Kiri's Clear!  − 21 March, 2008

So Kiri is over her Pyometra infection, thankfully. My vets (who are absolutely terrific) pronounced her “all clear” and I was told that I needed to line up necessary tests and a male – she will have to be bred on her next heat cycle to normalize her reproductive tract.
I had been planning on breeding her some day, but I didn’t think that day would be so soon.
So I had blood pulled for a thyroid test. Thyroid issues are common in German Shepherd Dogs (with the worldwide popularity of the breed, they are pretty much the poster child for just about every canine disease) and I want to make sure her thyroid is producing normal amounts of hormones. Hypo- or hyper-thryroid can spell disaster if left untreated.
I had her hips x-rayed when she turned a year old. The films were sent off to both the OFA (the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals – the “Gold Standard” for American breeders) for preliminary ratings (a dog must be 24 months for the “official” rating) and they came back with her hips rated “Good” and elbows “Normal.” I sent a set of films to the SV as well (the SV is the parent club of the German Shepherd Dog in Germany) for their hip and elbow “stamp.” The United States is the only country where the dog is 2 years of age before the official orthopedic scoring is recorded – just about every other country rates hips and elbows at 12 months old. The SV scored her hips as “a” normal and her elbows normal – their highest ratings.
Kiri is scheduled for a Cardiac screening today and will get her eyes “CERF”ed on the 25th. Many breeds of dogs are prone to heart issues – murmurs, aortic stenosis among other things, and as there is definitely a genetic link, I want to make sure she is clear and has a healthy heart. A CERF exam is an eye exam to make sure that her eyes are also normal. As Florida is a “sun belt” state, there is an increased risk of eye diseases like Pannus. Some dogs also have genetic incidence of retinal problems, cataracts, etc. I want to make sure it isn’t something I might reproduce in a litter of puppies.
I am doing all these tests not only to ascertain Kiri’s own health, but to make sure she is free of any genetic illness that would potentially affect any puppies she may have. I certainly don’t want to produce dogs with problems – I want to make sure I am not only producing healthy puppies, but IMPROVING the breed as well – the only reason to breed a litter, in my opinion.
I have chosen a really wonderful male – a strong, sound, correct German Shepherd Dog with multiple titles to prove his worth. He is also genetically “clear” and has been bred before, so I know the quality he passes on. Though I hadn’t intended to breed Kiri so soon, at least I know I will be producing a litter of genetically sound puppies, with a lot of potential. I am looking forward to being midwife and “grandma” to Kiri and her babies. I can’t wait to see what is produced and how they grow. I have a lot of friends interested in a Kiri baby, so I have most of an average-sized litter spoken for already, and I have some really good friends who plan to generously donate their time and energy to help me with the puppies. They say it takes a village… :)