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Knowledge Is Power

To watch our Mastiffs, Beau and Boone romp and play in the back yard with each other, would delight many a heart, especially a Mastiff fancier! They absolutely adore each other and they always look for and wait for each other wherever they go. To see them in the prime of their lives, enjoying one another and life in general, one would think them the picture of health. We certainly did! Then, last summer, our rosy picture was dimmed a shade or two.

At our annual Mastiffs of New England picnic, we had a very special visitor. Dr. John Melniczek, from UPENN, drove all the way up to Massachusetts ( and back in one day) to take urine samples and draw blood from the 20, or so, Mastiffs that belong to our members. He is conducting Cystinuria research and he wanted to collect data from our dogs. Our picnic went off without a hitch. Everyone there understands each other's obsession with Mastiffs and we all feel right at home talking about what they mean to us in our lives. My husband, Dan and I went home that evening with more wonderful memories of our friends and their Mastiffs and our boys snored away for the hour it took us to get home--worn out from their day of play and adoration.

I thought of the testing once in a while, but I was not concerned, for my boys are healthy and strong and they certainly show none of the signs of Cystinuria! Well, our cozy world was rocked when our dogs' breeder, Heidi MacKenzie, called to tell us the bad news. Beau had tested positive for Cystinuria. Thankfully, Boone had tested negative. I really could not believe my ears. How could this be so, when Beau shows no symptoms of Cystinuria? He does not need to urinate frequently and he has never had a urinary tract infection. I have since learned that a dog can be asymptomatic and still test positive. If not for the test, we would have been none the wiser.

Obviously, I love my dogs very much and you wouldn't be reading this article if you didn't love yours! For their sake, I urge you to take urine samples from all of your beloved dogs and send them to UPENN to be tested for Cystinuria. The test results are totally confidential. UPENN does not publicize the results. I chose to reveal Beau's positive test results with all of my fellow club members because my hope is that, after reading this article, some of you will decide to test your dogs. The knowledge that you gain through a simple urine test could save your dog's life.

Now that we know about Beau's condition, we are modifying his diet and we are watching him very closely. We know what COULD happen. Hopefully, he will remain asymptomatic and live a long and healthy life, but by having had him tested and by educating ourselves about Cystinuria, we have taken the first step in protecting our dog; knowledge. I urge you to do the same.

Sue Stebbins