Greetings from the Snowy South!

[ownedbyspencer]

Hello everyone! I'm Pamela and I'm owned by a beautiful 13-year-old Basenji boy named Spencer. Spencer has had Fanconi since he was six, so he's been doing well on the Protocol for almost seven-and-a-half years. His health is starting to decline a bit, but he's making the most of his golden years.

I've been researching Spencer's line to try and find how many other Fanconi dogs there are in his lineage. I found his parents and can go back five generations, but I can't find any record of his litter. I'm wondering if any of his siblings have Fanconi and if they're still alive. So the research goes on.

I'm also thinking about adding another Basenji to our household. I can't imagine being without one… or two. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to spending some time on the forum and chatting with other proud Basenji parents.

[Basenjimamma]

Welcome Pamela and Spencer..so nice to have you onboard. I am sorry to hear of Spencer having fanconi but yet happy to hear that he is managing ok on the protocol..hoping it will help him stick around for many more years.
There are lots of puppies to look at right now on the forum, this is puppy season after all..
Have you looked into BRAT and potentially adopting another basenji one day?

[ownedbyspencer]

Thanks for the welcome!

Yes, I know BRAT, but I just don't know if I can risk the Fanconi again. We love Spencer like a child, but it is so, so hard. And I'm not sure how he would accept a puppy. I'll be talking to the vet about it next week when he goes in for his next blood gas.

But those puppies sure are cute!

[Schouiffy]

I'm almost completely sure if you had a match on BRAT you could have them genetic Fanconi tested before adoption if you were willing to pay the OFA fee.

[MacPack]

Welcome, and congratulations on Spencer's nice long life. A dear friend just lost her Fanconi girl, only diagnosed for a couple of years; she took all the pills well but seemed to have many complications, she was less than 6 years old. She too is unwiling to risk going through this again, so looking for a nice rescue who HAS had the DNA test for clear.

Good luck, I hope Spencer has many more good years with you!

[DebraDownSouth]

@Schouiffy:

I'm almost completely sure if you had a match on BRAT you could have them genetic Fanconi tested before adoption if you were willing to pay the OFA fee.

Sadly, they won't. I have screamed, thrown a tantrum, … anyway, I understand when I am beating a dead horse.

So if Fanconi is an issue, look for the Brat dogs (and they get them) who are already tested.

Welcome to the forum!

[dcmclcm4]

Are you looking in the Basenji Pedigree Database or on the AKC website or on the OFA website?

If none of the littermates have had litters especially if they are AKC registered then Sally Wallis would not know about them to put them in the Basenji Pedigree Database. The owners and/or the breeder of the litter would have to give Sally the information so she can put it in the Database.

Who is the sire and dam of Spencer?

I presently have a Fanconi affected girl, Missy who just turned 12. Are you on the Fanconi Yahoogroup List?

Jennifer

[ownedbyspencer]

Spencer's parentage is Cambria's Lord Russell of Cypress x Cambria's Lady Cassandra of Cypress. He was born 12/6/1997– five pups in the litter; he was #5 (Cambria's Spencer Tracy). I can't find that litter in Sally's database, though there are others from the same sire and dam.

We were told that Spencer was from Bob Mankey's Cambria line out of Santa Ana, but I now suspect that his more recent lineage derives from that Mountain Springs line. I don't know how to trace those dogs, though.

Jennifer, your Missy must be responding well to the Protocol. Dr. Steve has been wonderful. My parents' Basenji also was a Fanconi boy, but like MacPack's poor friend, he didn't make it long after diagnosis. It's a terrible disease.

[tanza]

@ownedbyspencer:

Hello everyone! I'm Pamela and I'm owned by a beautiful 13-year-old Basenji boy named Spencer. Spencer has had Fanconi since he was six, so he's been doing well on the Protocol for almost seven-and-a-half years. His health is starting to decline a bit, but he's making the most of his golden years.

I've been researching Spencer's line to try and find how many other Fanconi dogs there are in his lineage. I found his parents and can go back five generations, but I can't find any record of his litter. I'm wondering if any of his siblings have Fanconi and if they're still alive. So the research goes on.

I'm also thinking about adding another Basenji to our household. I can't imagine being without one… or two. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to spending some time on the forum and chatting with other proud Basenji parents.

Do you know who the breeder is? If so you could try asking them if they could tell you who has any of the sibs and then contact them? Or maybe they have already been told by anyone that might have sibs…. Responsible breeders want to be made aware when any pups they breed have problems. And since your Basenjis was way before the DNA test, it is possible (again if from a responsible breeder) that they might know.

Or there might be others with Basenjis related to your here if you care to share the pedigree?

[ownedbyspencer]

@tanza:

Do you know who the breeder is? If so you could try asking them if they could tell you who has any of the sibs and then contact them? Or maybe they have already been told by anyone that might have sibs…. Responsible breeders want to be made aware when any pups they breed have problems. And since your Basenjis was way before the DNA test, it is possible (again if from a responsible breeder) that they might know.

Or there might be others with Basenjis related to your here if you care to share the pedigree?

Sally and her very informative database have helped me verify Spencer's pedigree. It wasn't good news, but maybe it will help somebody else. Sally was able to locate the litter and identify two of Spencer's sibs, and she's added them to her database.

Given the amount of Fanconi in Spencer's line, it's doubtful that his four sibs had good odds. Spencer was strip-tested and caught early and he responded well to the Protocol. Dr. Gonto helped us adjust the Protocol several times when Spencer floundered, and so far, he's bounced back every time. I've been as lucky as you can be with a Fanconi dog.

[YodelDogs]

@ownedbyspencer:

Spencer's parentage is Cambria's Lord Russell of Cypress x Cambria's Lady Cassandra of Cypress. He was born 12/6/1997– five pups in the litter; he was #5 (Cambria's Spencer Tracy). I can't find that litter in Sally's database, though there are others from the same sire and dam.

Have you given Sally Spencer's parentage? She can add him to the database and it can help you and others to trace lineage.

We were told that Spencer was from Bob Mankey's Cambria line out of Santa Ana, but I now suspect that his more recent lineage derives from that Mountain Springs line. I don't know how to trace those dogs, though.

The Mountain Springs people "stole" the Cambria name. They are not related to, nor are their breedings connected to, Bob Mankey. (Bob has been dead many years.) The Mountain Springs people do not do any health testing, including Fanconi. They are still breeding untested dogs so who knows how many people that have gotten puppies from them over the years have lived with the heartbreak of Fanconi. I would strongly recommend that you contact them and tell them about Spenser. If they are made aware they have produced Fanconi then perhaps they may at least start testing for it.

[sharronhurlbut]

Welcome. You have been a great dog mom with your fanconi boy.
Hugs and welcome again.

[ownedbyspencer]

Hi Robyn–

Thank you for your response!

Yes, I have been in touch with Sally, and she helped me find two of Spencer's sibs. She added his litter to her database, in the hopes that it might help others searching out lines.

Unfortunately, back in 1997, it was not widely known that the Mountain Springs people were using the respected Cambria name. I didn't even know that Mountain Springs Basenjis existed until recently. My little B didn't come from there, but he is descended from Fanconi lines that apparently did. I'm sure there are many, many more like me, and I did make the breeders aware of it. I'm not sure it helped, but maybe it was a step in the right direction.

[ownedbyspencer]

@sharronhurlbut:

Welcome. You have been a great dog mom with your fanconi boy.
Hugs and welcome again.

Thank you! He's been a great dog!

[Patty]

Welcome to the Forum and well done for taking such wonderful care of Spencer.

I do wish you luck in finding your next Basenji and that Spenser will get on with him/her.

[Kipawa]

Welcome to you and Spencer. I have to say that he lucked out in getting such a devoted owner.

[ownedbyspencer]

Thank you, everyone, for making me feel so welcome!

Now, who's willing to talk me out of possibly, potentially, just maybe getting a puppy?

[tlish]

have you seen all the puppy pix recently??

nobody here will be talking you out of one… they are too damn cute (despite their wicked basenji ways)!

[Andrew]

@ownedbyspencer:

Thank you, everyone, for making me feel so welcome!

Now, who's willing to talk me out of possibly, potentially, just maybe getting a puppy?

I certainly won't There is a very cute litter in Georgia right now.

[tlish]

georgia and tennessee even touch!!!