Health
Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome - also known as TNS - is an hereditary disease where the bone marrow produces neutrophils (white cells) but is unable to effectively release them into the bloodstream. Affected puppies have an impaired immune system and will eventually die from infections they cannot fight.
Once thought to be rare, it is now believed that the disease goes undiagnosed for several reasons. First, not very many veterinarians know about the disease to look for it. Second, even when looking, blood counts do not always show lower than normal neutrophil (white blood cell) counts. Finally, because it is an autoimmune-deficiency disease, young puppies present a variety of symptoms depending upon what infections they fall prone to. Thus many cases are not properly diagnosed and have just been thought to be "fading puppies".
Making the diagnosis even more difficult is the fact that age of onset varies depending on which infection is involved at the time. Most puppies become ill before leaving the breeder but some do not have symptoms until later. The oldest known survivor was 2 years 8 months. Most affected puppies die or are euthanized by about 4 months of age.
TNS cases have been identified in New Zealand, Australia, United States and Great Britain.
Research now suggests that the gene is widespread throughout the Border Collie breed. It is autosomal recessive, which means that both parents have to be carriers to produce an affected puppy.
Reproduced with the kind permission of Border Collie Health whose database link http://bordercolliehealth.com/ gives TNS information about the carrier or affected status of dogs submitted along with pedigrees of known affected litters.
The following article was contributed by Rachel Birt:
It was about 2 days after the hearing test and the first sign from Iffi was very loose motions and generally lethargic. Then came the loss of appetite and the lameness at which point we visited the vet. Her temperature was so high and she presented with pyrexia. Although the forelimb was swollen she showed no reaction to pain but could not put any weight on the leg at all. The vet kept her in for 48 hours administering fluids and antibiotics. He took blood and xrayed the leg but no definite diagnosis was reached at this stage. We took Iffi home and within 24 hours she was up and about and running around like a normal puppy again. Within a few days, however, she went down again this time with another swollen limb.
So the cycles went on every five days or so. The diagnosis went from severe pyrexia, to possible liver shunt, then the final one was Immune Mediated Polyarthritis. During all this time the agonizing question was... do we carry on or do we end her suffering.
Until you have owned or experienced these puppies no one can understand the amount of LIFE they possess when they are in between cycles. They run and play like normal puppies, have so much spirit and zest for life, that you couldn’t possibly extinguish it.
Iffi took the decision out of our hands… just as she was coming up to 12 weeks she had another down turn and this time did not respond to the meds and we lost her. She was a fighter to the end and we still miss her now.
The other puppies all went to their new homes at between 7 and 8 weeks. It is important to note that ALL the puppies were examined by our vet and given a clean bill of health.
The lady who bought the other bitch puppy had been waiting a long time for her, she already had one of my collies, in fact the sister to the mother of the puppies, and competes in Agility competitions with her. Skye was to be her next agility dog. Unfortunately, Skye's symptoms began after her first vaccination, lack of appetite, upset stomach and lameness.
I find it difficult to try and give an account of Skye's story, because the lady who owns her, Mrs Sue Norman and her husband Jo, have been through so much with this little girl and, through the diligence and tenacity of their vet Mr Mark Maltman of Farthings Veterinary Group in Horsham, we eventually took the blood and she has come back as TNS affected. Skye's condition is regulated at the moment of writing by antibiotics and steroids. Her life in between cycles is as normal as any other dog. She walks with Sue's other two collies and plays and bombs around like a lunatic. She is very small for her age but makes up for her lack of size with plenty of vocal contributions.
We are devastated that Sue and Jo have had this heartache and continue to offer them our support.
Sue’s Vet, Mr Mark Maltman, has documented Skye's case and is submitting it to the ‘UK Vet’ Journal…unfortunately in all probability it will not be published for six months but at least it will then be available to all in General Practice.
Rachel Birt
4 February 2007
