Stephen Webb – UK Ambassador Saartje Foundation
My experience of pituitary dwarfism began with Max my German Shepherd who was born in 2000. His pedigree was pure gold and came from many legends of the German Shepherd world, but he came at the age of eight weeks with a hidden secret.
On his arrival, suspicions were growing daily that all was not well, from initially not eating as a puppy to his gradually changing appearance and of course his lack of growth. A GSD breeder I accidently bumped into while on a day trip with him and my family to the beach commented that he looked odd and later in the day as I watched and played with him on the beach he seemed to appear very fox in appearance. We already suspected something was not right with him, but this chance conversation finally prompted me to actually do something about it. The very next day I took him to the Vets who after close examination were equally puzzled as to what might be wrong with him. Both the vet and I searched for information and later in the week I was called in to the practice and shown some information from a very old veterinary book showing pictures of what he was thought to be and what he was about to become.
My then veterinary practice had not seen a pituitary dwarf before and had very little knowledge on the subject, there seemed little that could be done for him. I was then sent away with him untreated and with an estimated life span of three to four years. Quite quickly he was becoming a curiosity which felt uncomfortable. My Vet approached me a few months later in 2001 and requested that he be sent to the University of Utrecht which he had heard did research on pituitary dwarfism, this request was quickly declined as he had now become very much part of the family and we could not give him up. The breeder was next informed and I was offered my money back but they also wanted the dog back, we suspected that the dog might be put to sleep on his return or some how meet with an accident, so we chose to keep him. I then had to manage his condition alone much of the information gained at that time from the Vet turned out to be in practice incorrect.
My experience of pituitary dwarfism began with Max my German Shepherd who was born in 2000. His pedigree was pure gold and came from many legends of the German Shepherd world, but he came at the age of eight weeks with a hidden secret.
On his arrival, suspicions were growing daily that all was not well, from initially not eating as a puppy to his gradually changing appearance and of course his lack of growth. A GSD breeder I accidently bumped into while on a day trip with him and my family to the beach commented that he looked odd and later in the day as I watched and played with him on the beach he seemed to appear very fox in appearance. We already suspected something was not right with him, but this chance conversation finally prompted me to actually do something about it. The very next day I took him to the Vets who after close examination were equally puzzled as to what might be wrong with him. Both the vet and I searched for information and later in the week I was called in to the practice and shown some information from a very old veterinary book showing pictures of what he was thought to be and what he was about to become.
My then veterinary practice had not seen a pituitary dwarf before and had very little knowledge on the subject, there seemed little that could be done for him. I was then sent away with him untreated and with an estimated life span of three to four years. Quite quickly he was becoming a curiosity which felt uncomfortable. My Vet approached me a few months later in 2001 and requested that he be sent to the University of Utrecht which he had heard did research on pituitary dwarfism, this request was quickly declined as he had now become very much part of the family and we could not give him up. The breeder was next informed and I was offered my money back but they also wanted the dog back, we suspected that the dog might be put to sleep on his return or some how meet with an accident, so we chose to keep him. I then had to manage his condition alone much of the information gained at that time from the Vet turned out to be in practice incorrect.
As stated Max was untreated for pituitary dwarfism and rapidly lost his puppy coat at 12 months of age, putting him to sleep was never once raised or discussed with the Vet as everyone could see he was so full of life despite his rapidly disappearing coat and poor skin condition. He continued to lead a relatively long life for an untreated dwarf that of seven years of age and because he was untreated sadly he aged rapidly and looked a very old dog when he did finally reach seven. Max was always very close, a very special bond is formed with a dwarf that is rarely matched by other dogs as many other dwarf owners will confirm.
Having not been able to let the issue of Max and pituitary dwarfism go, I thought I would try and make contact with other owners not realising that a group already existed and in fact I was both shocked and saddened at just how many other people were out there with dwarves worldwide after being told that Max was one in a million and very rare. After accidently finding Tanja Stoetman on the internet, rapidly one thing led to another and I have since become the UK Ambassador for the Saartje Foundation for Pituitary Dwarfism in dogs to hopefully be there for others facing the same issues to pass on advice and information about this condition and just as importantly pass on my wealth of day to day knowledge in caring for a dwarf. Until relatively recently nothing much could be done for a dwarf in terms of treatment, things however have changed a little since my dwarf dog. A variety of hormone treatments have now helped many dogs while a pituitary dwarf was once bald except for head and feet and quite frankly very unappealing except to the dedicated owner who loved them for what they were, a very sick dog!
Having not been able to let the issue of Max and pituitary dwarfism go, I thought I would try and make contact with other owners not realising that a group already existed and in fact I was both shocked and saddened at just how many other people were out there with dwarves worldwide after being told that Max was one in a million and very rare. After accidently finding Tanja Stoetman on the internet, rapidly one thing led to another and I have since become the UK Ambassador for the Saartje Foundation for Pituitary Dwarfism in dogs to hopefully be there for others facing the same issues to pass on advice and information about this condition and just as importantly pass on my wealth of day to day knowledge in caring for a dwarf. Until relatively recently nothing much could be done for a dwarf in terms of treatment, things however have changed a little since my dwarf dog. A variety of hormone treatments have now helped many dogs while a pituitary dwarf was once bald except for head and feet and quite frankly very unappealing except to the dedicated owner who loved them for what they were, a very sick dog!
Today they can often be helped to retain their coats and ease some of their symptoms although not cure them. But as we increase awareness of this terrible condition another problem has arisen in that the general puppy buying public may see them as an appealing ‘forever puppy’ particularly so now that their coats can be maintained and demand may actually increase as unscrupulous breeders try to breed specifically for them in an attempt to make money at the expense of the dog. The attraction of having a cute ‘forever puppy’ that is relatively rare and unusual will possibly be a strong attraction for some breeder’s intent on making money and buyers who want a dog that is unusual but without considering the dog’s health and welfare.
This would be disastrous for the breed which already has enough health problems as it is, this is why the various Breed Councils, Kennel Clubs and other guardians of the breed around the world should act now before it is too late, or at the very least officially recommend DNA testing and hence discourage the breeding of carriers with carriers of the faulty gene to anything other than to a clear.
As a qualified University and College Lecturer of many years I am now able to offer presentations / seminars on pituitary dwarfism to any groups interested in this condition including; Breed Clubs, Owners and Veterinary professionals.