What do German Shepherds and Maori men have in common?

Group which is a group to which Arthritis NZ belongs. In general terms the letter is a red neck rant about how Maori shouldn't have special rights It includes this lovely line

“The ultimate in absurdity is the Maori Gout Action Group. Gout is gout whether you are brown, white, or brindle.“

Leads to a range of questions:

So what is brindle? Is the first question

Wikipedia can answer that - “sometimes described as "tiger striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's coat”

Note usually relates to dogs (or cats)

Question 2: Do dogs get gout?

Again Wiki can help

Yes is the answer - dogs can get Hyperuricaemia. More common in some breeds than others with German Shepherds most vulnerable

Question 3 - will we Arthritis NZ do something about dogs with gout?

Answer - Even though we get lots of interest from people concerned about the arthritis in their pet dog and cat so far we have resisted the urge to extend our services to cover dogs and cats . . . .

There is a wonderful US blog post here

http://community.petpalstv.com/profiles/blogs/old-bones-about-it

So whether you be brindle or tortoiseshell may you stay gout-free

And even though German Shepherds aren't ever brindle like Maori men they do appear to be predisposed to experiencing the excruciating pain unique to gout