[fusion_builder_container type="flex" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="true" min_height="" hover_type="none" link="" border_sizes_top="" border_sizes_bottom="" border_sizes_left="" border_sizes_right="" first="true"][fusion_text admin_label="" awb-switch-editor-focus="" columns="" column_min_width="" column_spacing="" rule_style="" rule_size="" rule_color="" hue="" saturation="" lightness="" alpha="" user_select="" content_alignment_medium="" content_alignment_small="" content_alignment="" disable_idd="no" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" sticky_display="normal,sticky" class="" id="" html_attributes="W10=" width_medium="" width_small="" width="" min_width_medium="" min_width_small="" min_width="" max_width_medium="" max_width_small="" max_width="" margin_top_medium="" margin_right_medium="" margin_bottom_medium="" margin_left_medium="" margin_top_small="" margin_right_small="" margin_bottom_small="" margin_left_small="" margin_top="" margin_right="" margin_bottom="" margin_left="" fusion_font_family_text_font="" fusion_font_variant_text_font="" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" text_transform="" text_color="" render_logics="" logics="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_color="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_delay="0" animation_offset=""] Not all mushrooms are toxic to dogs, a bite of a button or portabella isn’t going to get them into trouble! But there are wild mushrooms that are highly toxic and can cause death from liver failure if they are consumed. Learn more about the most common family of toxic, amanita, mushrooms below. What are amanita mushrooms? Family of toxic mushrooms, including Death Cap, the most common toxic mushroom causing death in dogs and humans Other toxic mushrooms include Jeweled Death Cap, Deadly Agaric, False Morel, Destroying Angel, and Fly Agaric Very difficult to distinguish toxic and non-toxic mushrooms by appearance alone There are over 10,000 mushroom species and many are not toxic, but due to the risk associated with toxic species it is important to consider all wild mushrooms as toxic! Toxic mushrooms contain cyclopeptides that can cause liver failure, kidney failure, or toxicity to the nervous system (neurotoxins) Where do they grow? Typically grow between July and November particularly during warm and wet weather Can be found in many different locations, particularly parks, woods, and even the backyard They are particularly associated with oak, pine, and birch trees They can be found in many locations across the US What happens if a dog consumes toxic mushrooms Death Cap mushrooms are highly toxic and one cap can cause death in humans and dogs Liver failure occurs within 24 hours Can also affect the kidneys and intestinal tract Effects of consumption are generally split into three phases: Phase 1 (6–24 h post-ingestion, typically 10-12 h later): There are typically no signs initially Lack of signs does not mean lack of exposure Delayed onset of severe vomiting, bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dehydration Phase 2 (24–72 h post-ingestion): Dogs seem to recover from clinical signs Silent, progressive liver and kidney damage continues Phase 3 (3–5 d post-ingestion): Full-blown liver failure Vomiting, lethargy, poor appetite Jaundice, bleeding, seizures Coma and death What to do if you are concerned Time is critical! Do NOT wait for symptoms Immediately seek veterinary attention, take your Border to the closest emergency room or urgent care Take a piece of the mushroom: Place in a Ziplock or paper bag with moist paper towel Make sure to wash your hands, these mushrooms are toxic to you as well Mushrooms can be submitted to a toxicology lab for further testing and identification Many universities have diagnostic labs that can determine the type of mushroom North American Mycological Association: List of volunteers who can identify mushrooms https://namyco.org/interests/toxicology/mushroom-poisonings-in-dogs-and-cats/ Contact ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435). They will give you a case number which you can share with the veterinary hospital What can a veterinarian do? Rapid decontamination: Remove contents of stomach to prevent absorption of toxins in the first four hours after exposure Administer activated charcoal to prevent absorption of toxins from the intestinal tract Intravenous fluids to maintain hydration and IV anti-nausea medications Administer hepatoprotectants such as milk thistle, S-adenosyl methionine, N-acetyl cysteine Therapeutic plasma exchange is available at select specialty hospitals and universities and may be beneficial for removing toxins from the bloodstream Urine testing for toxins can confirm mushroom exposure How to prevent exposure: Monitor your yard frequently for mushrooms and remove them quickly Do not allow your Border off leash in areas where mushrooms may be growing, e.g., wooded areas, parks, particularly during July to November Get more information about toxic mushrooms here: Mushroom Poisoning in Dogs and Cats - Veterinary Partner - VIN https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=10020259 Other common toxins that affect the liver Blue-green algae in stagnant ponds, particularly during warm weather Sago palm Xylitol, also causes severely low blood sugar Ibuprofen and other pain killers in this class [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

The Border Terrier Club of America Health and Scholarship Foundation is pleased to offer AKC Reunite Prepaid Enrollment Microchips for sale at a substantial cost savings to members. The cost is $15 per chip plus a $10 S/H fee. This club rate is substantially less expensive than if you were to purchase individual chips from AKC Reunite. For example, the exact same chip individually purchased from AKC Reunite costs $32.95, not including shipping. A pack of five (5) chips from AKC Reunite is $20 per chip, not including shipping while the chips you purchase from the Foundation are always less expensive at $15 per chip and you do not need to order a minimum number. We are thankful to AKC Reunite for providing this opportunity to us as it is a direct benefit to BTCA members and serves as an ongoing fundraiser for the Foundation. All chips are scanned prior to being shipped to ensure accuracy. A master list of chips sold is kept in the event the contacts you enroll to the chip are not available. When contacted, Reunite will aways contact the purchaser of the original chips in another effort to track down the owner or breeder. The parent club health committee has a list that indicates for example, Jane Doe purchased three chips – with the chip numbers. We won’t necessarily know which dog she used it on, but we can always try to locate Jane Doe using club records which occasionally are updated more often than contacts enrolled to microchips. It is an additional layer of assistance and a benefit to members. In addition, the Foundation receives a small donation from your chip purchase. Once you receive your chips, the numbers can be reflected on the individual AKC registration for each puppy. In addition, we recommend you make sure that each chip is registered to the new owner, and list yourself as a secondary contact. You can also contact Reunite and request your information is automatically set to default to be the secondary (or primary if you desire) contact and / or your information may never be removed by the owner without your consent. This is customizable for each breeder depending on how you choose to enroll. Margaret Henning, 20572 N Margaret Ave, Prairie View, IL 60069 is the point of contact for this opportunity. To order chips, please send two checks to Margaret Henning. The first check is for the chips and should be made out to the Border Terrier H&S Foundation. The second check is for the shipping and handling cost per order (not per chip) and it should be made out to Margaret Henning in the amount of $10.00. Margaret will send your chips to you.

SLEM (Shaking Puppy) is a neonatal neurologic disorder identified in Border Terriers. In 2017 the gene mutation that causes SLEM was identified. The test is currently available through OFA. It is inherited as a simple autosomal recessive. It is important that ALL SLEM (including carriers) results be entered on the open database. Knowing the SLEM status of an individual allows us to make sure we do not breed two carriers together. Carriers can be used in breeding programs with the hope that we can gradually reduce the frequency of the SLEM gene in the population without putting the breed through a genetic bottleneck. (See the articles by Jerold Bell, DVM.)

Juvenile (developmental) cataracts have been reported. These may appear between 2 and 4 years of age. Cataracts that appear at a young age and that are bi-lateral are presumed to have an inherited basis. No genes have been identified in Border Terriers to date. Breeding dogs should have yearly eye exams until at least age 8. Exams beyond that provide useful information. Young dogs with cataracts should have eye exams every year for at least 3-4 years and the results entered in the OFA database. Depending on the rate of progression exams may be spread out after that. Longitudinal data can provide useful information.

FAQs Archive – Border Terrier Club of America

Q: Vaccine Recommendations

Please visit the AAHA site to review recommended canine vaccine guidelines. All puppies should have received an initial dose of the CORE vaccines prior to leaving the breeder. Owners should complete the puppy series, as recommended. As the site says, non-CORE vaccines vary with where you live, prevalence of disease in your area and the lifestyle you and your pup will live. From the AAHA site: “Licensed canine vaccines have a high degree of proven safety and efficacy. For this reason, dogs that present with an incomplete or ambiguous vaccination or health history can still be vaccinated with the expectation of a protective immune response and a low risk of serious post vaccination adverse effects. Stated another way, veterinarians can assume that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks in cases of dogs with unknown immune status or vaccination history—a common occurrence in veterinary practice. Examples of these real-world scenarios include the possibility of recent natural exposure, absence of serologic data to guide a vaccination decision, or suitability for noncore vaccines such as Leptospira spp. Thanks to the reliability of the licensed vaccine armamentarium, a good rule of thumb is, “When in doubt, vaccinate.””

Q: Health and Genetics Committee

The BTCA Health Committee has a new email: BTCOAHealth@gmail.com Please use the new email above to submit questions to the BTCA Health Committee. For the last 50 years Marg Pough, our Health Chair, has received thousands of health questions, and because of connections with the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, was able to advise people. Historically, these questions have come by phone calls, by email, and now more frequently by messages and messenger. The volume and multiple methods of receiving meant that questions could get buried and sometimes lost in the gobs of other things that arrive. Marg is not getting younger. We now have a larger health committee that includes three veterinarians. As always information about owners, breeders, and individual dogs is confidential. The release of identification information is the owner’s option. When you are asking a question remember that your own veterinarian knows your dog and should always be your first call. However, when consulting the health committee, there are certain things you can do that will help you, your dog, your veterinarian, and the committee. Describe the signs you are seeing. Provide the results of any workups your veterinarian has done. Keep a log that should include: age of onset, how long the condition been occurring, any treatment, diet changes and any improvements or decline. WRITE IT DOWN. It helps you remember, it helps your veterinarian and it helps anyone the committee consults with. We cannot diagnose your dog, but we have a network of knowledge and of people we can consult with. We can only make suggestions. If a disorder is new to Border Terriers we will continue to let the membership know. We are in the planning stages of a new General Health Survey, and are discussing the possibility of an OPEN Health Database where owners can enter information on their own dogs.

Q: Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Progressive retinal atrophy , a degenerative disease that affects the photoreceptor cells in the eyes, has been reported very rarely. Dogs were removed from the breeding population and there have been no cases reported in recent years.

Toxic Mushrooms

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Vaccine Recommendations

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Participate in Research

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Microchips

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The Border Terrier Club of America Health [...]

Health and Genetics Committee

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The BTCA Health Committee has a new [...]

Border Terrier Health Donations

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SLEM (Shaking Puppy)

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SLEM (Shaking Puppy) is a neonatal neurologic [...]

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

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Progressive retinal atrophy, a degenerative disease that [...]

Juvenile Cataracts

Teresa Parquer-Vargas2023-03-28T08:45:14-04:00March 28, 2023|

Juvenile (developmental) cataracts have been reported. These [...]

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