PASTORI BELGI CLUB ITALIA
Emophilia
Hemophilia A, hemophilia B, and von Willebrand disease are among the most common genetic bleeding disorders in dogs and humans.
The genetic defect is located on X chromosome and it causes quantitative or qualitative abnormalities of a single plasma coagulation protein, termed “factor” and designated by a Roman numeral: factor VIII for hemophilia A, factor IX for hemophilia B, and von Willebrand factor for vWD.
Recent reviews have described how these factors are activated, inhibited, and contribute mechanistically to normal hemostasis and blood coagulation as well as bleeding when these proteins are absent or dysfunctional.
Missing or dysfunctional these proteins, the clotting process does not correctly work, causing self bleedings very difficult to be stopped, not only due to traumatic events: hemophiliac asymptomatic dogs can suffer of internal self bleeding inside their joints, called hemartroses. In a very short time, multiple hemartroses can produce degenerative processes leading to hemopihlic artropathy, a particular degenerative and painful kind of arthrosis where the absorption of the edema is in charge of the osseous tissues, tendons and cartilages often causing disabling necrosis of the tissue itself.
Ematoma ed Emartro su giovane Malinois affetto da Emofilia.
Immagine gentilmente concessa dal Dott. Fernando Folini
traduzione gentilmente concessa da Massimo Mazzucco
Hempophilia in dogs is an incurable desease, because there is no way to introduce in the organism the missing proteins: just starting from the end of 70s' it has been started the research to help people affected by this desease, facing the problem of rejection of the injected proteins by the antibodies of the patients.
In dogs, hemophilia is described as "uncommon desease", but if not stopped it can be spread inside a whole breed, considering, for instance, that a Belgian Shepherd bitch provides ten pups each birth and nowadays dogs can be easily imported/exported all over the world.
In 2010 the first Malinois pup affected by hemophilia in Italy has been found, and this is the first officially stated in the world too. Institutions born to protect the health of dogs diminished that problem asserting this desease can be easily contained, and not breed pertinent trying to hide data of sick dogs.
Immune carrier bithces have been given birth several times , nevertheless their bloodline is affected by the desease, new dogs are no more checked and, above all, there is no help or cooperation in finding out ill dogs and carriers
Breeders outside italy not knowing this issue, since there is no willness to recognize this problem here, are carrying on to export their dogs.
In 2012 the voluntary screening project "MALINEMO" has been started, in order to provide for the lack of actions of official institutions should protect the breed. Investigating hemophilia A, the most common form in dogs, anomalies in hemophila B and Von Willwebrand desease have been discovered.
For this reason we suggest to take into account the propagation of this desease inside and outside of already affected bloodlines
PBCI is certain that our breed has inside problems of clotting desease: further investigations are mandatory to understand how dangerous it is and to make next generations of pups more healthy.
For this reason, joining Malinemo Project, we can rely on the help of Prof. George Lubas author of several scientific papers and speakers in conferences on hemophilia desease.
references:
PRINCIPALI COAGULOPATIE DI ORIGINE EREDITARIA NEL CANE di Giorge Lubas - Veterinaria 2010
Il Pastori Belgi Club Italia, si è prefissato di lavorare a favore del Pastore Belga Malinois, promuovendo la ricerca del Fattore VIII e del Fattore IX sui maschi, mentre sulle femmine di testare anche il Fattore di von Willebrand oltre al FVIII e FIX. Prima di tutto per controllare la salute dei propri cani, tanto più se sono cani sportivi, e assolutamente per salvaguardare la razza nelle nuove generazioni.
