December 2012
Dear Veterinarian,
I am writing this letter as the breeder of one of your client’s new puppy and to offer some
information about the dogs from my kennel. As you know, golden retrievers are facing a
wide array of health challenges these days, from chronic skin allergies to hypothyroidism
to orthopedic problems to cancer. As breeders, we seek to breed away from these
problems while still producing good-looking, working dogs and companions. As you might
imagine, we have our hands full with this task.
We have been breeding goldens for over thirty years. Throughout this time, we have
collected a large amount of information on our dogs, pet and show alike. We also stay in
close contact with our buyers. This means we have detailed information on over 220 dogs
from our breeding program. As a result, we have an idea of some consistent medical
problems our lines face. We have outlined them here for your information and ask that
you include them in this dog’s health record.
Acepromazine
Although we have not produced dogs with epilepsy, we have had a couple of dogs have
seizures when given ace. Since one of these dogs died from status epilepticus after being
given ace, we ask that none of the dogs from our breeding program be given ace at any
time. We realize that Tobias et al did not find a significant increase in seizures in their
study but our lines may be different than the small population they studied. Although
they recommended further research on this issue, it has not yet been published. If you
insist on using ace, please discuss seizure treatment and response if it should happen.
Primor
Two of our puppies have gone into kidney failure when given Primor
(http://www.drugs.com/vet/primor.html) prior to six months of age. We prefer that our
dogs never receive this drug but if necessary that it be given only after six months. Albon
appears to be no problem for my dogs so treatment with it is fine to use it.
Lyme vaccine
We have lost two adult dogs of our breeding to Lyme nephritis after they had been
vaccinated with the Lyme vaccine annually throughout their lives. Both of these dogs
were family pets and neither was hunted nor at high risk for getting Lyme disease. We
recognize that Lyme disease puts all of us between a rock and a hard place but our
experience has made us cautious of vaccination with the Lyme vaccine without prior
testing to ensure the dog is clear of the disease. Please test prior to vaccinating.
GAYLAN’S GOLDENS
40 Walmer Lane, Cold Spring, NY 10516  (845)265-2162  Fax: (845)265-2045
gaylans@optonline.net  www.gaylans.com
© 2012 Gayle Watkins Page 1
Vaccine protocol
One of our litters experienced very serious vaccinosis in response to 7-in-1 (DHLPPC)
vaccines. Luckily all of the puppies survived and were safely vaccinated as adults.
However, in response to these experiences, we turned to Dr. Ron Schultz, Head of
Pathobiology at the University of Wisconsin Vet School, to design a vaccine protocol that
balances disease protection with immune system development. Our system is very similar
to the American Animal Hospital Association’s vaccine guidelines that were released in
2001 and revised in 2006.
Core Vaccines. We strongly support vaccination against core diseases, particularly
distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus-2, hepatitis and rabies. However, given the
immaturity of puppies’ immune systems, we ask that our pups receive the
minimum number of vaccinations required to establish immunity. We ran a
nomograph on this litter’s dam and found that maternal antibodies will have
diminished enough to allow an individual immune response to both distemper by
____ weeks and parvovirus by ____ weeks of age. (Two weeks prior to whelping,
her parvovirus titer was ____ and her distemper titer was ___, if you would like to
review the nomograph.)
Separate viral from bacterial vaccines. We ask that you separate killed and
bacterial from modified-live viral products. Thus, please give the rabies vaccine at
least two weeks after the puppy’s last distemper-parvo vaccination.
Titers. Even though titers are imperfect assessments of immune response, they
are the best we have right now. Since vaccine manufacturers use serological
evidence in duration-of-immunity studies, we consider them valid means to assess
our dogs’ immune status. Our preference is that our dogs are titered 2-3 weeks
after each distemper-parvo vaccination to determine if the dog had an appropriate
immune response. If it did, no further vaccinations are necessary.
Laboratories for titers. We prefer labs that provide actual titer numbers rather
than summaries. Our preferred titering lab is Cornell University’s Animal
Diagnostic Laboratory. We have had acceptable results from Jean Dodds’
Hemopet titering program, although they no longer fully titer the dog’s blood. You
may know of other commercial or veterinary school labs that offer full titers
similar to Cornell so we ask that you use them for this puppy.
Rabies Protocol. We are now following and recommending a new rabies protocol
that reduces two risks of the present standard protocol of vaccinating puppies for
rabies between 3 and 4 months and then boosting a year later. Research has
shown that some dogs do not develop immunity to the first rabies shot and thus,
these dogs are not protected for a year under the present protocol. In addition, a
small percentage of dogs develop life-long dog aggression if vaccinated during
adolescence. To avoid these two risks, we are vaccinating at 16 weeks with a oneGAYLAN’S GOLDENS
40 Walmer Lane, Cold Spring, NY 10516  (845)265-2162  Fax: (845)265-2045
gaylans@optonline.net  www.gaylans.com
© 2012 Gayle Watkins Page 2
year rabies vaccine and at 20 weeks with a three-year vaccine. This is acceptable
in New York State but I do not know about other state’s laws.
Non-core vaccines. Finally, we believe that no dog should be vaccinated for
coronavirus, giardia, adenovirus-1 or other diseases on the AAHA notrecommended list. If other non-core vaccinations are appropriate due to this
puppy’s circumstances or particular risks in your area, we ask that they be given
only when necessary (such as 3 weeks prior to kenneling for Bordetella), in the
most ideal form possible (intranasal for Bordetella rather than subQ), and
separated from other vaccinations.
Genetic Disease Testing
We have an active and thorough genetic disease testing program and we ask for your
support in this effort.
Two-year clearances. All of our buyers, regardless of breeding status of their dog
(pet, performance or breeding), have agreed to do hip, elbow, heart and eye
examinations on their dog at the age of two years. The hip and elbow x-rays must
be submitted to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), eye exams should
go to the new OFA Eye Registry and heart exam results may go to either the OFA
or the new ACVIM Registry of Cardiac Health (ARCH). This information enables our
owners to have a good understanding of their dog’s health status as it approaches
adulthood and allows us to better understand our breeding stock’s genetics and to
produce healthier dogs in the future.
Annual Eye Exams. We encourage our owners to have a Board-certified
ophthalmologist exam their dog annually after the age of two to screen for
pigmentary uveitis, an eye disease that is becoming widespread throughout the
golden retriever community. If you can assist your client in finding lower-priced
clinics or experienced ophthalmologists in the area, we would appreciate it. We
have attached a letter from the Golden Retriever Club of America concerning
Pigementary Uveitis for your information.
Research Participation. Finally, include our dogs in as many valid research
programs as possible to investigate the genetics underlying the diseases facing
golden retrievers. We look forward to additional DNA testing, if and when it
becomes available to goldens. We ask for your support in helping this client collect
DNA or other tissue samples for the various research projects appropriate for their
dog at a reasonable cost.
We firmly believe these data collection efforts are particularly important for
goldens diagnosed with cancer. We recognize situations like this are difficult times
to talk to clients about taking samples but we appreciate your efforts in helping us
find solutions to our breed’s health challenges. We have attached a letter from
GAYLAN’S GOLDENS
40 Walmer Lane, Cold Spring, NY 10516  (845)265-2162  Fax: (845)265-2045
gaylans@optonline.net  www.gaylans.com
© 2012 Gayle Watkins Page 3
the Golden Retriever Club of America concerning Cancer Sample Donations for
your use.
We have attached the medical schedule that we provided to this dog’s owner prior to its
departure from our home for your information and records, as well as the information
from the Golden Retriever Club of America.
Thank you for your attention to these issues and, in advance, for the care you will provide
to this dog. If you have any questions or comments on the contents of this letter, please
feel free to contact us at gaylans@optonline.net or (845) 265-2045.
Sincerely,
Gayle Watkins, Ph.D.
Andy Chmar
References
Day MJ, Horzinek and Schultz RD. 2010. Vaccination guidelines for the owners and
breeders of dogs and cats. Available from the WSAVA Website
http://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/WSAVA_OwnerGuidelines_September2010.
pdf
Sapienza, JS, FJ Simo, and A Prades-Sapienza. 2000. Golden Retriever uveitis: 75 cases
(1994–1999). Veterinary Ophthalmology, Volume 3, Issue 4, pp 241–246.
Tobias KM, Marioni-Henry K, Wagner R. 2006. A retrospective study on the use of
acepromazine maleate in dogs with seizures. JAAHA 42, 283-9.
Townsend, WM, KR Gornik. 2013. Prevalence of uveal cysts and pigmentary uveitis in
Golden Retrievers in three Midwestern states. 2013. Journal of the American
Veterinary Medical Association, November 1, 2013, Vol. 243, No. 9, pp 1298-1301.
Welborn, LV, DeVries, JG, et al. 2011. 2011 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines.
Available from the AAHA Website at
https://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/CanineVaccineGuidelines.pdf.
Attachments
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Gaylan’s _________ Litter’s Medical Schedule
Important Message from the Golden Retriever Club of America Regarding
Pigmentary Uveitis
Contact Information for Golden Retriever Participation in Cancer Research
GAYLAN’S GOLDENS
40 Walmer Lane, Cold Spring, NY 10516  (845)265-2162  Fax: (845)265-2045
gaylans@optonline.net  www.gaylans.com
© 2012 Gayle Watkins Page 4