HEALTH & WELFARE Articles on DCM, Tick Diseases and Cancer Immunotherapy

Welcome to the “Health and Welfare”segment of the Newsletter. It is hoped that DCA members will submit ideas for this section of the magazine as well as articles about experiences pertaining to the healthcare of their dogs that will be of interest to other readers.

Please send ideas, suggestions and articles to the Dachshund Club of America Newsletter Editor.

HOPE FOR THE DIET-RELATED DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY DILEMMA

For several years, scientists have been investigating the increase in reported cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dog breeds without a genetic predisposition to this disease. Other factors such as toxin exposure, infectious agents, and/or nutrition could contribute to disease development in these dogs, but diet has received the most attention.

What is Dilated Cardiomyopathy?

Dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, is a disease where the heart becomes enlarged and the muscle cannot contract or pump adequately to provide normal blood flow throughout the body. Clinical signs in dogs include increased heart rate, coughing, difficulty breathing, weakness, and fainting. Arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, or sudden death are also possible. Treatment involves the use of medications to support heart function and remove excess fluid from the lungs. Unfortunately, the disease is rarely reversible except in a small number of cases that respond to supplementation with the amino acid taurine.

With funding from the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) Grant 02661: Investigation into Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs, a team of investigators at several US veterinary colleges screened apparently healthy dogs eating various diet types to better understand the extent of the problem and look for potential causes. They found higher levels of troponin in dogs eating diets that were grainfree or had peas, lentils, and potatoes as main ingredients.1 Troponin is a protein found only inside heart muscle cells. It leaks into the blood stream when heart muscle cells are damaged, making it a good biomarker or indicator of heart damage.

Investigators hypothesized that these increased troponin levels indicated low-level heart muscle cell damage in these otherwise healthy dogs.

While the investigation into diet-related DCM continues, CHF awarded a Summer Veterinary Student Educational Grant to Dana Haimovitz, a veterinary student at the University of Florida, to assist Principal Investigator Dr. Darcy Adin with data collection and analysis. Ms. Haimovitz (class of 2023) analyzed data on 20 dogs eating grain-free diets with subclinical heart damage from the original study. Physical exams, blood tests, and echocardiograms were performed on these dogs every three months for one year to see if their subclinical heart damage would improve after a diet change. In fact, troponin levels and left ventricular internal systolic diameter (a measure of heart contraction or function) decreased after one year of eating a

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diet containing grains. These results were presented during a poster session at the 2021 AKC Canine Health Foundation National Parent Club Canine Health Conference and were recently published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.2

Additional study is ongoing to explore exactly how grain-free diets or those with peas, lentils, and potatoes as main ingredients contribute to subclinical heart damage and DCM in dogs. However, these latest findings offer hope. Results show that heart muscle cells can recover, and that subclinical damage appears to be reversible.

CHF and its donors remain committed to studying diet-related DCM and other types of canine heart disease. Learn more about this research at akcchf.org/cardiologyRPA. Working together, we can help all dogs live longer, healthier lives.

References:

1. Adin, D, Freeman, L, Stepien, R, et al. Effect of type of diet on blood and plasma taurine concentrations, cardiac biomarkers, and echocardiograms in 4 dog breeds. J Vet Intern Med. 2021; 1– 15. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16075 2. Haimovitz, D., Vereb, M., Freeman, L., Goldberg, R., Lessard, D., Rush, J., & Adin, D. (2022). Effect of diet change in healthy dogs with subclinical cardiac biomarker or echocardiographic abnormalities. J Vet Intern Med. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.1641

SOME TICK BITES CAN CAUSE A LIFETHREATENING MEAT ALLERGY

By Dr. Elena Frid

Many of you already know about the various infections that a tick bite can transmit, sometimes leading to life-altering diseases and symptoms. But did you know that a tick bite may also lead to a meat allergy?

Alpha-gal allergy came on the medical radar in 2002, when a number of patients exhibited an allergic reaction to the cancer drug Cetuximab. It was later discovered that Cetuximab contains the same alpha-gal sugar as meat. A connection between tick bites and meat allergy was made only after the scientist involved in this research, Thomas Platts-Mills of the University of Virginia, was himself bitten by a tick and developed the allergy.

Alpha-gal is a sugar that is found in mammalian meat such as cows, sheep, and pigs. The allergy often stems from exposure to the lone star tick, which contains the same sugar in its saliva. Researchers from the University of Virginia estimate there are over 1,500 cases of alpha-gal allergy in the U.S. These cases are more prevalent in areas where the lone star tick is found.

The allergic reaction is often difficult to diagnose clinically, because it is delayed. Most patients won’t exhibit symptoms for at least two to six hours after ingesting a meal. Thus, a connection between the meal and the allergic reaction is not easily made.

The symptoms that one should look out for are:

Stuffy or runny nose Nausea/vomiting Swollen tongue Indigestion Hives or rash Itchy skin Sneezing Shortness of breath Exacerbation of Asthma symptoms Anaphylactic reaction with throat closure

If you suspect a meat allergy, your allergist can perform blood or skin testing to confirm the diagnosis. If your allergic reaction is severe, I recommend carrying an EpiPen.

Often the treatment is avoiding the allergen, in this case mammalian meat products. However, in my practice, I have seen patients whose meat allergies and other sensitivities improved after their underlying medical problem has been treated. Thus, after the tick-borne infection, or inflammation, or autoimmune process is resolved, the meat allergy goes away.

It’s essential to avoid re-exposure to ticks. continued on next page...

Therefore, I advise everyone to think about tick and insect prevention not only in the summer months but whenever you spend time outdoors. Protect your yard, your pets and yourselves.

Dr. Elena Frid is a board-certified neurologist and clinical neurophysiologist in New York City. She treats children and adults with complex cases of Lyme disease and co-infections resulting in multiple neurological complaints. elenafridmd.com

LYME DISEASE IN DOGS: SYMPTOMS, TESTS, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTION

By Harriet Meyers (AKC)

The C6 test detects antibodies against a protein called “C6”. Presence of the antibodies suggests an active Lyme infection. The C6 antibodies can be detected three to five weeks after an infected tick bites a dog and may be found in the bloodstream even before the dog shows signs of illness.

The next step is to do a Quant C6 test. This, along with urinalysis will help determine if antibiotic treatment is necessary.

What are the symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs?

Lyme disease is, unfortunately, a fairly common canine disease. Typical symptoms in dogs include:

Fever Loss of appetite

How is Lyme Disease Treated?

Treatment includes antibiotics, usually for at least 30 days. This often resolves symptoms quickly, but in some cases, the infection will persist and prolonged medication may be needed. Treatment can also include other therapies aimed at resolving or relieving specific symptoms.

• Reduced energy Lameness (can be shifting, intermittent, and recurring) Generalized stiffness, discomfort, or pain

Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a bacterial illness that can be transmitted to humans, dogs, and other animals by certain species of ticks. It is caused by the spiral-shaped bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi that is carried inside a tick and gets into a dog or person’s bloodstream through a tick bite. Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria can travel to different parts of the body and cause problems in specific organs or locations, such as joints, as well as overall illness.

Given the seriousness of Lyme disease, it’s important to be aware of tick prevention and treatment for dogs.

Where Do Ticks Live?

The ticks that carry Lyme disease are especially likely to be found in tall grasses, thick brush, marshes, and woods — waiting to latch onto your dog when he passes by. A tick can transmit the disease once it has been attached to a dog for 24 to 48 hours.

First named when a number of cases occurred in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975, the disease can be hard to detect and can cause serious, ongoing health problems in both dogs and people.

Lyme disease happens in every state, but infection risks vary. Over 95% of cases are from the Northeast, the Upper Midwest, and the Pacific coast, although with recent changes in deforestation, migrating deer, and bird populations, percentage rates in these areas are constantly changing.

A small number of cases crop up each year along the West Coast, especially Northern California. In Canada, Lyme-positive dogs are found mostly in southern Ontario and southern Manitoba. A smaller number of cases are

How do Ticks Get on People and Dogs?

Ticks don’t jump or fly; they can only crawl. They get onto their host by waiting at the tips of vegetation. When a dog or person brushes against a bush, for example, the tick quickly grabs on and then crawls to find a place to bite.

Swelling of joints Symptoms can progress to kidney failure, which can be fatal. Serious cardiac and neurological effects can also occur.

The primary carrier of Lyme disease is the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), also called the “deer tick” or “bear tick.” The tick acquires the Lyme disease bacterium when it feeds on an animal that has been infected, such as a mouse, deer, or other mammal, and then transmits the bacterium to the next animal it feeds on.

How are Dogs Tested for Lyme Disease?

Diagnosis is made by a combination of history, physical signs, and diagnostics. For dogs, the two blood tests for diagnosing Lyme disease are called the C6 Test and Quant C6 test. Veterinarians perform both.

Can I Catch Lyme Disease From my Dog?

Dogs are not a direct source of infection for people. Lyme disease can’t be transmitted from one pet to another, nor from pets to humans, except through tick bites. However, a carrier tick could come into your house on your dog’s fur and get on you. If your dog is diagnosed with Lyme disease, you and any other pets have probably been in the same outdoor environment and may also be at risk, so it is a good idea to consult with your physician and veterinarian to see whether you should test other pets or family members.

Other Canine Diseases Carried by Ticks

Ticks can also carry several other less common but serious bacterial diseases affecting dogs, including anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Anaplasmosis can involve symptoms similar to those for Lyme disease. Babesiosis can present with a wide range of symptoms, from sudden and severe shock, high fever, and dark urine to a slowly progressing infection with more subtle clinical signs. Diagnosis of both diseases includes blood tests similar to those used to check for Lyme disease.

Sometimes, dogs and people can become sick with “co-infection” of multiple tick-borne diseases, where more than one type of diseasecausing bacteria is transmitted through a tick bite. This situation can make diagnosis and treatment even more challenging and difficult.

How Can I Prevent My Dog From Getting Lyme Disease or Other Tick-borne Illnesses?

Recommendations on preventing ticks include these from AKC’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr.

Jerry Klein:

Inspect your dogs and yourself daily for ticks continued on page 12...

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She began at 12 months old with a BOV, 3-point major in her first show, THANK you Judge Linda Hurlebaus. Next, she won Best Smooth Puppy at the 2021 DCA National Show, THANK you Judge Lisa Fisher. She then won a 5-point major and two 4-point majors. THANK you, Judge Neena Van Camp, for the championship win! SPECIAL THANKS to Dianne Graham, Jerry Cerasini, and Roger Brown for allowing us to breed our Kelly (GCH Lindmont’s Pilot Flying Solo) to their handsome Shadow (GCH Diagram Moon Shadow v Brownwood SS) Andra O’Connell is an excellent/talented photographer, we APPRECIATE the photo of Gracie on the rock! Yes, she “rocks” like the song we have danced to many times. One of the lyrics in Ms Grace is, “Ooh ooh ooh Miss Grace. Satin and perfume and lace. The minute I saw your face. I knew that I loved you.” A perfect name chosen by our WONDERFUL dancing friends, Kathy and Steve Day! Very appropriate as we were on the Carolina Shag Team with them when the team won the Grand National Team Championship in 1996.