Our Next Meeting

November 28, 2012

General Meeting at 7:30 pm

AKC Museum of the Dog

1721 S. Mason Road

St. Louis, MO 63131

Directions: Queeny Park, home of the

Museum, is accessible from Hwy 40/64

at the Mason Road exit or from I-270 by

taking the Manchester exit to Mason Road.

Guests and well-behaved

leashed dogs are always welcome!

Don’t forget to check

out the Calendar of

Events

We have several

exciting things planned

The Gateway Golden Gazette

A Monthly Publication for the

Golden Retriever Club of Greater St. Louis, Inc.

Volume 37, Number 7 November 2012

Table of Contents:

Celebrate Veterans 2

Elections 3

Health Clinic 4

Cardiac Exam 5

Joint Health 6

Calendar of Events 7

“Bless friends and loved ones Near and far With all the nicest things there are Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

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Veterans Celebration 2012

People name:______________________________

Owned by (dog):______________________________________

Born on:___________________________________

Special things I have done for my people:

___________________________________________________________________

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Pres - Judy Knobbe

VP Cindy Burrows

Sec Rebecca Casperson-Perkins

Treasurer - Margie Williams

Board:

Laura Stobie

Sasha Josipovic

Brenda Cavanagh

Suzanne Wakefield

Makalah Boyer

Mike Stemmler

Voting will be at the upcoming November meeting.

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Golden Retriever Club of Greater St. Louis

Health Clinic-All Breed

Eyes-Heart-Hips-Elbows-Patellar Luxation-Dentition-Thyroid-CBC-Microchips-

Sunday-February 17, 2013

Veterinary Group of Chesterfield--17709 Edison Ave, Chesterfield, MO

8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Dr. Wayne Boillat- Dr. Cecil Moore-Dr. H. Cecilia Marshall-

DON’T DELAY!! APPOINTMENTS FILL QUICKLY FOR THIS

CLINIC!!!!

-PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Deadline is

February 10, 2013

-PAYMENTS ARE DUE IN ADVANCE (cash, check or

money order)

contact Sandy Primovic for an appointment

cherushgld@earthlink.net

314 922-7649

(after 6:00 pm or anytime on weekends)

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THE CONGENITAL CARDIAC EXAM

The Cardiac Exam

The clinical cardiac examination should be conducted in a systematic manner. The arterial and venous pulses, mucous

membranes, and precordium should be evaluated. Heart rate should be obtained. The clinical examination should be performed

by an individual with advanced training in cardiac diagnosis.

Board certification by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Specialty of Cardiology is considered by the

American Veterinary Medical Association as the benchmark of clinical proficiency for veterinarians in clinical cardiology, and

examination by a Diplomate of this specialty board is recommended. Other veterinarians may be able to perform these

examinations, provided they have received advanced training in the subspecialty of congenital heart disease.

Auscultation

Cardiac auscultation should be performed in a quiet, distraction-free environment. The animal should be standing and

restrained, but sedative drugs should be avoided. Panting must be controlled and if necessary, the dog should be given time to

rest and acclimate to the environment. The clinician should able to identify the cardiac valve areas for auscultation. The

examiner should gradually move the stethoscope across all valve areas and also should auscultate over the subaortic area,

ascending aorta, pulmonary artery, and the left craniodorsal cardiac base. Following examination of the left precordium, the right

precordium should be examined.

• The mitral valve area is located over and immediately dorsal to the palpable left apical impulse and is identified by palpation

with the tips of the fingers. The stethoscope is then placed over the mitral area and the heart sounds identified.

• The aortic valve area is dorsal and 1 or 2 intercostal spaces cranial to the left apical impulse. The second heart sound will be

most intense when the stethoscope is centered over the aortic valve area. Murmurs originating from or radiating to the

subaortic area of auscultation are evident immediately caudoventral to the aortic valve area. Murmurs originating from

or radiating into the ascending aorta will be evident craniodorsal to the aortic valve and may also project to the right

cranial thorax and to the carotid arteries in the neck.

• The pulmonic valve area is ventral and one intercostal space cranial to the aortic valve area. Murmurs originating from or

radiating into the main pulmonary artery will be evident dorsal to the pulmonic valve over the left hemithorax.

• The tricuspid valve area is a relatively large area located on the right hemithorax, opposite and slightly cranial to the mitral

valve area.

• The clinician should also auscultate along the ventral right precordium (right sternal border) and over be right craniodorsal

cardiac border.

• Any cardiac murmurs or abnormal sounds should be noted. Murmurs should be described as indicated below.

Description of Cardiac Murmurs

A full description of the cardiac murmur should made and recorded in the medical record.

• Murmurs should be designated as systolic, diastolic, or continuous.

• The point of maximal murmur intensity should be indicated as described above. When a precordial thrill is palpable, the

murmur will generally be most intense over this vibration.

• Murmurs that are only detected intermittently or are variable should be so indicated.

• The radiation of the murmur should be indicated

Effects of heart rate, heart rhythm, and exercise

Some heart murmurs become evident or louder with changes in autonomic activity, heart rate, or cardiac cycle length. Such

changes may be induced by exercise or other stresses. The importance of evaluating heart murmurs after exercise is currently

unresolved. It appears that some dogs with congenital subaortic stenosis or with dynamic outflow tract obstruction may have

murmurs that only become evident with increased sympathetic activity or after prolonged cardiac filling periods during marked

sinus arrhythmia It also should be noted that some normal, innocent heart murmurs may increase in intensity after exercise.

Furthermore, panting artifact may be a problem after exercise.

It is most likely that examining dogs after exercise will result in increased sensitivity to diagnosis of soft murmurs but probably

decreased specificity as well. Auscultation of the heart following exercise is at the discretion of the examining veterinarian.

At this time the OFA does not require a post exercise examination in the assessment of heart murmurs in dogs; however, this

practice may be modified should definitive information become available.

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Joint Health Supplementation

When your dog slows down and is not as active, what do you think is the cause...old age, arthritis, poor diet, or other factors? One of the primary causes for dogs to slow down is degenerative joint disease (DJD), which is a condition that can quickly spiral out of control and can seriously affect your dog’s vitality and quality of life. Trauma, stress, injury and even everyday activity can cause damage to the tissues that enclose the dog’s joint, the delicate synovial membrane and the fibrous joint capsule. When this tissue is damaged, white blood cells invade the joint space and release destructive enzymes and free radicals that can deteriorate the joint cartilage. With the synovial fluid weakened by this enzymatic damage, the fluid cannot properly lubricate the joint and it is unable to adequately nourish the joint’s cartilage. When this happens, the articular cartilage on the end of bones degrades and exposes the bone to friction during movement, causing inflammation, pain and decreased mobility. This degeneration continues and leads to decreased activity and muscle atrophy, which is why the dog slows down. Other factors such as obesity and intense activity can further traumatize the joint, leading to the following symptoms associated with DJD: * Reduced activity, decreased flexibility, and movement * Stiffness or difficulty getting up and around * Unable to perform daily routine activities * Muscle atrophy * Joint inflammation and/or pain Even as dogs age, they should continue to be active and energetic, so it is important to maintain healthy joints so the dog can run, jump and move with ease. In the past, the primary therapy for dogs with DJD was to prescribe non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s). However, NSAID’s really only mask the symptoms instead of treating the cause. The best way to manage DJD and the corresponding damage to the joint is to prevent the initial degradation of cartilage. Prevention can be accomplished by providing the affected dog with the essential nutrients to assist in the maintenance of a healthy joint. The daily use of a quality joint health supplement will help in the prevention of DJD and is best used prior to the onset of DJD.

Newsletter Subscriptions are available for $10 per year. Make checks payable to GRCGSL and mail your request to the

newsletter editor. Complimentary newsletters will be provided for two months on request.

Membership: Membership dues for one year are $15 for an individual and $20 for a family and include a subscription to the

newsletter. Anyone wishing to apply for membership is invited to attend a club meeting as a guest and obtain an application

form from the Membership Chairman. The completed application shall carry the endorsement of two unrelated club members

as sponsors and shall be returned to the Membership Chairman along with a check for annual dues. The applicant’s sponsors

shall be responsible for introducing the applicant to the Club, encouraging participation in Club functions, and making the

applicant aware of the objectives of the Club. The prospective member’s application shall be read by the Membership Chairman

at the first Club meeting following its’ receipt and the sponsors shall speak on their behalf. The applicant’s name will be

published in the next Newsletter and his application will be voted on at the following Club meeting. Affirmative votes of ¾ of the

members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant.

Litter Listing and Breeder Referral Guidelines: Litter listings will be limited to basic information about the litter: whelping or

due date, sex distribution, sire, dam, grandparents, examination reports on the sire and dam, and breeder’s name, address and

phone number. Only GRCGSL members in good standing who are the owner or co-owner of the sire or the dam may list a litter

in the Gateway Golden Gazette or with GRCGSL’s Breeder Referral service. There is no charge for either service. The

Newsletter Editor and Breeder Referral Chair must be provided with copies of the following prior to listing the litter: 1) Sire and

dam’s OFA hip AND elbow registration or OFA preliminary hip and elbow evaluation: preliminary evaluations on dogs over 30

months of age by date of listing may not be used. 2) Sire and Dam’s CERF clearances or normal eye reports from an ACVO

board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist dated within 12 months of breeding. 3) Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis (SAS) clearance

or normal heart clearance from a board certified cardiologist. References to Von Willebrand’s Disease (VWD) and Thyroid

examinations may also be included, provided copies of these reports are furnished. Older dogs and rescue Goldens may be

listed provided they have been neutered or if neutering is a condition of the sale/placement. Single copies of the GRCA booklet,

“Acquiring A Golden Retriever” are available free of charge from the Breeder Referral chairmen.

Club Website: www.grcgsl.org

Date Event Venue Contact

Aug15, 2012 GRC GSL Meeting AKC Dog Museum Judy Knobbe

Aug 11, 2012 Hunt Test Judge and Handler Seminar

Busch Wildlife Jeanne Greenlee

Aug 19, 2012 Health Clinic Sandy Primovic Vet Group of Chesterfield

Sept 4-13 GRCA National Specialty

Purina Event Center Leslie Albin

Sep 14-16 All Breed Field Trial Busch Wildlife Sue Lister

Sept 19, 2012

GRC GSL Meeting AKC Dog Museum Judy Knobbe

Oct 17 GRC GSL Meeting AKC Dog Museum Judy Knobbe

Nov 28 GRC GSL Meeting AKC Dog Museum Judy Knobbe

Feb 17 Health clinic Sandy Primovic

GRC-GSL Calendar of Events

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