[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: SHEDDING now thyroid
- From: Pinehillgsds@xxxxxxx
- To: Barbara17236@xxxxxxx, Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 09:10:20 EDT
You know Barbara, you bring up something that is a real sore spot with me.
I know some kennels routinely use low dose thyroid meds, and I know it
can keep a bitch (particularly) in better show coats that with out.
HOWEVER once you start thyroid meds, you most likely will have to continue
for the rest of the dog's life. (Just ask anyone in the people category on
synthroid...one you start it is lifelong).
Now, back to dogs. IF a bitch, in a kennel situation or on the road w/ a
handler is put on low dose thyroid meds, and if her thyroid is sluggish
later when she comes off, (especially is the owner doesn't know to
test/supplement), and if that thyroid/med isn't monitored later when it comes
time to
breed her, you are looking at a bitch who is extremely difficult to
get/keep pregnant and if you are so lucky, small litter size.
Case in point, a friend w/ a male who didn't carry a lot of coat was told
by one of the big guns "just put him on thyroid meds, that's what we do".
(For clarification, NOT one of the "K" kennels, lol).
Well, at the time I had a bitch here to be bred, (who'd been with the same
outfit ) that I had been running progesterone on, who just wouldn't
ovulate. And I mean, just wouldn't...she went out of season without EVER
ovulating. On a hunch I ran a thyroid panel and it was nonexistent. Not only
nonexistent, but some of the levels were just screwy. So she went back to her
owner not bred. Can I prove anything....no. I'd bet the house though and
I'm not much of a gambler:(
Well, this kind of "stuff" happens but anybody who knows me knows my head
just spun around at that point. I mean, what the h*ll is the point of
campaigning, proving them in the BREED ring if later their capacity to
reproduce
is NILL??????? And that doesn't take into consideration the $$$$$ and
emotional toll of not being able to get a good one in whelp.
And....it starts at the top. Can anyone please tell me why a BREED judge
faults a bitch in the BREED ring who has blown coat???? I thought our
judges had a requirement that they'd actually bred CHs, so wouldn't it be
true,
if they'd actually BRED dogs that they'd know 2x a year A BITCH BLOWS
COAT???? Or is that asking for too much common sense?????? The obvious
answer
is to leave the gal home, but not if her blowing coat coincides w/ the
schedule for a big dance, right?
So we have bitches put on cheq, dogs/bitches put on thyroid meds, in the
old days and w/ some breeds arsenic was used to grow coat, sometimes owners
know, sometimes there's no doubt in my mind they don't.
Now, I know as a dog gets older their thyroid function naturally
diminishes. I know a thyroid work up should be part of a pre-breeding
screening. I
know if a thyroid is low in a bitch nearing the end of her reproductive
years, treating, monitoring etc. ups the odds for a successful pregnancy.
But that's NOT what I'm talking about.
What BLOWS MY MIND is just how often and HOW CAVALIERLY things are thrown
into the food bowl that can have a devastating affect on reproduction
later.
So I was chatting about this w/ my reproductive guru about how angry I was
(he has labs...dogs), and he basically told me I was naive. He said in may
breeds the best bitch is sent out and her sister is kept home to breed.
He said I should expect artificial means to keep a bitch in coat and/or
prevent her from coming in season, which obviously would keep her in coat too.
In their breed (labs) they send dogs out to be field trailed for their
dual titles and he said a handler carrying a rig of dogs just can't afford a
bitch coming into season. I guess it throws off the boys and naturally
all the owners have quite a bit in handling fees...so it's just expected.
Well, IF I ever send a bitch out, she can just come home when she comes in
season or is out of coat. If a gal stays here long enough to be grown
out/campaigned, her reproductive career is so much more important than a win.
Kathy, member GSDCA, DVGSDC
Celebrating generations of Dual Titled TC'd Champions
visit www.geocities.com/pinehillgsds
In a message dated 5/29/2009 7:45:57 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
barbara17236@xxxxxxx writes:
This is why some kennels put there show dogs on a low dose of thyroid
medication. Kennel situations can be very stressful, and the dogs will blow
coat, or tend to have poor coats. Thyroid levels can be affected by stress,
too.
B Hively
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