The Basenji is generally a very healthy and robust little dog. With that in mind it is still wise to be aware of some of the health issues that may affect Basenjis so over time I will be adding a little information about some of the more common Basenji health concerns on this page.
Photo:H.Veless
Fanconi Syndrome
DNA Linkage Test- U.S.A
On July 14, 2007, the Basenji Health Endowment proudly reported that Dr. Gary Johnson of the University of Missouri has released the linked marker DNA test for Fanconi Syndrome in Basenjis. As the first predictive test available for Fanconi Syndrome it is being used now to determine the probability of a dog carrying the gene for Fanconi Syndrome.
Hopefully the actual "gene" will be identified soon but until then we have this DNA Linkage test available in the interim.
This is wonderful news for our breed!!
Armed with this information & with careful breeding practices breeders will now be equipped to eradicate this devastating disease from the Basenji breed.
Since Fanconi Syndrome is generally fatal if not treated correctly all responsible breeders should now be testing their Basenjis for the Fanconi DNA Linkage test before breeding.
Go HERE for the procedure of getting your Basenji tested and FAQ
To get your Basenji tested they need to first be enrolled in the Canine Phenome Project :
Go HERE to go to the CPP Website to enrol your Basenji.
How to proceed once you have your test results:
There are four possible test results: Clear, Carrier, Affected & Indeterminate. Below is a description of what each result means to you as a breeder.
CLEAR
This result indicates that the gene is not present in your dog. Therefore, when used for breeding, a 'Clear' dog will not pass on the Fanconi gene.
CARRIER
This result indicates that one copy of the Fanconi gene is present in your dog.
Dogs with Carrier status will not develop Fanconi Syndrome but will pass on the Fanconi gene 50% of the time.
AFFECTED
This result indicates that two copies of the Fanconi gene are present in the dog. These dogs will develop Fanconi Syndrome & will always pass on the Fanconi gene to their progeny.
INDETERMINATE
Between Carrier or Clear - Best to regard as a carrier when making breeding decisions to be safe.
Breeding Pair Combinations
|
| Parents | Offspring Fanconi Results |
| Clear x Clear | 100% guaranteed Clear offspring |
| Clear x Carrier | 50 % Clear, 50 % Carrier
(these are averages)
|
| Clear x Affected | 100% guaranteed Carrier offspring |
| Carrier x Carrier | 25 % Clear, 50 % Carrier, 25 % Affected
(these are averages) |
| Carrier x Affected | 50% Carrier, 50% Affected
(these are averages) |
| Affected x Affected | 100% guaranteed Affected offspring |
All Basenji Fanconi results are public on the OFA Database
To do a search on Basenji Fanconi results on the 'Orthopaedic Foundation For Animals' (OFA) website follow these simple instructions:
First click on the link below
http://www.offa.org/
2. Click on the "Search OFA Records" button (left side of page)
3. Select "Basenjis" from the list of breeds
4.Then scroll all the way down to the bottom and in the (From X date to X date) at the bottom of the page enter "July, 2007"and in the (To box) enter "the month you are searching" eg: "December 2007"
5.Click the search button.
You will then be given a list of all Basenji results in the OFA Database to date in alphabetical order.
Understanding Australian Hip Scores
| | OFA SCORE | AUSTRALIAN SCORE |
| Excellent | 0 - 4 (no >3 per hip) |
| Good | 5 - 10 (no >6 per hip) |
| Fair | 11 - 18 |
| Borderline | 19 - 25 |
| Mild Dysplasia | 26 - 35 |
| Moderate | 36 - 50 |
| Severe | 51 - 106 |
The above ratings were published by Dr. Susan Gauthier.
Hip Dysplasia is a condition in which the hip socket is badly formed and can lead to lameness, osteoarthritis & a great deal of pain & disability for affected dogs. It is believed to be polygenic, with multiple genes involved in its development.
Dogs should wait until they reach 2 years of age when they are fully developed before their hips are evaluated by a specialist to get an accurate reading.
In Australia (2007) the current breed average is a total score of 6.9 for Basenjis. This is the total of each hip score added together.
In our opinion breeding from dogs who are not hip scored means missing out on vital information necessary in any breeding program.
The experts agree that breeding is not recommended from a Basenji which has a hip score over the breed average and that it is best not to breed dogs together that have scores over half of the breed average.
Hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels in the blood stream) is known to be a problem in the Basenji breed with a 16.3 % (Michigan State University) occurence rate. It is the most common endocrine disorder in dogs. The thyroid gland is known as the master gland and controls the speed of metabolism of almost all body cells. When thyroid hormones are present at below normal levels, many different bodily functions can be affected; so the clinical appearance of the disease can and does vary. The most common clinical signs include: weight gain, lethargy, skin and coat problems (including hair loss),aggression, weakness, cold intolerance, low fertility or infertility, neuromuscular problems, changes in vision, dwarf-like qualities in puppies, dry swelling of the skin, deepened voice, intolerance to cold, fatigue and weakness, and nonspecific degeneration of the heart.
Although hypothyroidism is not life threatening, the quality of life of affected dogs is subnormal. Veterinary testing procedures have improved over recent years, and hypothyroidism and its therapy are better understood by most veterinarians. Breeders of Basenjis should advise veterinarians of the fact that sighthounds as a general rule have lower normal ranges for T4 and T3 concentrations as compared to other breeds. Testing in oestrus will give false results therefore it is recommended to only test anoestrus. Testing should be done in the 30 days in the
middle of anoestrus (hips/eyes, are also recommended to be done at this time)
FT4 (Free T4 by equilibrium dialysis)
This is the only validated free T4 method in the dog.
Free T4 is not affected by autoantibodies (in contrast to total T4) and Free T4 is less frequently affected by non-thyroidal illness.
Normal results are between 10.0 - 45.0 pmol/L
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
Normal results are between 0.02 - 0.50 ng/mL
A low Free T4 is considerably more specific for Hypothyroidism than TT4 or T4, however non-thyroidal illness or drug therapy (eg. Phenobarbs) may depress Free T4 in some instances.
Concurrently low Free T4 and high TSH values indicate a very high probablility of Hypothyroidism.
The treatment of Hypothyroidism is very cheap and is simply a matter of giving 1 small pill twice daily.
Research suggests that up to 90 % of cases of Hypothyroidism are actually the end stage of Auto Immune LymphocyticThyroiditis.
Photo:H.Veless
Genetics come into play when a dog is diagnosed with Auto Immune LymphocyticThyroiditis.
During the progression of this autoimmune disease, affected animals produce autoantibodies against their own thyroglobulin.
Heredity is not yet fully understood but assuming it is a single gene disorder and recessive trait, TgAA will be positive only in dogs having both genes for Thyroiditis. The best current marker for this disease is a positive TgAA test result.
TgAA= Canine Thyroglobulin autoantibody.
TgAA will not be positive in the carriers and may not be positive early in the life of some dogs that become affected later.
An important consideration for breeders is that the TgAA test can detect this disease years before clinical siqns of hypothyroidism occur. Most affected dogs will have autoantibodies by 5 years of age. It is rare but not unknown for a dog to have positive TgAA before one year of age so it is recommended to commence testing after puberty; between 15-18 months is the ideal age, and then semi-annually. After 5 years of age a dog which has not tested positive for TgAA is unlikely to develop the disease and should remain clear for life. After the age of 6 years if thyroid problems are suspected the FT4 and TSH tests become more accurate indicators of thyroid disease.
A comprehensive and cost effective Thyroid panel includes FT4 (by dialysis),TgAA and TSH.
Screening For Breeding Suitability
Some breeds of dog (Basenjis being one of them) are over represented when tested for the presence of TgAA. This presents somewhat of a challenge for breeders. The disease seldom presents clinical signs before 3 to 5 years of age, which is well into the reproductive period for many dogs. An early detection procedure is now available in Australia from IDEXX Laboratories in Brisbane. The testing for the presence of the Autoantibody (TgAA)
Phone No: 1300 799 722
IDEXX require a minimum of three samples before performing a run.
IDEXX WebsiteIn both sexes of these breeds it is recommended that TgAA be used as a screening test for breeding suitability. The recommendation is that all breeding animals be checked at least semi-annually from 1 year until they are 6 years of age. IDEXX recommends that animals that are positive for TgAA should not be used for breeding.
Interpretation of Results
Results of greater than 35% are positive for TgAA
Results of 20-35% are inconclusive for TgAA
Results of less than 20% are negative for TgAA
Positive results indicate the presence of autoantibodies against canine thyroglobulin. This may or may not be associated with clinical hypothyroidism as symptoms can sometimes take many months or years to present. Canine Free T4 by equilibrium dialysis and TSH should be measured in conjunction with the TgAA result to be able to make an accurate diagnosis.
An animal less than 5 years of age with positive TgAA and normal T4 should be monitored for the eventual development of hypothyroidism by measuring Free T4 on an annual basis.
Link to Thyroid Statistics from the Orthopedic Foundation For Animals is found
HERE ....and
more Thyroid information can be found
HEREResearch into Hypothyroidism as performed by clinical laboratories is ongoing.
BASENJI HEALTH
Go
HERE for more information regarding Basenji Health.
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