L - 2 hga

Hi,

I have a staffy puppy aged 5 months old and we have been told she may have a genetic disorder called l 2 hga. She has muscle stiffness, tremors in her back legs and tiredness - she walks like a little old lady all the time! Just wondered if anyone else out there has a staffy with the same problem as there is info about dna testing to see if a dog has it but nothing about prognosis - the vet has no clue as there is no treatment available.

Thanks

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i'm so sorry about your little one you've come to a good place for answers. best wishes

Hi & welcome. I'm really sorry to hear that your pup has been diagnosed with this genetic illness.

As far as I am aware there is no cure for L2HGA. Any treatment is purely symptomatic.

Do you know if her parents had been DNA tested for this? If you bought her from a responsible breeder you must make them aware of the problem, as it means that their breeding stock is affected and will continue to pass the condition on. Also, any siblings should be checked.

you might also want to post here https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/f27-staffordshire-bull-terrier-health-issues

So sorry that your pup has it! Yes, my dogs are clear via dna (breeding pairs ought to be be tested or clear before breeding). I don't have any personal experience. However, I believe that there is no cure but symptoms are treated individually, much like that was the isolated problem even though much more is going on and degeneration is possible. Sorry, I don't know too much more other than that. Welcome anyhow and I'm sure she is still a lovely gal, but I can only imagine how worried this must have you.

i'm sorry to hear about your pup's possible condition.welcome from me the wife and marley

Hi and welcome from us and Suki. Sorry to hear about you pup but I don't have nay first hand knowledge about the condition

hello and welocme to the forum from me and billy
i am sorry to hear about your puppy,

Hiya and welcome from me and Moo, not something that I really know about. Xx

Hi and welcome from Rocky and me.

Sorry to hear about your little one. I would follow advice given already sorry I cannot add further.

Hi and welcome from Roxy and me
Sorry to hear about your pup. I cannot offer any help or advice but you are sure on the right forum for lots of support!!

Hello and welcome aboard

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Hiya and welcome to the forum So sorry to hear about your pup so sad

Thankyou so much for your comments, I bought her from a breeder but not 'pedigree' - didn't know anything about the dna tests before getting her as there is practically no information about it anywhere - have contacted him but he didnt seem too interested as he isnt breeding anymore
She is still lively and enjoys scrapping with my other staffy ' Ronnie' who is 4 and a half but acts like a puppy!!
I know there is no cure which is a bit sad , but just need to know what prognosis is really, if anyone hears anything I'd love to know.

Paws crossed for now!!

do you know this person?

I found him in an advert on the internet - there were about a 100 to choose from and now I feel bad as I should of maybe gone to a correct breeder - he lives outside Worcester in the midlands

i would demend my money back if the poor thing as l 2 hga

Sorry if I appear a bit dim but there were 100 of what to choose from ?

Hi and welcome but sorry to hear about your pup

Sorry, there were hundreds of adverts on the internet advertising staffy puppies - I guess it just didnt enter my head to check for this L2hga - but in my defense it's not that well known......I should ask for my money back but I guess it still won't make the problem go away and he is thankfully no longer breeding...we are awaiting blood test results to see whether she has this or something like Neospora but just wanted to get a bit of info to be more prepared in case it is the l2hga.

Within Stafford circles it's actually very well known! A good breeder will always DNA test their bitch for the condition, and will ensure that the stud they use is also tested.

It's so unfortunate that you've found out about it the hard way.

There are various 'levels' of L2-HGA, and hopefully your girl only has a mild form of it. The various symptoms can be treated, with various success rates. It really depends on how severe her condition is, and how well she responds to drugs (if indeed she needs them).

Whilst demanding a refund or partial refund won't make the matter go away, it could help towards the vets bills! However, you'd have to collect lots of info about the condition (including the modes of inheritance - it's a genetic condition that is passed from parent to pup - & the fact that there is a test available to determine whether or not the sire & dam are clear of it), and get a vet's letter to state that she is definitely suffering from it. Then you'd have to state that the breeder did not give due care to the pups' health before the litter was conceived.

It may be worth your while contacting the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club and asking their advice/opinion.
http://www.thesbtc.co.uk/

hia from me and sasha,hope you get your pup sorted,you must be so worried,paws crossed for you .

Thank you for your comments - however when we looked at the majority of staffy sites there was NO MENTION of L-2-HGA that was part of the reason we didn't think to ask. Fair enough she isn't kc registered but if you put ' staffy puppies for sale' in google there are literally thousands of puppies advertised with no mention of L-2-HGA.
Our vet doesn't know anything about it....which doesn't bode well either.

We just want to know if she has got it, what her life expectancy will be as it is breaking mine and my husbands hearts.

The breeder has split up with his wife and is no longer living at the address and the wife is refusing to say anything about it - so basically we are screwed on that one.

It's just a waiting game at the moment.

charis1977 wrote:Thank you for your comments - however when we looked at the majority of staffy sites there was NO MENTION of L-2-HGA that was part of the reason we didn't think to ask. Fair enough she isn't kc registered but if you put ' staffy puppies for sale' in google there are literally thousands of puppies advertised with no mention of L-2-HGA.
Our vet doesn't know anything about it....which doesn't bode well either.

This will always be the problem when you buy non-registered pups from irresponsible breeders. That isn't in any way a dig at you, by the way! It's a dig at all the breeders who don't give a damn about the pups they are breeding, or the betterment of the breed. L2-HGA is very well known by good stafford breeders, and the club link I've given you will probably be able to either give you more info, or at least point you in the right direction.

Vets won't know too much either, unless they are well up on staffs!

Most staffy website have this information on it becasue becasue this is the main issue in staffy.

90% ad selling pup are BYBs

i'm not sure how long the life expectancey will be

sound like they hiding away to me... if someone sold me a dog with this i would hit the floor...

http://www.aht.org.uk/cms-display/genetics_l2hga.html

Hi There

Sorry about your baby but to be honest there is a lot of information on L2-HGA (Hydroxyglutaric Aciduria) out there if you had done your homework. Most byb dont give a
* anyway. Both the parents would be carriers to have affected puppies and if there was
anymore siblings its probable that some of them will have it too.
I can put you in touch with someone who has an affected dog. I think he would be around 9 now, The guy is very nice and will tell you what you need to know.
When the aht was doing the testing to find the dna marker, after a few puppies were coming down with what was thought to be epilepsy, blood was taken from a lot of show dogs and it was found that a certain prolific sire was a carrier. in 2005 the marker was found for it and a dna test to confirm clear, carrier or affected. All breeding stock should
be genetically clear or tested clear for the condition. Has the blood been sent to the animal health trust?

Hiya, if you could put me in touch I would really appriciate it. I know there is info about what L2 is and how to test for it, what I meant was that there is very little information on the internet regarding dogs that actually have it.

The breeder is an ~@~~~## at the end of the day, but we have her now and we love her to peices. I don't know where the blood test was sent as it was done through our vet, we have to wait 7-10 days as he is also testing for other potential diseases.

Thankyou for being so nice, other posts have been rather patronising and made me feel rather stupid and guilty, at least you can actually help me!!!
xxx

No problem, it isn't your fault and if I can help I will. if you want to e mail me its stormpike19@aol.com and I will give you his details.

Hello from me & Heston, sorry to hear about your pup. This is definately the best place for you, so welcome x

charis1977 wrote:Thankyou for being so nice, other posts have been rather patronising and made me feel rather stupid and guilty, at least you can actually help me!!!
xxx

I'm sorry if you found our posts patronising, they were certainly not meant that way. Please point out where you have been patronised. All replies were made to try and help. If you choose to take them the wrong way...I'm sorry. You asked for advice & we did what we could.

I asked for advice about L2 what to expect as my dog may have it - I know about the dna testing and the animal health trust - but neither of these actually helps when a dog is already infected. A little bit of closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. My criticism is that there is NO information regarding prognosis / life expectancy etc of an affected dog. Giving me wesite addresses telling me what symptoms are and how to test a dog that I have no intention of breeding are of no use whatsoever and that is what I found rather patronising.
I bought my puppy as a companion to my other staffy - who is a rescue - and as a family dog. Not to breed her and make money from the pups.
I now have a contacts who have affected dogs and can now give me the advice I need.
I do however appriciate all those staffy owners on this forum who have wished Roxy well and are sorry she has this condition and I thank them for being so considerate.

charis1977 wrote:
I asked for advice about L2 what to expect as my dog may have it - I know about the dna testing and the animal health trust - but neither of these actually helps when a dog is already infected. A little bit of closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. My criticism is that there is NO information regarding prognosis / life expectancy etc of an affected dog. Giving me wesite addresses telling me what symptoms are and how to test a dog that I have no intention of breeding are of no use whatsoever and that is what I found rather patronising.
I bought my puppy as a companion to my other staffy - who is a rescue - and as a family dog. Not to breed her and make money from the pups.
I now have a contacts who have affected dogs and can now give me the advice I need.
I do however appriciate all those staffy owners on this forum who have wished Roxy well and are sorry she has this condition and I thank them for being so considerate.

Nobody here has at any time accused you of wanting to breed from your bitch & use her as a money making exercise. I'm sorry you didn't find our posts helpful. We're none of us experts & I'm sure that if any of us had known someone who had a dog suffering from the effects of Ls-HGA we would have put you in touch with them.

To be honest, your recent posts have come across as very ungrateful & rather patronising yourself!

charis1977 wrote:
I asked for advice about L2 what to expect as my dog may have it - I know about the dna testing and the animal health trust - but neither of these actually helps when a dog is already infected. A little bit of closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. My criticism is that there is NO information regarding prognosis / life expectancy etc of an affected dog. Giving me wesite addresses telling me what symptoms are and how to test a dog that I have no intention of breeding are of no use whatsoever and that is what I found rather patronising.
I bought my puppy as a companion to my other staffy - who is a rescue - and as a family dog. Not to breed her and make money from the pups.
I now have a contacts who have affected dogs and can now give me the advice I need.
I do however appriciate all those staffy owners on this forum who have wished Roxy well and are sorry she has this condition and I thank them for being so considerate.

I don't believe any of the posts you found patronizing were intended to be patronizing. The members on this forum have been a massive help to lots of new members looking for help and advice. People here are for the love of the breed, and all other dogs to ! There is a massive wealth of knowledge between all the members here, who want the absolute best health and care for all dogs, if it wasn't useful for you, maybe you should at least be thankful for the input and perhaps keep that information on board that was no use to you, that maybe you can keep in mind that you might need to pass on to other people in the future who it could be useful for Knowledge is power, whatever the situation.

charis1977 wrote:Thank you for your comments - however when we looked at the majority of staffy sites there was NO MENTION of L-2-HGA that was part of the reason we didn't think to ask. Fair enough she isn't kc registered but if you put ' staffy puppies for sale' in google there are literally thousands of puppies advertised with no mention of L-2-HGA.
Our vet doesn't know anything about it....which doesn't bode well either.

We just want to know if she has got it, what her life expectancy will be as it is breaking mine and my husbands hearts.

The breeder has split up with his wife and is no longer living at the address and the wife is refusing to say anything about it - so basically we are screwed on that one.

It's just a waiting game at the moment.

"our vet dosen't know anything about it" ...... I'd change vets if I were you

I agree with Andy, as Caryll said, it's actually a very well known condition to most staffy people and unfortunately it's a fairly common condition in staffs so vets should know about it.

Apologies if you feel that the info given so far has been patronising, but having looked through the thread, I can see nothing but helpful comments from people who are just trying to give you the info you're looking for.

I really hope that the tests come back to reveal that Roxy isn't too badly affected and that the prognosis will be good.

IN MY ORIGINAL POST I STATED THAT I KNEW ABOUT THE ANIMAL HEALTH TEST I JUST WANTED TO HEAR AND HAVE ADVICE FROM THOSE THAT HAVE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED IT - THIS HAS NOW GONE WAY TOO FAR AND I FEEL EVEN MORE UPSET AND DEPRESSED NOW THAN WHEN I PUT MY FIRST POST UP

IS THAT HOW FORUM'S ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE YOU FEEL?????????

charis1977 wrote:
IN MY ORIGINAL POST I STATED THAT I KNEW ABOUT THE ANIMAL HEALTH TEST I JUST WANTED TO HEAR AND HAVE ADVICE FROM THOSE THAT HAVE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED IT - THIS HAS NOW GONE WAY TOO FAR AND I FEEL EVEN MORE UPSET AND DEPRESSED NOW THAN WHEN I PUT MY FIRST POST UP

IS THAT HOW FORUM'S ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE YOU FEEL?????????

Calm down, there is absolutely no need to shout at us I think you have taken everything completelyout of context. I think you'll find every single post was very friendly, so yes, forums are supposed to make you feel welcome like everyone has

I can only apologize for everyone trying to help, which is what they do best

charis1977 wrote:
IN MY ORIGINAL POST I STATED THAT I KNEW ABOUT THE ANIMAL HEALTH TEST I JUST WANTED TO HEAR AND HAVE ADVICE FROM THOSE THAT HAVE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED IT - THIS HAS NOW GONE WAY TOO FAR AND I FEEL EVEN MORE UPSET AND DEPRESSED NOW THAN WHEN I PUT MY FIRST POST UP

IS THAT HOW FORUM'S ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE YOU FEEL?????????

I'm sorry you feel that way. Nobody set out to make you feel bad about anything, in fact I said that I was not having a dig at you in any way!

charis1977 wrote: didn't know anything about the dna tests before getting her as there is practically no information about it anywhere - I know there is no cure which is a bit sad , but just need to know what prognosis is really, if anyone hears anything I'd love to know.Paws crossed for now!!

charis1977 wrote: I guess it just didnt enter my head to check for this L2hga - but in my defense it's not that well known......I should ask for my money back but I guess it still won't make the problem go away and he is thankfully no longer breeding...we are awaiting blood test results to see whether she has this or something like Neospora but just wanted to get a bit of info to be more prepared in case it is the l2hga.

You've said that the condition isn't that well known - it most certainly is. Would you rather we had said otherwise?

Caryll wrote:
This will always be the problem when you buy non-registered pups from irresponsible breeders. That isn't in any way a dig at you, by the way! It's a dig at all the breeders who don't give a damn about the pups they are breeding, or the betterment of the breed. L2-HGA is very well known by good stafford breeders, and the club link I've given you will probably be able to either give you more info, or at least point you in the right direction.

I honestly don't see how the above is patronising. I gave you a link to the main Stafford Club who would no doubt have been able to put you in touch with someone who could have given you the info you needed. Did you even bother to try them?

charis1977 wrote:

IS THAT HOW FORUM'S ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE YOU FEEL?????????

Not at all We all have you and your pups well being at heart.

Sometimes things come across in a different way when typing, be it about a dog or someone else.

Charis, I think two things here are most important. Number one, you need a vet who is an expert in this. I happen to know some but they would do you no good unless you want to jump on a plane and fly around the world (guessing you don't), so the most help I can be is that you locate one nearby that understands this condition. Number two, depending on the severity of the case (need to properly diagnosed by a vet who knows their stuff), that will determine the life expectancy and prognosis for your pup.

I am a little confused what else you may want from us. I personally don't have any experience with it so I can't speak to it and I am not a vet etc (in fact none of us are or held ourselves out to be). We are here to support each other but if all you want from us is concrete answers, I don't think you will find the satisfaction you are looking for.

Note: the above is intended only for supportive purposes and does not in any way constitute a snide remark or even a patronizing one. I truely hope that you will reread the comments and find them to be nothing other than supportive (even if it wasn't all you hoped to learn).

Ok folks, lets wind this up before it gets out of hand.

Charis1977, you asked for advice, you were given advice and links to help you.

On behalf of the forum, I apologise if you feel that you have been patronised in any way, that was certainly not anyone's intention, and we don't want to make you feel anything other than welcome.

As Maria said, you have taken things out of context or perhaps a bit too personally. I hope we can just move forward now. Please let us know how it goes with Roxy, and we're all here for advice or a chat at any time

Yes I have and they can give me no information about prognosis which is what I wanted to know.

I think I have had enough now - obviously I have upset members of this forum, I apologise , I have taken what has been said the wrong way. The vet knows about the condition but not about prognosis which again is what I wanted help with.

I had looked through many websites about staffy puppies and for some reason this L2 didn't jump out at me - at the end of the day the important thing is my 5 moth old puppy seems to have it and I just want to know how to look after her properly.

Janey, just seen your post - I think that is exactly what has happened in this discussion. i know you all want to help and I appriciate your feedback

We are all here for the same reason, Staffies! Enjoy her Xx Oh and whatever has been said please keep us updated Xx

Look, let's start again.

By the sound of it your vet hasn't been all that helpful. If he doesn't know much about the prognosis, I'm sure he could find out for you if he tried. From what I have read, if the condition is fairly mild then the prognosis, with treatment to control the symptoms, is good. It really depends how severe it is.

Hopefully the details debbie gave you have helped, and we'd all be interested to hear how you get on with your pup. Of course, she's your main concern & nobody thought otherwise! I'm sure you're doing all you possibly can to help her live a good and long life.

i'de never heard of this condition before, so i'm no help. sounds like maybe there are a lot of variables. confusing. hope you and your little gal get this sorted

"our vet dosen't know anything about it" ...... I'd change vets if I were you

Most vets have no idea of the condition, mine didn't, when new vets come in
I hand them a leaflet to make sure they do. They put the symptoms down to epilepsy or other conditions. Its a simple blood test or swab costs £67 a lot less than a battery of tests at the vets. The information needs to get out,
the kennel club are supposed to put leaflets in with new litter registrations, a little
late don't you think?. People need to spread the word, put posters up in vets
etc. Its the puppy buyers that need to be educated because a lot breeding
know about it but just dont care.
Charis please dont take what people are saying to heart, I find it hard to say what I mean in type. Take a breath and look after your baby

Debbie x

Hi and welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear your girl has this genetic issue.

Not wanting to cause an issue though, it is a pity you feel patronised by some posts. I have read through all the posts and dont see things in that light. From my point of view, you were particularly harsh with Caryll who is very knowledgeable and pleasant person. Her views are well respectedand it is unfair of you to make the comments that you have.