Supporting Juniors

pigment cells as well as the cancer cells leading to depigmentation or a graying of the coat. Some concern has been expressed over the use of this vaccine, as the standard FDA clinical trials have not been completed. “The published data on the melanoma vaccine is a bit of a mixed bag,” says Dr. Hume. “One U.S. study shows a significant benefit, another does not. We do use the vaccine at Cornell, and our experience seems to mimic what is published. Some dogs seem to benefit, but others do not. “The dogs that seem to do best receive the vaccine in combination with other treatments, such as surgery and radiation therapy. There are some other things, such as tumor size and invasiveness, that we can use to help guide our decision making, but unfortunately there isn’t a perfect biomarker to help us predict who will benefit and who won’t,” she says. Veterinary colleges in Wisconsin, California, and Colorado are taking a different approach to canine cancer immunotherapy. They have started a five-year study using a universal “cancer vaccine” as a preventive measure.

In this case, the vaccine targets about 30 proteins found on cancer cells as a result of mutations. These proteins are not normally found on healthy dog cells, so the vaccine is designed to specifically target any abnormal cells that develop. The researchers hope to deter lymphoma, osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, and mast cell tumors (mastocytomas). These are fairly common, deadly canine cancers.

Autologous vaccines are being explored to help dogs with cancer. In an autologous vaccine, some of the dog’s own tumor cells are extracted, deactivated, and treated to stimulate an intense immune reaction. Multiple tumor antigens are present in the vaccine so theoretically the immune response should be very strong and very specific. This immunotherapy requires your veterinarian to send a sample of the tumor to a laboratory that then creates the vaccine. Your dog eventually receives enough vaccine for a minimum of three weekly injections.

So far, the autologous vaccines have primarily been used against solid cancers such as anal sac adenocarcinomas and transitional cell carcinomas. Some dogs have seen regression of their tumors, others have had tumors stabilize, and some have had no recurrence of a growth that was surgically removed. The Torigen Company has made personalized vaccines for 250 dogs and cats so far and will be publishing results soon.

Bottom Line

The best response comes from attacking cancer on multiple levels: immunotherapy, surgery, chemo, and radiation. “I think the future of cancer therapy involves a multimodal approach, meaning utilizing multiple different treatment strategies. There are some cancers where autologous vaccines might ultimately be part of a successful treatment approach,” says Dr. Hume.

“It’s always important to remember that cancer isn’t just one type of disease. Therefore, treatment regimens need to be tailored to individual patients,” says Dr. Hume, so each battle must be individualized to each dog.!

This article has been reprinted with permission from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s DOGWatch Newsletter, published by Belvoir Media Group, DOGWatch Newsletter.

DCA Juniors Committee Chair Melissa Heymann has been looking at ways to encourage Juniors to join DCA. The DCA Board recently passed a recommendation from the Juniors Committee to use the DCA Newsletter back cover to feature Junior members and their Best Junior wins. The Nationals Issue has always featured the DCA Best Junior Handler on the back cover. Many times the back cover goes unsold, so when it does, the DCA Newsletter editor, Lynne Dahlén, will now take submissions from DCA Junior Members to publish their Best Junior win photos on the back cover for free. Win photos can be emailed to her at lynnechuck83@twc.com. Photos must be accompanied by parental consent for publication (see sample wording at end of article).

Melissa wants to bring in & support new Junior members, not only in conformation, but also from other AKC performance and companion events. We want to be sure they are aware of the scholarship opportunities available to them through their participation in dog sports. Melissa feels that Juniors should be a member of the parent club to gain more knowledge in a breed they are passionate about. Being active in a parent or local specialty club can teach them valuable life skills. Members also receive the DCA Newsletter that is loaded with information on all different aspects of the breed.

Local Dachshund Club members should seek out Juniors showing dachshunds in their area and invite them to join a local specialty and the parent club. Local clubs always need help putting on shows and clubs can get creative at age appropriate responsibilities to put on a specialty, field trial or other dog events.

We are also excited to announce that soon-to-age-out DCA Junior Member Ava Hata has accepted an invitation to write a Juniors column for the DCA Newsletter! Ava has had an amazing Juniors Career and is an outspoken advocate for all things Juniors! Ava has participated in conformation juniors at the highest level, placing at Westminster. Ava also participates with her dachshund and 2 other dogs (a Flat Coated Retriever and a Beagle) in performance events and even titled dogs that she trained during the COVID pandemic.

The Juniors Committee is excited to offer a seminar for Juniors at DCA 2022 on the Illustrated Standard. This will include each Junior receiving a copy of the Illustrated Standard with Melissa and Emi Pedraza leading a discussion of featured sections. We are so lucky to have 2 accredited teachers to lead this large age range of 8-17 yrs. Discussion will be followed with a handson from several members volunteering dogs. Following the hands-on, the Juniors will be invited to bring their own dachshund for help in reviewing the structure and strengths of their own dogs related to showing in Juniors. The idea behind this seminar originally came from former Junior & Juniors advocate Angela Lloyd. We are happy to finally bring it to fruition post-covid.! _____________________________________________________________

Submitted by DCA Board Juniors Liaison, Sandy Arnold

I give the Dachshund Club of America permission to publish my child’s Junior Showmanship win photo(s) in their Quarterly Newsletter/Website/Facebook page for purposes of promoting Junior Showmanship with dachshunds.

Please include: the Junior’s name & age, parent’s name, signature & contact (email or phone #).

A parent can write or print out the above or similar text, submit a photo of that signed statement or email with electronic signature is also acceptable.