve insufficiency. Valvular insufficiency may also be called degenerative valve disease (DVD), endocardiosis, valvular regurgitation, or chronic valve disease. It refers to a noninfectious degeneration of the cardiac valves. Degenerative changes in the heart valves are common in older dogs. These changes alter the valves so that blood may leak backwards as the heart pumps. This results into a heart murmur that is audible to the veterinarian using a stethoscope. Grading the heart murmur is subjective based on how it sounds to the examiner. When no heart murmur is heard, the dog is said to be clear on auscultation. If a heart murmur is heard, it is graded as follows: Grade 1 - a very soft murmur that can only be detected after very careful auscultation, the lowest intensity that can be heard Grade 2 - a soft murmur that is readily evident (restricted to a localized area) Grade 3 - a moderately intense murmur not associated with a palpable precordial thrill (vibration), immediately audible when auscultation begins Grade 4 - a loud murmur, a palpable precordial thrill is not present or is intermittent Grade 5 - a loud cardiac murmur associated with a palpable precordial thrill, the murmur is not audible when the stethoscope is lifted from the chest wall Grade 6 - a loud cardiac murmur associated with a palpable precordial thrill, the murmur is audible even when the stethoscope is lifted from the chest wall Online article -- Degenerative Valve Disease by Dr. Robert Prošek (offsite link). * * * Update on Sweet Lucy, 2008 Allergic Bronchitis My American Hairless Terrier Sweet Lucy turned 13 years old in April 2008. She's one of the oldest AHTs alive today. In the past year or so, Lucy has developed a troublesome cough. Although cough can be a symptom of lung congestion from heart problems, Lucy's cough is not related to her heart condition. After many medication trials, tests, and exams (echocardiograms, chest x-rays, bronchial lavage etc.), it seems that she suffers from chronic, allergic bronchitis. Allergic bronchitis is a type of asthma, which causes the obstruction of the airways when the bronchi or the air passages of the lungs become filled up with mucous during an asthma attack. Typical medications for allergic bronchitis are steroids, antihistamines, bronchodilators, or a combination of these drugs. Lucy is currently on theophylline. Theophylline is a is a bronchodilator used to open air passages in the lungs. It relaxes the smooth muscle of the lung and thus makes it easier for the pet to breathe. Theophylline is used in the treatment of heart failure, pulmonary edema, bronchial asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Online articles -- Animals Can Suffer from Asthma by Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, Chronic, Allergic Bronchitis by the Merck Veterinary Manual, Chronic Bronchitis by Urban Hound, and Why is My Dog Coughing? by Roni Hines, DVM, PhD (offsite links). Hearing Loss Sweet Lucy has always had excellent hearing - until about a year ago (2007, age 12). Small dogs are generally considered to be seniors at age 10+ years, so Lucy is a senior citizen now. But she is still a spunky lady and many people think she's a puppy! :O) Some degree of hearing loss is common in older dogs because hearing deteriorates progressively with age. If I stand behind Lucy and call her in a regular, soft voice, she cannot hear me anymore. I need to talk fairly loudly to get her attention. She cannot hear my footsteps behind her either, so I always approach her from the front now. Otherwise she will get startled. Online articles -- Caring for Your Senior Dog by Karen Schweitzer (offsite link). * * * Update on Sweet Lucy, 2010 Jan 2010 Sweet Lucy is now almost 15 years old and she's as sweet as always, but her health problems have been slowly worsening over the last few years. She is practically deaf and can hear only very loud noises (maybe). It doesn't seem to bother her too much though, as she's good at reading hand signals and our body language. Lucy has also developed cataracts, but she can still see fairly well. Enough to manage her daily life. Lucy's asthma is more severe now and she's on two human inhalers, a During the last year or two, Lucy's skin condition has worsened. She now has wart-like skin growths over much of her body. They keep multiplying and growing in size. As they grow, many become irritated and inflamed. Oral antibitiotics and topical prescription creams have provided very little improvement. So, we are now considering removing the largest, most irritated masses to improve her quality of life. However, putting her under general anesthesia would be very risky due to her multiple health conditions (weak heart, chronic asthma, chronic tracheal irritation) and advanced age. Lucy has also developed some age-related degeneration in her low back, and her back legs are somewhat stiffer than before. She still runs and jumps a bit, but she cannot jump on the sofa anymore. It's too high. All her beds are now on the floor. In addition, Lucy has developed incontinence, both fecal and urinary. Until recently, she was very reliable with her house training. Now, if she has to go, she has to go! She can't hold very long. Every morning, and often during the day as well, I find some 'presents' (solid and liquid) from her. :O) Despite the above, she's still quite spunky and happy. She enjoys her daily activities. Most people are surprised when they hear her age.
Lucy's is trying to sneak out of her medication mask. She knows how long I keep the mask on and starts to wiggle out of it when the time is up. She can tell time. :O) In this photo, you can also see some of the smaller 'warts'. Feb 2010 After many exams, tests, and discussions of the pros and cons, I decided to proceed with the skin growth removal. I knew that this was a very high-risk surgery, especially the general anesthesia, due to Sweet Lucy's multiple health problems and her age (almost 15 years old), but I had confidence in my vet. Lucy had her mass removal surgery this month and thankfully everything went well. The 'warts' start as tiny bumps on the skin, but over time they grow larger and larger. They turn into cauliflower-like masses and start to bleed and ulcerate. The largest of Lucy's 'warts' grew quite quickly (pic link below). It looked different from the other skin growths and it also had a large mass extension under the skin. Despite oral and local antibiotics, the top of the 'wart' had become ulcerated. If you'd like to see a close-up photo of Lucy's ulcerated skin masses, here's a raw photo of the largest mass (not for small kids). In the photo you can also see how Lucy was covered in these 'warty' skin growths. The masses look especially raw in the photo because Lucy had just taken a bath and her skin was still wet.
Day of the surgery, first hours back home. The pink heart bandage covers Lucy's IV access site. I thought Lucy looked so cute wearing it. :O) Lucy had 15 skin growths and 2 abscessed teeth (discovered by x-ray) removed. Once she recovers from these procedures, she should feel much better. The inflamed 'warts' and abscessed teeth must have been quite painful.
Lucy's many stitches, one day after the surgery. After the surgery, Lucy was uncomfortable and obviously in pain despite being on two different pain medications (oral and patch). The next day, she was already feeling much better. She was eating, drinking, and starting to behave more like herself. The pathology report is still pending. More to come... Feb 2010 update continues... Ok, the pathology report is back. Not the best news. The largest mass turned out to be malignant. The 4 cm ulcerated mass was a sebaceous gland epithelioma. Fortunately, all margins were clear (the whole mass was removed) and there was no evidence of vascular or lymphatic invasion. This type of tumor is considered to be a low grade malignancy. However, we need to be watchful for any local recurrence. Sebaceous gland epitheliomas are fairly common in dogs. These tumors are often solitary nodules that ulcerate. They are locally aggressive, but rarely metastasize (spread). Online articles - Sebaceous and Modified Sebaceous Gland Tumors by National Canine Cancer Foundation, Viral papillomas and Sebaceous gland tumors by Mar Vista Animal Medical Center (offsite links).
Lucy's skin has healed well. This photo was taken 3 weeks after the surgery.
Lucy had a mass removed from her face as well because it was interfering with her For more pictures showing her skin growths, go to Lucy's 15th bday page.
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© Sweet Lucy's 1996 - 2010 |
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bronchodilator and a steroid. She gets her asthma medications through a mask and a spacer. The inhaled medicines, especially the steroid, provide her great relief, but they are expensive. The steroid inhaler costs $240 (120 doses) at my local pharmacy! She also takes medications for her hypothyroidism and heart problem. Fortunately, my American Automobile Association's (AAA) membership qualifies me for a small discount.
