IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING CHANGES IN "THE ANGEL FUND"
FROM THE DESK OF DR. KAREN TOBIAS
03/05/2007 03:12
From: Karen M Tobias/SACS/VET/UTIA
To: Susan M Schwarten/SACS/VET/UTIA@UTIA
Subject : Angel Fund Update..03/05/07
We are not doing any more breeding studies. We just finished spaying and
castrating all of our breeding animals and their pups and obtained liver
biopsies from them. Although the two most recent pups had normal bile
acids at 6 weeks of age, they were slighlty increased at 6 months of age
(one was 14 and 9, the other 9 and 38) and both had MVD. Their mother
Trouble had a nearly normal liver (still some mild changes) 1.5 years after
surgery, which is good for a shunt dog.
All of the folks that have contacted us lately have wanted to donate dogs
for breeding; I told them that the breeding study has ended. I am asking
them to contact YTNR or other rescue agencies so that more experienced
folks can deal with the screening of potential adoptive parents and a
wider placement pool.
We've currently got 3 projects:
1. Response of small breed dogs to steroids after shunt ligation. This is
because some of the dogs- expecially the tiny Yorkies- are having signs of
low cortisol (stress hormones) after surgery, leading to slower recovery
and poor blood sugar control. The preliminary work was supported by the
Angel Fund; the major study has been funded by the AKC.
2. DNA collection on shunt Yorkies that have a normal sibling. The
sibling must have normal bile acids (less than 5 and less than 10, or less
than 10 and less than 15, depending on the lab). We are freezing samples
from both. This is being supported by the Angel Fund.
3. Liver tissue evaluation on Yorkies with normal bile acids, and any
shunt dog 4 or more months after shunt surgery. We recently received
biopsy results on a healthy Yorkie puppy with bile acids 14 and 9 that had
microvascular dysplasia on the liver biopsy. Previously we would have
considered these bile acids normal for a Yorkie (though our normals are
less than 10 and less than 15). We had a Maltese that only had fed bile
acids (they were 2); this dog also had microvascular dysplasia on liver
biopsies. I'm working with a Tennessee practitioner that sees alot of pet
Yorkies; she will hopefully be providing me with samples from Yorkie with
normal bile acids. We'll offer free spays or castrations to our shunt
owners if they'd like to come back to us. This is being supported by the
Angel Fund.
You're welcome to forward this info on to anyone. Karen
Dr. Karen Tobias has performed many successful surgeries to correct liver shunts in yorkies and has dedicated much of her research to identifying a genetic marker that will make it possible for all breeders of Yorkshire Terriers to be able to know, in advance, what dogs and bitches are carrying the disease and therefore avoid breeding to them and to intelligently remove them all from all breeding programs. To date, studies have conclusively shown this disease to be hereditary in Yorkshire Terriers, Cairn Terriers and Irish Wolfhounds.
Liver shunts cause serious and sometimes fatal outcomes in dogs. A liver shunt, or portosystemic shunt, is a normal fetal blood vessel that in the womb bypasses liver tissue, allowing the mother’s system to filter out toxins for the developing baby. In some animals, however, the shunt remains open after the animal is born, compromising its liver function, slowing growth, and eventually resulting in death of many affected animals. Congenital portosystemic shunts may be repaired with traditional surgical approaches, but a technique developed at the University of Tennessee several years ago implants an ameroid constrictor, a tiny C-shaped piece of metal ring. The constrictor fits around the shunt, causing it to slowly shut down over several weeks. Dogs receiving this method of surgical repair generally have a shorter surgery and fewer postoperative complications than traditional methods.
"IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANGEL FUND"
BreedingColony/Program of Liver Shunt Dogs
The University of Tennessee Angel Fund for Portosystemic Shunts was developed for the following reasons:
1. to continue to support our breeding dogs so that mode of inheritance can be determined; and
2. to support other research efforts in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of this disease.
The Angel Fund is solely for liver shunts....it does not matter what breed. It is because of the support/donations made to this fund that Dr. Tobias is able to continue her research on finding the mode of inheritance (research is expensive). We have reduced the price of all shunt surgeries (much based on what we've learn from Angel Fund clinical studies) so that it is often times less than half of other facilities.
With regards to the support of the breeding dogs.....I would like to explain how this works so folks can understand and there are no misconceptions. The dogs that Dr. Tobias has accepted as donations for the breeding colony/program had their surgeries paid for through the Angel Fund and then were placed in loving homes within the "UT Family". I have the 2 males that were selected for the breeding program. The only expenses paid for from the Angel Fund for these babies is for the surgery, recheck BAT's and if there would be any other medical expense that would be related to the liver shunt or a pregnancy that would be related to the breeding of these dogs (of which we've only produced 2 litters thus far). All other expenses incurred for care and such on these babies is the sole responsibility of the individual in who's home the dog was placed. For example, my youngest one, Mouse, was donated and accepted into the breeding program. However, he is no longer in the breeding program. Last summer, he developed prostatitis, spent a total of 6 days in ICU. Once it was cleared up, Dr. Tobias neutered him. All the expenses incurred while he was in ICU, etc. were totally my reponsibility.
As far as the litters that have been produced. The first litter was born November 2, 2001 . We had 2 pups in that litter, a boy and a girl. Neither had shunts and both were spayed/neutered and are not in the breeding program. Bruno is the little boy from that litter. Our second litter was born May 22, 2006 . Same daddy (my Toughie) and different mother. We had 2 babies in this litter - a boy and a girl neither of which have shunts. These pups stayed with mom until last week. The pups were placed in loving homes - each with one of the nurses at UT. At this point, Dr. Tobias is not going to spay/neuter either. When they become of age, she would like to breed each of them with one of the corrected shunt babies in the colony.
UT does not have a program whereby people can apply for financial assistance for liver shunt surgeries or other medical care. However, we do occasionally pay for shunt surgeries if the surgery will help us learn something new/ further Dr. Tobias's reseach (for example, we did have 2 Deerhound puppies with intrahepatic shunts that were paid partially by the Angel Fund and partially by a clinical study being done with our radiology department on the use of a CT scanner in diagnosing shunts).
We do now offer Care Credit that people can apply for.
I hope this clarifies/explains the functions and purpose of the UT Angel Fund.
History
In 1999, Dr. Karen Tobias began an epidemiologic study of Yorkshire Terriers and other dogs with shunt at 24 Veterinary Teaching Hospitals and a pedigree analysis of Yorkshire Terriers with single congenital portosystemic shunts (PSS). Her objectives were
1. to determine the risk of development of single congenital PSS in Yorkshire Terriers;
2. to prove that congenital PSS are hereditary in this breed;
3. to determine the mode of inheritance of this disease in Yorkshire Terriers;
4. to determine which other breeds have the greatest risk of being diagnosed with PSS.
Through this research Dr. Tobias showed that single congenital liver shunts were inherited in Yorkshire Terriers; however, the mode of inheritance has yet to be determined. Many other breeds are also at great risk for development of this birth defect. Fortunately, the disease is surgically correctable in most of patients, but surgery requires great financial and emotional investment from the pets' owners.
Through generous donations by breeders and animal lovers, Dr. Tobias has been able to start a "colony of shunt dogs" to be used for breeding. After their shunts have been surgically corrected, these dogs are placed in loving homes and will be bred to each other when they reach an appropriate age and size. Puppies produced by the breedings will be evaluated for liver shunts, treated as needed, and adopted into our veterinary community. We hope that this breeding program will help us determine the mode of inheritance of this disease, so that future breeders can make educated decisions on how best to eliminate the disease from their gene pool.
Please help us continue to search for the cause and cure of this disease by considering a financial donation to this fund.
Donations should be sent to:
University of Tennessee
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
C247 Veterinary Teaching Hospital
Knoxville, TN 37996-4544
Checks should be made payable to:
THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
Indicate that the donation is for the ANGEL FUND
For more information on congenital portosystemic shunts, see our web site at:
