When Duncan reached about a year and a half old, I started noticing that he was very different from other Bernese Mountain dogs I had seen. Duncan had grown to be about three inches larger all around than most of the other dogs in his breed and age group. I took him to the vet once again to find out why Duncan was so much larger than average. My veterinarian explained that this disorder could be due to a genetic problem in his breeding lines, or from being neutered at a young age. Duncan was suffering from a growth disorder of his bones, muscle and connective tissue called Acromegaly or better known as gigantism.
Gigantism is caused by an over secretion of the growth hormone produced by the pituitary gland.
This may cause further problems with age, such as hip dysplasia, arthritis and could possibly even lead to diabetes. Duncan is doing much better now. But this is not something anyone should ever go through. Please use Duncan's story to educate your readers. Breeders can and do make mistakes that will affect a dog or cat's entire life.