Chondrodysplasia

[goldshaft dexters]

Mark - I find it hard to believe (but would be ecstatic for you guys if it is the case!) that PHA is not a problem in the UK. Woodmagic Wheatear was one of the original carriers of it. My herd was affected by it (I owned one of the bulls from which the discovery of this disorder was made), I still have 2 carriers in my herd BUT I MANAGE IT. There are some breeders here in Australia who have their heads in the sand and think it is not a problem.I have witnessed a friend's much loved $10,000 cow shot because the (very experienced) vet was unable to remove the PHA affected calf via caesarian section. Not a nice way to be introduced to PHA and caesarians!
Again, I stress I am ecstatic if you do not have a problem but PLEASE DO NOT put your head in the sand over this.
Andrea

[wagra dexters]

Re PHA
Woodmagic Wheatear's sire Woodmagic Sqirrel 2nd had 60 calves( 40 with Woodmagic prefix, 20 from cows who had been sold). It is presumed there would have been ample evidence had he been a carrier.
Doesmead Diana 2nd had 4 heifer calves, one Windward calf, then Templeton Diana, then Woodmagic Diana who was born at Templeton (and was not named by Beryl who did not like the use of human names for cattle). Woodmagic Diana had no progeny. I am certain Doesmead Diana 2nd had a male calf shortly after arriving at Beryl's which was steered, but he is not listed on-line in her progeny. Then Diana 2nd had Wheatear who was sold to Canada as a youngster. Beryl did not retain Doesmead Diana 2nd for any more calves after Wheatear due to temperament. (quote)

So unless either Wheatear or Diana 2nd was a mutation, and presuming all the evidence is correct despite the lack of DNA, Wheatear's Doesmead ancestors could be suspect, although Doesmead stock will have as many descendants as Woodmagic, and with them all coincidentally back-crossing over the ages, ............

There are four Doesmead cows recorded in the DCS on-line herd book as 'Doeshead'. Two of those don't have sires listed. The sire in both cases is Grinstead Blue Hawk 1303

[Carol K]

I too would be happy if it wasn't a problem there, but how much testing has been done to show you don't have a problem??

Carol K

[Inger]

We have been warned to watch out for PHA in the NZ Dexter Society, but I haven't heard of any calves born with it yet. Though I guess if the calf is miscarried at 3 or 4 months, it could be mistaken for a bulldog calf?

[Mark Bowles]

Inger, earlty abortion could very easily be confused with the bulldog to those that don't have experience. Trouble is we will never know one way or another.

[goldshaft dexters]

There is a way to know - TEST. All it takes is a hair sample for DNA analysis. So easily managed.....

[Broomcroft]

I have never heard of a case either. BUT, I thought that PHA resulted in a massive, water-filled calf that had to be removed surgically? i.e. something you can hardly miss as in Andrea's horrific story. But it is being said above that an abortion can happen and be confused with bulldogs.

So how often does PHA result in an abortion as opposed to a full-blown water-baby (hope that's the right term)?

And just out of interest, how did it come to light in Oz or US? You can't have just decided to test without something initially happening.

[goldshaft dexters]

Clive - you are correct - generally full term "water baby".
I will see if I can find the article written about it.
In short, a couple of these calves were "born" within a short period of each other. Jo Garwood of Balbadgerie Dexters was the recipient of one of these calves and the caesarian I witnessed. First impressions was that it looked like a bulldog calf but we knew it couldn't be as I had recently had my bull, Balbadgerie Bonte (the sire) tested for Chondro & he was clear. The vet had commented that it looked like a hydrops calf - he had attended about 5 other hydrops caesars that year (different breeds NOT Dexters!). It was decided by Jo (with my blessing - I had bought Bronte from Jo) to take samples of the calf, tail hair from the cow & the bull for testing. If it was a genetic disorder we wanted to find out.
The samples were sent off and life went on....
It wasn't until 2009 that we heard of the results. I got a phone call from Jo informing me that Bronte was a carrier of PHA, and so my life living with PHA started...
I have just found the article:

"A new genetic defect in Dexter cattle: Pulmonary Hypoplasia and Anasarca (PHA)

PA WINDSOR, J CAVANAGH AND I TAMNMEN
Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570
Mo: 0438983367

On the same day in September 2003 two Australian Dexter breeders phoned with concerns that they each had a cow with dystocia requiring obstetrical intervention due to the presence of a foetal monster resembling a ‘bulldog’ calf. However, each of these breeders claimed that the pedigree history of the parents excluded them from being carrier of the Dexter ‘bulldog’ genes.

Calf 1 was a grossly enlarged, fully haired near-term oedematous male foetus weighing about 40-45kg, displaying diffuse severe anasarca or body cavity fluid accumulation, plus subcutaneous oedema primarily affecting the head and body but sparing the limbs. The tongue was protruding, the palate was intact and at necropsy, lung tissue could not be found in the thoracic cavity. Calf 2 was a stillborn, grossly enlarged, partially haired oedematous male foetus weighing approximately 60kg. The tongue was protruding, the palate was intact and an extensive area of spongy oedema in the subcutis of the lateral lower abdomen was noted in addition to an abundance of fluid in body cavities. Other organs appeared unremarkable except that lung tissue could not be found in the thorax. Calf 3 was a dead 32kg fully haired full-term female calf with moderate anasarca at necropsy. Some lung tissue was present in the thoracic cavity, the left lung being 3cm in length and consisting of two lobes, with the right lung being 4.5cm in length and containing four ventral lobes. Histopathological examination of the thoracic contents of Calf 1 failed to detect pulmonary tissue, indicating a diagnosis of anasarca (or foetal hydrops) associate with pulmonary hypoplasia (lack of lung development).

Pedigree information indicated all 3 calves were from one family and a sire-daughter mating produced one affected calf from nine progeny, suggesting possible autosomal recessive inheritance. Samples from all 3 affected calves were DNA tested and found negative for both the known mutations for Dexter ‘bulldog’ chondrodysplasia.

We concluded that the normal leg length, and complete absence or presence of only rudimentary lung tissue in large thoracic cavities, distinguish these cases from Dexter chondrodysplasia (Harper et al, 1997) in which there is severe micromelia and abundant lung tissue in a small thoracic cavity reduced in size by shortened spine and rib cage. Pulmonary hypoplasia and anasarca in 3 Shorthorn fetuses resembling our Dexter cases has recently been seen in the USA (D. Steffen, personal communication). Subsequently, the disease was also found in north american Dexter cattle and a mutation identified (J. Beever, personal communication). Testing for ‘carriers’ of PHA is now available in both countries. These findings indicate that PHA is a new congenital inherited defect in the Dexter breed in Australia and USA and that it may possibly be a model for human foetal hydrops due to pulmonary hypoplasia. Most human cases are now diagnosed pre-natally by foetal ultrasonography, a technique that is not widely available for cattle. We would be pleased to hear reports of and see photographs of suspected cases, when we can advise the preferred specimens for establishing the diagnosis and clarifying the status of suspected ‘carriers’ of this new disease. "
I will try & upload the photo I have of the Bronte/Dundee calf...
I hope this is helpful & you realise I am not trying to offend when I ask if the UK has their head in the sand over this horrid disorder. We have the ability to prevent it so as responsible guardians of the wonderful breed let's do what we can (just like NEVER breeding 2 Chondro carriers together... )
Having problems trying to upload photo

[Broomcroft]

So if you have two carriers of PHA, and water-badies normally go full term, then it's not something you could miss .

Although I've heard nothing, which is odd, I'd be happy to have my lot tested starting at the top and with bulls.

Does anyone know where, how, how much for the tests?

[goldshaft dexters]

Clive
I think it has been missed for years - people assuming that the calf was a bulldog (before we knew of the Chondro gene). Jo Garwood was blaming her neighbour for the resulting calf - she thought it was chemical drift from next door affecting the cows...
The stories I have heard of breeders having "deformed" calves and just burying them without investigating is countless. There is no blame to anyone it's just that NOW we know about it there is no excuse not to try and prevent it.
I will make enquiries here in Australia & find out if testing is available in UK (can't see why not as it is done in the USA)
Together I think we can beat this!

[Broomcroft]

Thank you. I bet as it's the UK, it'll be far more expensive than anywhere else in the world . Rip-off Britain we call it. The last time I looked at testing (and I think that was PHA, not sure), USA was £12 and the UK was more like £50!