Have any of you read the article on canine organ transplants in the new Dogs Today? I'd be interested in hearing your opinions on the subject. Hope it's not too controversial!

Not got it yet. Any chance of a brief outline.

I will try, but I can promise you I will leave many important details out and probably get some facts wrong!
In the U.S. in 1999 they started to transplant kidneys in dogs with renal failure. This has been done 4 times so far with only half of those surviving after surgery. The donor dogs seem to recover fine. Outcome for kidney transplant surgery in cats is much more successful at 70 - 80%. Cats don't reject organs to the same degree as dogs.
Cats who would probably be pts can be adopted from shelters and turned into donors as long as they are rehomed after surgery. The family in the Dogs today article were turned down by all the shelters they approached due to policys put in place to prevent dogs being used for medical procedures or research. They would have used one of their own 5 dogs, but they were too old and none were a match. They ended up acquiring a dog from a breeder after doing all the prerequisite bloodwork with the breeders dog. The surgery didn't work and they acquired another dog for a second transplant. That surgery was also unsuccessful. The families beloved dog died.
The article basically goes on to discuss the ethics of such a surgery from the perspective of both the donor dog and the sick dog.

I am not brilliant at long posts, so I won't go on and on. That's the gist of it without going into all the arguments against. So, what do you think?

Interesting. Still digesting it. Is there anything else on the net about this topic? I am going to have a look. What do i think? without knowing anymore my gut feeling is its wrong to go down this road. Alowing people to aquire dogs for the sole purpose of transplantation. If it was one of the pups i had breed that someone was trying to buy for this i would go mad. Just because the ability is there to do such operations
dosnt make them ethical. What would be next heart transplant etc.
It the donor dog that worries me.

Animal Shelter signs agreement to donate organs from euthanized animal

Kidney Donor Dog has change of heart

Canine Renal Transplantation Information

Feline Renal Transplant FAQ's

One UK Vet says "There are a number of practical and ethical issues surrounding this procedure in the UK , and it is not routinely available at this time" for further information: Feline Kidney Transplants

Thanks leigh

I will throw another spanner in the works.
Bitchs unlike woman produce 3-12 pups depending on breed.
Surely natural selection has already been tampered with for the good in some cases to let a higher % of these pups live hopefully good lives.
but if more intervention is put in place is society not going to be over run with dogs haveing no homes as new owners would be keeping there dogs a lot longer. I think the balance has already tipped you only had to look at matties figures on rescue.
I am not very good at getting my point across but hope you get the thread of what im trying to say.

Thanks Leigh! The Cohen family were indeed the family cited in the DT article. I am personally of two minds. (Yes, some would say I have a split personality!) I think that in order for veterinarian medicine to continue to progress, these sorts of experimental surgeries will need to continue. If the homeless dogs or cats get a new family out of the deal, well that can't be all bad. Also, if an animals organs can be used to save anothers life after it has died, why not? But then there is another side of me that is uncomfortable with the ethical side of things. Should organs be "harvested" from an animal that is disadvantaged in one way or another? What about the money side of things? What do you think?
Oh, and great links! :)