Tag archives: dog inherited disease testing

Intestinal cobalamin malabsorption, also known as Amnionless Deficiency, Cobalamin Deficiency, Imerslund-Grasbeck Syndrome (IGS), and Vitamin B12 Deficiency, is an inherited disease found in the Australian Shepherd and related breeds (Miniature Australian Shepherd, Toy Australian Shepherd, Miniature American Shepherd). The disease is inherited in a recessive fashion and as such, dogs that inherit two copies of the mutation are at risk for the disease. The disease is caused by the inability to make adequate amounts of a protein that plays a role in absorption of certain nutrients from the intestinal tract and kidneys, including the B vitamin, cobalamin. Affected dogs have increased levels of methylmalonic acid in their urine (a sign of cobalamin deficiency) after weaning, but symptoms of disease may not be recognized by owners for months or years. Symptoms of disease include anorexia, lethargy, poor weight gain, poor muscle mass, and in rare circumstances, a severe neurological dysfunction called hepatic encephalopathy that can lead to altered mental state, seizures, coma and death. Affected dogs require treatment with cobalamin supplementation throughout their life.

Because of the severity of this condition and the fact that it is treatable, this test has been added to the breed-specific panels for Australian Shepherds and related breeds ...

One of the best compliments that a company can receive is when a customer places another order after experiencing that company’s service. An even better compliment is when a customer refers that business to a friend or colleague. When we refer a friend to a business, we are putting our ‘stamp of approval’ on that business and putting our reputation on the line too. We hope that the company will provide that excellent customer service every time so that our friend doesn’t blame us if things go wrong. That is why referrals are so valuable to a company and why excellent customer service should be every company’s number one priority.

What constitutes excellent customer service? This may include an informative and easy to use website interface, a friendly human voice when the company answers the phone, the outstanding quality of the service they provide, and its caring interactions with the customer long after the service has been completed. When was the last time you ordered something and didn’t receive an email confirmation or reply that your precious purchase was on its way? The communication that a company has with its customer says a lot about the way it conducts its ...