01/03/2021
Gem Rowe has this published in Our Dogs newspaper on L2 HGA and health testing. This is ABSOLUTELY relevant.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Health and a Buyers Responsibility
In the midst of the pandemic I have been reading through the vast posts online of people desperate to find a puppy, a common situation currently found amongst many breeds with the impact of coronavirus being felt across the globe.
What is alarming is the amount of people that do not understand the seriousness of the hereditary conditions that exist within the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, they can therefore lack consideration toward health testing when buying a puppy which should always be amongst the top priorities. Comments such as ‘I do not want to show...’, ‘it is just a pet...’, seem to be a precursor that health testing therefore isn’t so important.
Yet behind the scenes those struggling with the devastating consequences of what is arguably one of the worst identified conditions in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, L-2-HGA (L-2 hydroxyglutaric aciduria) are the very same people that purchased their puppy just to be a part of their lives, to simply enjoy the unconditional love and affection that every Staffordshire Bull Terrier provides.
L-2-HGA is a metabolic disorder where acid levels in urine are not metabolised correctly and this causes changes in the grey matter in the brain. Symptoms can become apparent at an early age and range in severity. They can include, but are not limited to, an unsteady gait, fits, cramps and acting abnormally, all which can be very distressing to witness (various footage can be found online).
Back in 2001 Carley Abramson, a neurology vet at the Animal Health Trust, circulated a request to veterinarians asking them to monitor any Staffordshire Bull Terriers that presented with symptoms of tremors, seizures, muscle stiffness, ataxia or altered behaviour. At that stage only two Staffordshire Bull Terriers had been diagnosed with the condition.
The disease also exists in humans and a breakthrough was made in 2005 with the gene responsible for L-2-HGA being discovered from samples taken from a Turkish family. Armed with the samples collected from affected dogs and this new discovery the Animal Health Trust were then able to also identify the genetic mutation.
The gene responsible is autosomal recessive which in layman terms means a copy has to be inherited from each parent for a dog to be affected. Dogs can therefore have one copy of the gene and not shows symptoms but are then known as carriers and can still pass on the gene responsible to their offspring.
So with an inexpensive DNA test in place to identify L-2-HGA this meant that no longer would there ever be any reason for a Staffordshire Bull Terrier to be born affected by this distressing disease. That surely was a reasonable expectation?
15 years down the line I have been made aware of three cases in the last few months alone which is startling. It has been written online that ‘as it isn’t common it’s not worth testing’, but how can anybody that pertains to love the breed justify even one dog being born affected?
There is just no excuse.
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Recent studies of the Breed Record Supplements show just how worryingly the potential is for L-2- HGA to become more commonplace. Untested dogs and bi***es with known carriers behind them are being bred without being tested. It is a ticking time bomb when the reality is that by now this disease could and should have been eradicated!
We desperately need buyers to start asking more of the breeders as the breeders on their own have not stepped up collectively. Yes, those involved with breed clubs have thankfully met the mark, but a large amount of those not involved with breed clubs have sadly not. This is one of many reasons why the best way to source a puppy is through a dedicated breed club.
For as long as people don’t expect or request puppies to come from health tested parents there will always be people that won’t do it. It should be expected and people buying puppies have a huge part to play in ensuring this moving forward.
In my role as the Lead Breed Health Coordinator, alongside Nicky Mason, we are hoping that we will see the Kennel Club supporting the breed clubs in requesting that only puppies from parents with a known health status with regard to L-2-HGA and HC (only those conditions where a DNA test is available) are registered. As a breed we have spent 15 years trying to advise people about the disease and push the health testing as much as we can, but we need further support. Only the Kennel Club and puppy buyers can do more...
Gem Rowe (Staffordshire Bull Terrier Lead Breed Health Coordinator)
