Six weeks went quickly. Everyday I had recorded Angie's every move, and still no tripping, falling over or scuffing. It may of been wishful thinking on our behalf that Angie was not a Wobbler, but how could she be? After all, she moved like most other Danes I have seen run around in our show ring… nothing out of the ordinary! If anything, I noticed a very slight flicking of her pasterns, otherwise her feet placement was true and her hindquarter moved with drive. Sound standing with no instability what so ever. 

Dr Collins preformed lateral X-rays of the neck, which showed us there was abnormality within her vertebra C 4-5 and C 5-6. Both Darren and I were heartbroken. We cried uncontrollably! We had put so much time and effort into these puppies. We health tested their mother; Hips/Elbows x-rayed heart, shoulders and neck, thyroid etc, and all was clear, how could this happen to us? How could this happen to Angie? She appeared so normal!  To be diagnosed with this insidious disease was gut wrenching, and we wanted answers! What did this mean for her? What did this mean for her siblings and us as her breeders?

A week after Dr Collin diagnosed Angie, we sent the radiographs to Dr Roger Lavell (a highly regarded radiologist) for his expert opinion.  Many have used Specialist Dr Lavel for hips and elbows, and I have since used Dr Lavel in reading other Great Dane neck x-rays. He confirmed abnormalities in Angie’s vertebras. It was so hard for us to believe that Angie could have this!  However, two experts could not be wrong. 

During this time, those that needed to be notified of Angie's condition where told, and the relevant information was sent. My mentor for many years Denise Bennett from Amasa kennels was very understanding, her compassion for Angie was comforting at the time to hear. We discussed this disease at great lengths and how mother nature can often when breeding throw you that curve ball. I came to the conclusion that mother nature was unkind to us. However, Angie was as normal as any other Dane so how bad could this be for her? We were unfortunate that this happened with this litter.

It became apparent to us, that certain people could not, or would not believe that Angie was diagnosed with wobblers. Well… we didn't want to believe it either! Unfortunately, when two professionals diagnose wobblers, it is what it is. We had dealt with the fact Angie was a wobbler, we certainly did not wish it upon her nor would we wish it upon any Great Dane. 

Selfish folk with questionable agendas, where spreading rumours… saying that we made the 'wobblers' story up to try and ruin other kennels or other dogs show career. This in itself was ludicrous! What possible gain would that give us, as by my own admission, this would end my breeding plans to go forward with my girls from this litter. Absolutely ridiculous rumours abounded. In my opinion, from those with spiteful and vicious natures…A blatant attack at trying to discredit the respect and integrity of those who had never been questioned before. 

Eventually we were forced to seek legal action. My lawyer advised us after his research that the only way to put this to bed would be to proceed with a Myelogram. This was the only way to confirm for sure that Angie was in fact a wobblers. Both Darren and I did not want to go down this path nor did we want to subject our beautiful girl through such a traumatic ordeal. We felt so helpless… Do you continue on and allow certain folk to continually call you a liar or do you try and ignore? Darren and I discussed this at great lengths and the last thing we wanted was to put Angie through a myelogram, we had faith in our own vet and Dr Lavel, we trusted their expertise.

The word soon spread to other States in Australia that we had a Dane with Wobblers disease. Not long after all the rumours started circulating we were contacted by a lady in another State who had a Great Dane with wobblers; a bitch who she had operated on successfully. We spoke for hours on the phone… We laughed, we cried for our breed and the state that it's in. I was then contacted by another puppy owner in the same state. It became obvious that Wobblers was alive and well with in our breed. I found once talking to these puppy owners,  some breeders did not want to believe this disease was existent in their lines! There were all these puppy owners that were told it was pano, it was injury induced wobblers, it was growing problems, diet, nutrition etc etc...Most of these puppy owners were shrugged off with no one to talk to or confide in. No-one to offer them advice or help. Families heartbroken, because their nine month old Great Dane puppy had to be PTS due to wobblers. Too many stories to mention but all very heart wrenching and so very sad for those who loved their beloved Danes.

We decided then, and took Angie to Dr Sam Snelling. He perform the myelgram. I asked a dear friend Francis Hammer, if she would accompany me at Dr Sams clinic. She was more than happy to and with tears in my eyes I left Angie in Sams good care at the clinic. Franny and I went for lunch, probably the longest couple of hours of my life! I distinctly remember… I was just about to get into Franny's car and my mobile phone rang. It was Dr Snelling, saying that Angie was out of theater and he confirmed Angie was a mild wobblers and we could come and sit with her whilst she recovers. My heart sank… and I burst into tears! I sat in the car with Franny sobbing like a child! I knew Angie was a wobblers, but there was a part of me that was hoping and praying she was not… hoping, my vet and Dr Lavel had it all wrong! It was not to be… At that moment, the reality of it all set in, but through my own despair, my main concern was for Angie and getting to her before she awoke from her ordeal. 

Both Franny and I sat with Angie whilst she came out of the anesthetic. Sam wanted to show me the scans… both Franny and I listened and asked questions. It was the first time seeing how a myelogram works and without a shadow of a doubt we could see the narrowing of the spinal cord and the compression. Luckily… it was not enough to warrant surgery. Sam explained in great detail Angie''s results and was extremely sympathetic. We asked him if Angie's symptoms could be injury induced. He said that it was not possible. Angie's results were that of genetic wobblers. He also mentioned that if every Great Dane was to be myelogramed that many of them would show similar results as Angie.  Even as high as 75% could possibly have this kind of narrowing. So where did we go from here? Sam advised us to treat her as normal, exercise normal, feeding as normal…her life would not change.  Mine would not be the same.

 It wasn’t that long after Angie's Myelogram, that I noticed Angie for her worth as a Great Dane. Her beauty, elegance, size and substance. Her willingness to please and tell me. Why is it that the special ones seem to be the most endearing? They have an ability to look into your soul and know your heart? 

Just after Angie turned 18 months of age we decided to show her and we did with great success. Her first show she won bitch Challenge (against other champions) Runner up Best of Breed to her brother Babe and also won Australian Bred in Group under a All Breeds judge, what a start!
Unfortunately, it wasn’t always roses at the shows. A minority of people were not happy and were trying their utmost to malign her, her lines and us for showing her. Thankfully to no avail! It didn’t take long and Angie became an Australian Champion. She won many Best of Breeds and became a multi class in group winner.

We are not ashamed of her, we love her and adore her! Because of Angie, many beautiful people have come into our lives and those that left our lives were not worth our friendship the first place! Can a dog make a difference in a life? They most certainly can! 

Angie is now moving towards her third birthday and still going strong! She rarely ever needed medication, but she was prescribed Rymadal and Tramol on a few occasions. Wobblers is not as cut and dry as many might think… so what helps and works for one Dane may not work for another. We also took Angie to a Spinal vet whose expertise was with acupuncture which I felt was helpful. After a while the spinal vet felt Angie did not require this treatment anymore.

Let me just say this…Wobblers is not a dirty word. Nor, is it necessarily a death sentence for a Dane! There are many new techniques and many specialist vets that deal in new procedures to help Danes with this affliction. There is no shame in owning a Dane with this disease nor, is there shame in breeding one. No difference to DCM and other predisposed diseases our breed can get and even with years of careful breeding these diseases can still pop up.

We have been scorned at times for showing Angie… because we admitted she had this disease. If every dog was not allowed to be exhibited in the show ring because they had a genetic disorder, how many dogs would we see in the show ring today? In a perfect world, it would be great if all dogs exhibited in the show ring were free from any genetic disorders but this is not the case. Dogs with Hips and Elbow scores borderline displastic, dogs with PRA, entropian, dogs with heart conditions, immune deficiencies , there are too many genetic disorders to mention! But, if a dog functions normally, free from medication, free from surgery, and is a good example of the breed, why cant he or she be shown? There are dogs and bitches in the show ring that have never produced because they are barren… so using the old myth they must be sound enough to be bred from to take the bred forward is rubbish! It is irresponsible to breed on with this disease; it is irresponsible to breed on with any genetic disorder that causes pain and suffering to an animal! This is the responsibility of the breeder, not stick their head in the sand and pretend these diseases do not exist.

 Angie will never be bred from, nor will her siblings that are owned by us. Mode of inheritance is still uncertain but many experts believe it is Autosomal recessive, some may dispute that it takes two (sire and the Dam), many think its in certain lines, but I am not that clever to be able to detect it so easily by visual alone.

Angie is one of the most beautiful Great Danes we have had the privilege of knowing and her story needed to be shared so that others may understand a little more about Wobblers and those that do, know that they are not alone in their fight.

Thank you for reading Angie's Story.