Growth Hormone
Growth Hormone (GH) is a member of the somatotrophin / prolactin
family of hormones which play an important role in growth control. Ideally
Canine Growth hormones should be used to treat hypopituitary dwarf dogs but
this is very expensive and not available. It is used to help develop the liver and kidneys which remain immature if untreated, it is important to stress that it will do nothing to increase the dogs overall size.
Human growth hormone has been used in the past as an alternative to canine GH to treat dogs but this was rejected by the dogs after around 6 weeks. As a consequence of human GH testing this has now become a problem as many veterinary reference books state that all GH can only be used on dwarf dogs for about 6 weeks which is untrue. Porcine Growth Hormone (pGH ) is usually given because it is virtually identical to other forms and more readily available but even this is strictly controlled. Porcine GH is given until the growth plates close which are delayed in a dwarf and can be up to 18 months. I must stress that if you have a dwarf dog then you must check with your Vet about its use and if they are unsure then please contact Dr Kooistra (contact details given on the link page) incorrect use can do more harm than good.
Important Note
Porcine growth hormone (pGH or pST) is illegal to obtain and use in most countries around the world and therefore has to be obtained through your Vet in collaboration with a research establishment such as a University Veterinary Research Faculty.
Most laboratories will state and only sell under certain conditions such as:
LABORATORY RESEARCH USE ONLY - They may not be used as drugs, agricultural or pesticidal products, food additives or household chemicals.
If your Vet has difficulty in obtaining it you should contact the University of Utrecht's Faculty of Veterinary Science and they will direct you to the most appropriate source.
Don't be tempted by the black market on the internet as these, although relatively easy to obtain in some countries are not controlled and there are some very high risks of introducing some extremely nasty diseases to your dog.
What is Porcine Growth Hormone (pGH) or Porcine Somatotrophin (pST)?
Porcine Somatotrophin is known as the abbreviation pST and is a growth hormone naturally produced in pigs its action is identical to canine GH which is very much harder to obtain and is also not allowed to be used. The word "porcine" refers to pigs, and the word "somatotrophin" means body growth and refers to the name of the hormone.
Hormones are natural substances secreted by glands within the body that affect the way the body operates. Somatotrophins, including pST, are protein hormones consisting of large complex peptides that contain 190 to 199 amino acids and are produced in the pituitary gland located at the base of the animal's brain and are released under the control of the central nervous system.
Human growth hormone has been used in the past as an alternative to canine GH to treat dogs but this was rejected by the dogs after around 6 weeks. As a consequence of human GH testing this has now become a problem as many veterinary reference books state that all GH can only be used on dwarf dogs for about 6 weeks which is untrue. Porcine Growth Hormone (pGH ) is usually given because it is virtually identical to other forms and more readily available but even this is strictly controlled. Porcine GH is given until the growth plates close which are delayed in a dwarf and can be up to 18 months. I must stress that if you have a dwarf dog then you must check with your Vet about its use and if they are unsure then please contact Dr Kooistra (contact details given on the link page) incorrect use can do more harm than good.
Important Note
Porcine growth hormone (pGH or pST) is illegal to obtain and use in most countries around the world and therefore has to be obtained through your Vet in collaboration with a research establishment such as a University Veterinary Research Faculty.
Most laboratories will state and only sell under certain conditions such as:
LABORATORY RESEARCH USE ONLY - They may not be used as drugs, agricultural or pesticidal products, food additives or household chemicals.
If your Vet has difficulty in obtaining it you should contact the University of Utrecht's Faculty of Veterinary Science and they will direct you to the most appropriate source.
Don't be tempted by the black market on the internet as these, although relatively easy to obtain in some countries are not controlled and there are some very high risks of introducing some extremely nasty diseases to your dog.
What is Porcine Growth Hormone (pGH) or Porcine Somatotrophin (pST)?
Porcine Somatotrophin is known as the abbreviation pST and is a growth hormone naturally produced in pigs its action is identical to canine GH which is very much harder to obtain and is also not allowed to be used. The word "porcine" refers to pigs, and the word "somatotrophin" means body growth and refers to the name of the hormone.
Hormones are natural substances secreted by glands within the body that affect the way the body operates. Somatotrophins, including pST, are protein hormones consisting of large complex peptides that contain 190 to 199 amino acids and are produced in the pituitary gland located at the base of the animal's brain and are released under the control of the central nervous system.
pGH Dosage
Porcine growth hormone dosage must derived from pituitary stimulation test's and the results of how much an individual dog makes for itself. Advice and help in determining this is available from Dr Hans Kooistra at the University of Utrecht directly or indirectly through the Saartje Foundation. An overdose is harmful to the dog and can result in diabetes, for further information see links.
Porcine growth hormone dosage must derived from pituitary stimulation test's and the results of how much an individual dog makes for itself. Advice and help in determining this is available from Dr Hans Kooistra at the University of Utrecht directly or indirectly through the Saartje Foundation. An overdose is harmful to the dog and can result in diabetes, for further information see links.
The growth hormone somatotrophin was identified from
the pituitary gland, many years ago in the 1930's and the only source of pST
was from the pituitary glands of slaughtered pigs. This produced only very small quantities and because of this it was very expensive. New biotechnology makes it
possible to work with DNA, the part of a cell that contains the genetic
information for an animal, after much research the gene in pigs which controls
or "codes for" the production of pST has been isolated and inserted
it into a bacteria called Escherichia coli or E.Coli).
These bacteria, which are normally found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals and act like tiny factories to produce large amounts of pST in controlled laboratory conditions. The pST produced by the bacteria is purified and then is injected into pigs to increase their growth (a controversial farming technique). The porcine somatotrophin is virtually identical to canine somatotrophin and acts in exactly the same way and can be used as a substitute for dogs.
This method of manufacture of a gene from one organism to another in this example from the pituitary gland of a pig to a bacterial organism is called "recombinant" DNA technology." Where it was once extremely expensive to obtain growth hormones it is now relatively inexpensive due to the much larger scale of production. There are many trade names for pST or pGH but the University of Utrecht uses Reporcin which is manufactured in Australia.
The reason why porcine growth hormone is so tightly controlled is because of Aujeszky's disease which is also known as pseudo-rabies and is a notifiable disease in most countries , it was first noticed in cattle in the United States of America in 1813. The first case of Aujeszky's disease in Great Britain was in 1979, the last in 1989. GB was declared officially free of this disease in 1991 following extensive serum surveys. The disease had not existed widely outside Eastern Europe before the 1960s but by 1989 it had a world-wide distribution affecting 43 countries. There are several reasons for this. New and more virulent strains may have emerged in recent decades: improvements in diagnostic techniques may have revealed cases of Aujeszky's that had previously been diagnosed as swine fever.
Clinical signs of Aujeszky's Disease
Pigs are the only natural host for the Aujeszky's virus, but it can infect cattle, sheep, cats, dogs and rats causing fatal disease. Clinical signs of the disease in pigs vary depending on the age of the pigs involved. In neonatal pigs the incubation period is 2-4 days and signs of central nervous system disease (shivering, inco-ordination and hind leg weakness) are seen. Losses may reach 100% in piglets less than 7 days old. In weaned pigs, respiratory disease is the predominant problem. Sneezing, coughing and laboured breathing is accompanied by fever and weight loss. Signs in gilts and sows include abortion, stillbirth and mummified foetuses in addition to the respiratory and febrile signs seen in growing pigs. This is why you should only obtain pST through your Vet / Research Establishment and not from unknown sources as it has the potential to decimate a whole industry as all animals affected would be destroyed.
These bacteria, which are normally found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals and act like tiny factories to produce large amounts of pST in controlled laboratory conditions. The pST produced by the bacteria is purified and then is injected into pigs to increase their growth (a controversial farming technique). The porcine somatotrophin is virtually identical to canine somatotrophin and acts in exactly the same way and can be used as a substitute for dogs.
This method of manufacture of a gene from one organism to another in this example from the pituitary gland of a pig to a bacterial organism is called "recombinant" DNA technology." Where it was once extremely expensive to obtain growth hormones it is now relatively inexpensive due to the much larger scale of production. There are many trade names for pST or pGH but the University of Utrecht uses Reporcin which is manufactured in Australia.
The reason why porcine growth hormone is so tightly controlled is because of Aujeszky's disease which is also known as pseudo-rabies and is a notifiable disease in most countries , it was first noticed in cattle in the United States of America in 1813. The first case of Aujeszky's disease in Great Britain was in 1979, the last in 1989. GB was declared officially free of this disease in 1991 following extensive serum surveys. The disease had not existed widely outside Eastern Europe before the 1960s but by 1989 it had a world-wide distribution affecting 43 countries. There are several reasons for this. New and more virulent strains may have emerged in recent decades: improvements in diagnostic techniques may have revealed cases of Aujeszky's that had previously been diagnosed as swine fever.
Clinical signs of Aujeszky's Disease
Pigs are the only natural host for the Aujeszky's virus, but it can infect cattle, sheep, cats, dogs and rats causing fatal disease. Clinical signs of the disease in pigs vary depending on the age of the pigs involved. In neonatal pigs the incubation period is 2-4 days and signs of central nervous system disease (shivering, inco-ordination and hind leg weakness) are seen. Losses may reach 100% in piglets less than 7 days old. In weaned pigs, respiratory disease is the predominant problem. Sneezing, coughing and laboured breathing is accompanied by fever and weight loss. Signs in gilts and sows include abortion, stillbirth and mummified foetuses in addition to the respiratory and febrile signs seen in growing pigs. This is why you should only obtain pST through your Vet / Research Establishment and not from unknown sources as it has the potential to decimate a whole industry as all animals affected would be destroyed.
