Hi, our 3 year old Berner Daisy has had some biopsies done on a couple of lesions which appeared on her face just beside her nose. We are still waiting for the results of the biopsies but the vet's pretty sure it's a condition called cutaneous histiocytosis which is apparently quite common in Bernese Mountain Dogs. From what I can gather they don't know what causes it but it seems to be a problem with the immune system and white blood cells.

I have managed to find out a bit about this condition on the internet and if this is what Daisy has, they can treat it with cortisteroids, although this isn't always effective. She has had chest x-rays done and blood tests as well and they are all clear so that's a relief.

Just wondered if anyone else had any experience of this condition in their Berner or other breed or a similar condition called systemic histiocytosis (apparently they are closely linked). Thanks.

Hey,
Just seen this post, how is daisy doing?we have just had our 2 year old bernese put to sleep this week, he had systemic histiocytosis. We had him on steroids for 2 weeks but they didn't seem to help and he was beginning to suffer (wouldn't eat,lethargy, and eventually the sickness and dioherrea came back).
Xx

Thanks very much for your reply. So very sorry to hear you've just lost your Bernese to this condition, especially at such a young age. You must be devastated.

Daisy is doing okay at the moment. She was eventually diagnosed with cutaneous histiocytosis when our vet sent a biopsy off to a specialist lab. Since then she's had recurrent lesions on her face, mostly on the bridge of her nose. The lesions do respond to immuno-suppressive drugs (Atopica) very quickly but unfortunately within a couple of weeks of stopping Atopica they just come back. It looks like she may have to be on long term medication because of this.

We are lucky though that otherwise she seems healthy and the condition hasn't spread beyond the skin at present. Our vet said to watch out for any other lumps which might appear on her body which would indicate the condition has changed and developed into systemic histiocytosis. From what I can gather both conditions are very closely linked and are both described as reactive histiocytosis (not the same as malignant histiocytosis).

So sorry again for your loss - your boy looks so happy in the photo, he obviously had a very happy life and was much loved.

I am sorry to hear about your girl as it sounds like her immune system is highly compromised. Histio is the pandemic disease in Berners and THE reason the average age is 7 (histio deaths can strike as early as age 2 causing this average).

I have personally lost every Berner I have had to histio - different forms as it can manifest in 4 different ways but nonetheless histio. I never recommend anyone get into this breed until they have first studied up on histio and are prepared for this cancer.

Here are a few sites for your reference if you have not seen them already:


Histiocytosis

Histiocytic Diseases of the Bernese Mountain Dog


THE 2011 Berner-l Cancer Fundraiser 2011 for research into Malignant Histiocytosis in the Bernese Mountain Dog!

We just completed our largest fundraiser for histio research led by Dr. Breen at UNC. He is making good progress in identifying the genetic mutation but we have a long, long way to go.

Dr. Moore at UCDavis is a great expert on this cancer - all forms and is responsive to questions. As he states, chemo is a waste of time, money, and quality of life on most forms and so far I can attest that I have found no treatment that buys much meaningful time when faced with true systemic histio.

Due to the lack of necropsy done by most people, it is severely under-reported in Berners, but I can tell you that of the hundreds of Berners I have known, histio takes 65-75% of them and I have personally known more than a dozen in the past year alone.

The severe immune deficiency in this breed - coupled with the high rate of auto-immune disease and cancer (histio, hemangio, and mast cell being the primary cancers seen) is the reason that the largest natural rearing and raw feeding dicussion group on the web is for Berners specifically, as vaccines, pesticides, herbicides, water and food quality, and other chemicals are all key to managing the fragile Berner immune system.

Dr. Moore states that this is a cancer that is genetically carried (and many think every Berner carries it) but that it must be triggered by an external antigen - hence the careful precaution above by many experienced Berner owners.

Until we find answers to this horrible cancer that takes this wonderful breed too young, just know that the BMDCA Health committe, and most any breed steward can help navigate the path if you don't have a breeder experienced in the breed with knowledge of the health implications. Just go to the Breed Steward page on the BMDCA site.

Good luck!

Hi, thanks for your reply, it was very helpful. (I was previously registered as aey1604 but due to a technical problem have had to change my user name as couldn't post for some reason).

Thanks also for the links - I'd already come across Dr Moore's website and found it really useful, loads of information about the different forms of histiocytosis. I stay in the UK and there doesn't seem to be that much information from breeders that we've dealt with about the condition.

Really sorry to hear you've lost so many Berners to different forms of Histio, that is heartbreaking. Daisy's condition does seem to be aggravated by vaccinations, she would have a reaction within days of having her boosters so we no longer get her vaccinated and even our vet has advised against it.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that her condition won't progress to systemic histiocytosis and am just relieved that she seems so healthy at present. She's now 5 and has had this condition for over 2 years now.

I wish the best for your dog.
What I know about dogs in general, they say that big dogs are more prone to cancer and other diseases unlike the small ones.