ISBN 3-8055-3616-X - 1983 Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig Published 1983 in the former DDR
Author: Prof. Dr. sc. Vet. Med. Ekkehard Wiesner, Berlin and Dozent Dr. med. vet. Habil. Siegfried Willer, Berlin
- translated by E. Steffen, 02/2000 -

Page 88/89 Dermatitis - chronical and ekzematic Dermatitis, first mentioned in literatur 1895/Arnous and 1922/Mueller. For the Leonberger esp. the chronical ekzematic Dermatitis is mentioned and more dogs than bitches found to be affected.

Page 98/99 Dura-Ossification - Pachymeningitis spinalis ossificans, chronical osseous metaplasy of Dura mater spinalis

A slowly progressive Ossification of the Dura mater spinalis, esp. at the ventral part of the Dura in neck- and lumbal area.

Findings: mostly in medium - to giant breeds such as Danish Dogge, Boxer, Mastiff, St. Bernard, Newfoundland, Leonberger,Pyrenaen mountain-Dog and GSH. It is mentioned that as well mechanical reasons or disturbed metabolism due to age can be responsible for these condition. First findings go back until 1883 !!!!

Page 255 OCD - the most literature is from the years 1960 - 1980 and it is mentioned trauma can cause this and that others as well consider a disbalance of metabolism con. Ca-, P- and Vit.D. Hedhammer et. al. wrote 1974 already about a possible influence of overnutrition and hypercalcitony.
A Hyperparathyreoidism in combination with lack of Ca-balance was discussed as well.

And some authors mentioned that it seems to be like with the "pigs who are fattened for fast growing" and pointed out that "fast growing and gaining weight too fast" had to be avoided.

Which could lead to an abnormal gait and cowhessed in stand .........but it is mentiond that the genetic is normally due to
5 toes and that due to domestication and degeneration over millennia the dogs nowadays have only 4 toes - and as well
there as on

Page 332 the dew claw - paraungula - is mentioned.

And in literature from 1905 is said that mainly the giant breeds (Molossian type dogs) have more often the dew claw than other breeds. The famous "Barry" (1800 - 1814 !!!), this St. Bernard who saved a lot of human lives, had dew claws on both rear legs and it is mentioned that later by using inbreding methods this trait was extincted in the St. Bernard. The genes for dew claws are mentioned for all breeds ........and this is high inheritabel but the only "bad things" they do "they can disturb the gait or can disturb the animal by running".

So - from my point of view the Polydaktylie and dew crawls aren't really a problem as they do not harm or bring not pain to the animal and have no influence on the lifespan.

14 years --- for a giant breed - which was of course neither that tall then heavy in weight as the nowadays bred St. Bernards.

But something worth to think of - and another St. Bernhard - less famous but very much loved by me, was born in 1944 (wartime) and was put asleep in 1956 as he lost eye-sight and the ability to hear at the same time. Anyway - 12 years for an animal, born in a times period where "neither much nor high-quality-food" was available .............this seems as well to be worth to think of !!!