Basenji ribs - to see or not to see?

[eeeefarm]

@tanza:

There was a bitch showing up here a couple of years ago that was very, very thin…. I thought the same thing... the comments were that she eats like a horse but runs it all off... funny thing was, she was on the road with a handler and really no place to run, so to speak.....

Who was the bitch? Did you get a catalog?

I would be wondering about exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). I don't believe it is common in Basenjis, but my sister had a GSD with the problem. She ate and ate, had huge loose stools, and could not gain weight. Unfortunately she died of bloat before they figured out what her problem was….

I did find a thread on here that tells of a Basenji with the condition:

http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=7053

[curlytails]

Saba, thanks for investigating! I hope something comes out of your inquiries… maybe it's a long shot.

Janneke, those pictures are helpful. The one of the Azawakh in particular is in line with other Azawakh pictures I've seen. Somewhere I recall a breed description of Sloughis describing their musculature as similarly "dry" (Wikipedia says that too). At any rate, I don't get to see many of those breeds to compare! As for Tillo, while he has some visible ribs, he's always struck me as a brawny, athletic dog -- his muscles are clear and he looks great.

I just checked out Google translate's version. I am very amused by the literal translation of "shellfish raw guitar dogs." But yeah, you can actually get a sense of some of the article.

[DebraDownSouth]

@curlytails:

Debra, I read and speak Chinese.
Sorry for the shocker re: pictures in the article, guys…

I am impressed. Chinese looks so hard.

Shocker? No, just sad. Someone posted a pic on Facebook with a dog with its throat cut (it lived but the picture was horrific). That was really unnecessary imho.

@Janneke:

My absolute favorite breed (in looks) is the Azawakh..
Tillo (or any other basenji) for me, looks perfect when you can see the ribs as soon as they starts to move,

I had never heard of Azawakh before. Impressive looking dogs! But I googled them and most look healthy, muscled, thin but not emaciated. I could get used to that.
Yes, Tillo looks perfect.

[Basenjimamma]

Tanza, I don't know, and no..I did not get the catalog, will try to find out who it was though.

[tanza]

@Basenjimamma:

Tanza, I don't know, and no..I did not get the catalog, will try to find out who it was though.

Not important. The catalog with the results will be on Onofrio site soon.

[krunzer]

I was told at the dog show this past weekend that my dog could drop a pound or two and he would do better for showing. Because he is a hound he should have a more defined tuck. The dogs I was showing against looked thin….like you could see their ribs...they were puppies though, but I thought my boy was at a really nice weight. So now I am a little confused too.

[tanza]

@krunzer:

I was told at the dog show this past weekend that my dog could drop a pound or two and he would do better for showing. Because he is a hound he should have a more defined tuck. The dogs I was showing against looked thin….like you could see their ribs...they were puppies though, but I thought my boy was at a really nice weight. So now I am a little confused too.

The pictures of Tillo show an adult male dog of perfect condition and weight. Sometimes puppies might be a bit thin or even a bit fat depending on their growth cycle.

[deschroedter]

We have had Bs for over 34 years. We have bred our own, shown our own or had them from a show breeder and have always had lovely conformations, sleek, ribs just showing when in dead runs across the yard. Now we are slaves to our rescue Kell, all 40.6 lbs of him. Our girls are 17 1/2 lbs and 18 lbs. Kell is 5 inches taller at the should than they are, a much heavier frame. His conformation is just rotten, his tummy does not tuck up into a waist at all, there are muscles on him that look like they are double the size they should be. He gets 1/3 cup of dog food plus 2 tbsps, Taste of the Wild Venison/Bison or fowl, and that is exactly what the 2 light weighs get with the exception of the additional 2 TBSPs. He gets the exact same number and type of treats they get for going into their crates. You can see his muscles on his rear and front shoulders. He has the widest chest of any B we have ever had. He is fast, he wears both the girsl out with his antics. He is 19 months old now and still a very BIG puppy. Duane says we need to get him a tummy tuck to get him a waist. He just has lots of loose skin around his waist. And pardon me, but he has the smallest penis I have ever seen on a dog his size. But for all the conformation faults, if we could insert his disposition into all Bs, they would all be love buckets. He adores being petted, talked to, and he almost always answers us back when we talk to him.

[DebraDownSouth]

ROFLMAO, that is so much the Wimauma dogs. Horrible looks, HUGE giant monsters, and omg personalities to die for. I stretched Arwen, who is 24 pounds, and then Cara, who is about 35 pounds. Neither fat, but Cara's reach is over a foot more than Arwen–- she is about 3 to 4 inches taller and a good 4 inches longer. I told her the other day she was a giant and my husband said "Well she can't be TOTALLY PERFECT! She is perfect in every other way!"

Well no, she has no tuck, she is higher in the rear, floppy ears, light eyes and one drifts out. A vision of beauty she isn't, but I have rarely met a sweeter dog of any breed.

On dogs... sigh. I like to be able to almost see a rib on a Rottie, but for the show, they want them definitely overweight. Muscles but over weight.

[ownedbyspencer]

I wish Spencer's ribs wouldn't show. His backbone and butt have gotten bony, too. He eats well and takes vitamins and supplements, but he's just gotten thin. The vet thinks he looks good for his age, but I think he looks like a skinny little old man. I guess that's what he is. Sigh.

[krunzer]

How old is Spencer? and have they done any other tests on him?

[ownedbyspencer]

Spencer will be 14 this fall. He has Fanconi, so we have a vet check, bloodwork and urinalysis done every 4 months. We got "normal" (for him) results back this month, and he was negative for worms. The vet thinks he looks good, but he's starting to lose muscle mass and I think he looks bony.

[agilebasenji]

Diggie goes swimming once a week to help build muscles. (he'll be 15 in december) it has helped, much to Digital's dismay

[YodelDogs]

Those Basenjis are way too thin. The Sloughi is a bit thin too but the angle of the photo may be making it look worse than it is. When you get up close to them or run your hand over them, many sighthound breeds will have noticable hipbones. The thin coats and lack of body fat is the reason. The Azawahk is one of the most noticable and it really shows up in photos. Afghans are also prominant.

[Tandoran]

Way too thin! I believe that is beyond a cultural preference.

[saba]

Ok I have been doing a bit of digging, but I have to be honest in that Im bitterly disappointed in the lack of responses Ive had. I think I might have sent out about 30 odd emails, all over Australia, and I have only got about 5 back, (including a very sarcastic one ), most of them just wishing me good luck :mad: :mad: :mad:…

Anyway I havent been able to get a lot of info. One person thought they knew who it may have been, but just as I was going send them an email, I got an email from the 1st person, saying that the timeline was wrong, and these 2 dogs would be progeny of the exports...

So that leaves me slightly jaded, but not a lot clearer... In saying that Curlytails has given me another lead or two to follow, which I will get on to shortly. Thank you Curlytails for the info you found, I will chase up some of the exhibitors, (hope to get a response :(, ) and post anything I find out here...

[curlytails]

Thank you for your detective work, Saba. I think it's a hard "case," but I do think that if I were the original breeder of these dogs, I would want to know what happened to them. Even as a lover of the breed, it makes me feel sad and helpless to see those pictures. I certainly can't jump on a plane to fetch those dogs, and I don't reasonably expect the original breeder to, either. But if it serves as an eye-opening example of what happens when you don't keep in touch with your puppy people, then maybe some good will come out of it…

Meanwhile, just as you posted this, Saba, I received an e-mail from someone who was able to do more thorough detective work. They found the Malaysian Basenji owner's Rottweiler kennel, and there's full contact info there, including e-mail. I will leave you more info.

I would like to send him an e-mail myself, but I have to think about what to say. I get angry whenever I look at that article and those pictures, but I don't think I would get very far if I just went in there guns blazing. The welfare of those two Basenjis is what concerns me. If they are sick, I hope they are getting medical attention. If they are not being fed, maybe there's a local animal welfare agency I can contact. I know there are cases like this all over the world, every day, and many far worse. It just appalls me that someone can call themselves a "dog expert" and a "top kennel," yet have dogs in such condition -- and PROUDLY display them for the press!