Boerboels with SAS

[Tamara]

Has anyone had any experience with boerboels that have SAS???

[kristen aiello]

I don't have any personal experience with subaortic stenosis.  How old is your dog and how long ago was he/she diagnosed?  From what I've read, it's hereditary and can vary in severity.  Mild cases may go undetected or cause very few symptoms while severe cases can be debilitating.  Newfies, German Shepherds, Boxers, Rotties, Goldens and Bull Terriers all seem to be predisposed to the condition.  I wish you luck if you are dealing with this.

[Tamara]

Thank you for your reply and info.  Unfortunately it is severe sas, so I am really trying to find people that have some experience to talk to regarding all of it-diagnosed at 5months old!

kristen aiello said:

I don't have any personal experience with subaortic stenosis.  How old is your dog and how long ago was he/she diagnosed?  From what I've read, it's hereditary and can vary in severity.  Mild cases may go undetected or cause very few symptoms while severe cases can be debilitating.  Newfies, German Shepherds, Boxers, Rotties, Goldens and Bull Terriers all seem to be predisposed to the condition.  I wish you luck if you are dealing with this.

[kristen aiello]

So sorry to hear that.  Our pups are family members, it's heart wrenching to see them sick.  Do you mind if I ask who the breeder is?  The parents shouldn't be bred again.

[Gijsbert Niels Terlaak Poot]

Hello,

 

How is your dog right now? My boy is diagnosed with moderate aortic stenosis. The vet told me it can go either way: a normal life or sudden death. Bomani was born on april 7, 2009, and is showing no signs so far. But I stopped intense training with him. Yours kindly, Gijs

[Tamara]

Gijs,

First, I want you to know that my boy had SEVERE SAS and Mitral Valve Dysplasia, diagnosed at 5 months old....a poor prognosis.  With moderate sas, there is a much better prognosis-and can lead a somewhat normal life.  Some exercise is good, you want to keep his heart as healthy as possible.  There are meds that they can prescribe to take some of the pressure off of the heart as not to work it so hard, I am sure when needed your cardiologist will let you know.  My boy went into afib, then heart failure...when life was no longer good for him, and he was just over a year old, I helped him up to heaven's gate.......saddest day of my life.  He was progressively getting more tired, had labored breathing, and starting to cough, as the fluid was backing up into his lungs.  Heart disease is progressive and chronic and cannot be cured.  With mild/moderate, however, there is a better chance to manage it for a longer life.

My best advice to you is to watch for signs of lethargy, and lack of energy and any changes in behavior.  There is also a drug called pimobendan (vetmedin) that may be helpful--quite expensive, however.  Make sure the echocardiogram is repeated periodically to evaluate any changes.  I am happy to give you any info that will be helpful.

Was he from a litter that was inbred??  Does the breeder know?  This is a hereditary disease.  I have been researching a lot of this, and have gained much knowledge about the disease and complications.  With Sas, the dog will not be as big as the normal dog.

Any questions you may have, I am happy to answer.

Wishing you the best--it is a heartbreaking diagnosis, but I pray that yours is manageable for a long and happy life!

 

Gijsbert Niels Terlaak Poot said:

Hello,

 

 

How is your dog right now? My boy is diagnosed with moderate aortic stenosis. The vet told me it can go either way: a normal life or sudden death. Bomani was born on april 7, 2009, and is showing no signs so far. But I stopped intense training with him. Yours kindly, Gijs

[Gijsbert Niels Terlaak Poot]

Hello Tamara,

 

I am very sorry to read about this. I have read your question only this morning (our local time right now is 19:25) and I would have answered to you differently if I had known about your sad experience. My apologies and sincere condolences!

 

Bomani is indeed lighter and smaller than he should be and smaller than his two brothers especially regarding the width of his chest. He has always made a somewhat lazy impression but he is my first Boerboel and I was used to Amstaffs. As far as I know he was not inbred but I have found some "problems" in his bloodline. At the time he was examined he could run 10 miles without pause and without a problem, immediately afterwards follow a track for 45 minutes and 3 miles and have a go at a helper for 15 minutes. After that four hour training session he had steam enough left to play with me. That was half a year ago; immediately after the examination I stopped the training and now he does only light exercises.

 

I have informed the breeder about this but got no reaction at all; I do not know whether she knew. I should have paid more attention to this breeder in the first place as during my visit she did some things I should not have done. I have some experience as a breeder myself, having bred Amstaffs. Bomani's father has been euthanised by the breeder; she has euthanised three males in two years for reasons unknown but apparently she could not handle those males. I also informed others through forums and emails about the "problems" in Bomani's bloodline in order to prevent accidental wrong breeding combinations. This action probably has made me some enemies in the Boerboel world.

 

I have searched in order to find the best cardiologist who has experience in this field in my vicinity and seemingly this guy lives in Germany. So I wrote him a letter and an email and offered to pay him even for spending time reading my message but I got no answer at all. I am willing to pay in order to keep my friend in good condition; people who incidentally take care of my dog when I am away for business know they don't have to call me to ask permission for a medical treatment of my dog when the charge is 10.000 Euro or less. I am not wealthy and for me that is a great deal of money but I do not want them to waste time by calling me when my dog needs medical attention urgently.

 

But I learned that dogs suffering from this condition do not get surgery and besides the results would be questionable. The vet who examined him told me to come back when he is three years or immediately when he should become unconsious. I have made the decision to make his life as good as possible; in my opinion that is not the same as a life as long as possible. For some reason I always have owned dogs that all behaved very well and were good in their jobs but never lived as long as could be expected for the breed. Bomani is also a very nice dog although he seems to be very cautious and seems to have a much softer spirit than the dogs I have had before. But his tail is nearly always straight up.

 

Yours kindly, Gijs

[Lee May]

Sorry To hear you both are going through a very Ruff time. Good Luck and hope things work out well for both of you. Peace Lee

[Gijsbert Niels Terlaak Poot]

Thank you, I appreciate that very much !

Lee May said:

Sorry To hear you both are going through a very Ruff time. Good Luck and hope things work out well for both of you. Peace Lee

[Tamara]

I just got your message, sorry for the delay!  My Boy was also very cautious-I think his condition probably warranted this behavior.........I am sorry that you don't have a great cardiologist nearby.  Mine was only an hour away.  The breeders should be more conscientious when breeding....checking genetics and bloodlines!!!  This is so very sad!  I agree with you on a quality life...my boy let me know when it was time--spit his biscuits out as well as having a very had time breathing due to heart failure.   It is expensive to deal with something like this, but worth it--boerboels are amazing!  Just keep your eyes open for any cIhanges.....the ultrasound of the heart and any changes in progression were very helpful to me in knowing where we were in relation to the disease (echocardiogram).  If there are changes, xrays will help to show if there is any build up of fluid in the lungs.  We discovered that afib--irregular rate and rhythm of the heart-was another progression in our case.  The sympathetic nervous system also played a part in our journey--when a dog is in fight/flight mode the adrenaline increases the heart rate--I tried to prevent any situations that would compromise his heart in this way--so, I let him be cautious and didn't put him in uncomfortable situations to trigger this.  I still love my boy in my heart every day and my heart has suffered too. I, again, am happy to share anything I can with you....and I wish that I would have done more research on my breeder as well--they are in control to a certain degree in the litters they are producing.  In my opinion, it is best to make sure that others do not have to go through this--I think making others aware of the bloodlines is an important step in the right direction.  Have you seen the site: molasserdeboren.net/pedigree ?  Also here, we have the OFA - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, they record information regarding genetic problems.  These are our friends and companions--we need to do what we can to improve their health!

 

 

Hugs!  Love to Bomani!

Tamara

[Tamara]

Lee May said:

Sorry To hear you both are going through a very Ruff time. Good Luck and hope things work out well for both of you. Peace Lee

[Tamara]

Thank you Lee--It is heartbreaking...........

 

Gijsbert Niels Terlaak Poot said:

Thank you, I appreciate that very much !

Lee May said:

Sorry To hear you both are going through a very Ruff time. Good Luck and hope things work out well for both of you. Peace Lee

[Amy Court]

Hi Tamara,

Heartfelt blessings to you, your beloved boy and your family.  I am not familiar with this condition but would appreciate anyone offering symptoms to watch for. 

 

Happy thoughts,

 

Amy