Health
Concerns
of the
Basenji
Dog
©
1994-2007 sinbajé basenjis. All rights reserved.
[Fanconi]
[Eye
Disorders] [IPSID]
[Hemolytic
Anemia]
[Health
Database] [Thyroid]
[Hip
Dysplasia]
Fanconi Syndrome of the Basenji Dog
Definition: The renal tubules of the kidney begin to fail to do their job of reabsorbing nutrients, resulting in loss of multiple vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and bicarbonates. These losses result in muscle wasting and weight loss and left untreated will ultimately kill. With early intervention and Dr. Steve Gonto's management protocol, prognosis appears excellent for long term, healthy survival. Fanconi syndrome appears to be polygenetic in nature with no clear inheritance patterns, therefore ALL basenjis are at risk. If you are in contact with a breeder that does not test and they say "My line is clean" or "Fanconi? Never heard of it." run, don't walk until you find a breeder more informed, and more honest, regarding the ills of this breed and their line. A breeder who is actively testing all breeding stock is a breeder you should be looking for.
Diagnosis: Polpolyuria (PU) - excessive urination, polydipsia (PD) - excessive thirst and/or frequent urinary tract infections accompanied by sugar in the urine (glucosuria). Positive diagnosis is made by having glucosuria with normal blood glucose levels. ALL basenjis should be tested by their owners for urine glucose, ketone or protein losses using any of a number of test strips available from their local pharmacy. Most common misdiagnosis are diabetes, or Cushings disease.
Onset: Age of first symptoms (PU/PD) is usually 5 to 7 years; however, it has been diagnosed from 3 to 11 years. Early diagnosis is essential since the earlier treatment begins, the less renal damage there is, resulting in fewer replacements needed to maintain said animal.
Home Testing: Simple, quick, and relatively inexpensive**. Go to the diabetic section of your local pharmacy and buy one of the following urine test strip bottles: Bayer Clinistix, Gluco-Ketostix, Ames Combistix, or Glucose/Ketone Chemstrips. Take your basenji out on leash and wait for him/her to piddle. Place the end of the strip in the dog's urine stream being careful not to contaminate the strip by accidentally touching it to leaves, grass or dirt. If needed, a shallow dish or large spoon/ladle can be used to collect a sample of urine with which to dip your strip. Wait the appropriate amount of time given on the bottle and then compare the color of the test strip to the bottle chart. Report any positive readings to your veterinarian along with a copy of Dr. Gonto's Fanconi Disease Management Protocol for Veterinarians. It is believed by many that strip testing should be done monthly on basenjis younger than three years of age and more frequently on basenjis over the age of three.
Please note: Strip testing is only a tool used in early detection of fanconi, it is NOT intended to be used as a conclusive diagnosis of the disease. Only through more advanced laboratory tests can fanconi syndrome be accurately and definitively diagnosed. See Dr. Gonto's management protocol for more indepth information.
**Each bottle
contains roughly 50 test strips. Those people that have only one
or two basenjis in their household will find it difficult to use every
strip before the manufacturers expiration date. Not to worry.
I have found a way to extend the shelf life well beyond this date.
First thing I do after opening a new bottle is pop it in the freezer to
keep the strips fresh. When I am ready to test, I pull out one strip
per dog plus one extra. That extra strip, drawn at random, is then
tested in a mixture of a 1/16th tsp. of gatorade (or Squirt or 7-up) to
1/2 cup of water. If the test strip can detect that minute of an
amount then I know the strips are still effective.
We now have a test - a linkage test. All breeders are encouraged to use this test prior to any breedings.
Please note: sinbajé basenjis will ONLY refer to those ethical BCOA member breeders who are actively using this tool to safely eradicate this disease from the gene pool.
Click here to see how a line "avoided" the tri color gene for close to 20 years. This is a visual model to show how, and why, fanconi is a simple recessive and how/why it could be avoided in a tightly line/in bred pedigree while still being within the pedigree.
There is no legitimate reason in today's world, with today's knowledge and advancements in science that ANY fanconi basenji should ever be created again. Please support those ethical breeders who properly test for known genetic problems within our breed; fanconi, PRA and hip dysplasia. Don't just take their word for it - visit web sites such as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and LOOK for dogs bearing the kennel name of the breeder you are researching - see for yourself if they are truly testing their breeding stock or sending you a sales pitch. Sadly there are many "reputable" breeders out there that say they are testing, but have nothing to show for it. Do your research or caveat emptor!
So what's the big deal about Fanconi Syndrome? Learn what the AKC Canine Health Foundation has to say about the disease and the recent DNA test or read this valuable flyer, courtesy of sinbajé basenjis. Feel free to print either/or if you know anyone who owns or is considering a basenji.
To
see a visual of what can occur when clears, carriers and affecteds are
bred to each other and how, statistically speaking, the genes could express
themselves, click here.
PPM
- Persistant Pupillary Membrane (in brief):
PPM
is a very common problem in the basenji breed. When a puppy is born, his
eyes appear a bluish color. This color is caused by the embryonic membranes
covering the eyes. As the pup grows, the membranes break apart and
normally disappear by four to five weeks of age. When these membranes do
not disappear they become known as PPM, of which there are several types;
Iris Sheets, Iris to Lens, Iris to Cornea and Iris to Iris.
Julie
Gionfriddo, DVM Diplomat ACVO writes:
"Iris
to lens PPMs are more problematical. These PPMs cause opacities (cataracts)
at the point where they are attached to the lens. The cataracts do not
usually progress and cause only minor visual deficits. Iris to cornea PPMs
cause opacities on the cornea due to their ability to damage the inner
lining of the cornea. These opacities may be small or may be severe due
to the development of fluid in the cornea. Severely affected puppies (with
numerous strands) may be blind, though they may improve as they get older.
The strands may regress but do not disappear. In general, iris to
iris PPMs cause no problems. They may be single strands or a forked structure.
These PPMs may break and become less prominent as the puppy gets older,
but they usually do not disappear completely.
PPMs are found in many breeds of dog. In most of these breeds, iris to iris PPMs are classified by CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) as a "breeder option" problem. This means that most of the PPMs, which have been reported in these breeds have been small and are probably sporadically occurring and not hereditary defects. In some breeds, PPMs are known to be hereditary and puppies who have any type of PPM will not receive a certification number. The Basenji** is the most well known but CERF will also not certify Chow Chows, Mastiffs, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, or Yorkshire Terriers with PPMs. Members of these breeds have been shown to produce offspring with blindness directly associated with their PPMs. In these breeds, the mechanism of inheritance is not known but breeding any of these dogs with PPMs is highly discouraged. Even severe PPM rarely causes vision problems but breeders should be aware of the intensity of any PPM their dog has and try to lessen the severity in future generations."
**NOTE: The BCOA (National Basenji breed club) petitioned CERF asking for Iris to Iris PPMs to be CERFable and considered "breeder option". Per the February 2003 CERF Newsletter, Iris to Iris PPM in the basenji breed is now CERFable and is "breeder's option".
PRA
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (in brief):
PRA
is a blinding condition. Early signs include nightblindness and lack of
ability to adjust vision to dim light. Later on, daytime vision will
also begin to fail. At the same time the pupils become increasingly
dilated, causing a noticeable "shine" to the eyes; and the lens may become
cloudy, or opaque, resulting in a cataract. There are two types of
PRA onset: early onset and late onset. In early onset the disease results
from abnormal or arrested development of the photoreceptors -- the visual
cells in their retina, and affects pups very early in life. In late
onset, which includes the basenji, affected dogs appear normal when young,
but develop PRA as adults. Research has shown there to be, at the
very least, 5 different types of canine PRA. Once believed to be a simple
recessive in the basenji dog, research has shown that affecteds bred to
affecteds were not producing the the expected affecteds, therefore the
mode of inheritance in the basenji is presently unknown. Current
research is close to finding a DNA test to help determine affected, carrier,
and non-carrier status. Until then, breeders and pet owners alike,
should test their dogs regularly. Diagnosis of PRA is normally
made by ophthalmoscopic examination by a board
certified opthamologist.
For more information on PRA and the genetic studies in progress visit: PRA Today
Immunoproliferative
Small Intestine Disease (IPSID) of the Basenji Dog
IPSID
- An article written by Cindy Griswold
IPSID stands for immunoproliferative small intestine disease, but it is a disease of many names. It is also called basenji enteropathy, immunoproliferative lymphoplasmacytic enteritis, basenji diarrheal syndrome, and malabsorption. IPSID is one of several different types of inflammatory bowel disease, which result in the dog not being able to utilize and absorb nutrients correctly from food. The human equivalent is Chrons disease.
While IPSID is considered to be inherited, inheritance alone appears to be only one of the factors involved. When genetically normal Basenjis have food allergies, viral or bacterial infections and they become sick, at worst, they will come down with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). With proper medical care they can be cured or maintained for life. A dog genetically predisposed to IPSID and its resultant immunicological weakness might start with plain vanilla IBF and eventually progress to IPSID. Stress of a physical or emotional nature also seems to be a factor.
Symptoms can include diarrhea (both large and small bowel), vomiting, weight loss, protein loss, increased or decreased appetite, depression, and gas. The type of symptoms and their severity differ from dog to dog, and from one time to another. Dogs with IPSID often show improvement before the dog again takes a turn for the worst. While some dogs go into remission, they usually relapse and eventually die.
Most of the time vets will use a process of elimination to diagnose IPSID. My vet started out by ruling out giardia. From there, we did a complete blood panel. Everything was normal except the protein levels, which were low. Next, we did a barium x-ray, which showed an enlarged section of the intestine. Last was a biopsy, which is the only reliable way to diagnose IPSID. The biopsy was also done to rule out cancer and systemic fungal infections.
Treatment success is generally limited to improving the quality and length of life. Prednisone is started at 1 mg/kg twice a day to suppress the immune system. Over time the pred can generally be lowered or eliminated until the symptoms resume. However, if the pred is eliminated and restarted it might not be as effective as it was previously. Other drugs that are used are metronidazole, tylosin, and other antibiotics to treat the severe bacterial infections that the dogs are susceptible to. IPSID dogs seem to be a bacterial reservoir, which can cause infections in other household dogs.
The dog’s diet is also changed to a hypoallergenic food. A division of Natures Recipe produces prescription diets, venison/potato, rabbit/potato and duck/potato, that work well for IPSID dogs. Dr. Willard of Texas A&M suggests switching diets on a monthly basis to help prevent the intestine from becoming sensitive to what it is being fed can be appropriate A homemade diet also can be used. Additional vitamin supplementation may be indicated.
The BCOA is currently, through Dr. Johnson, accepting blood samples of dogs suspected or diagnosed with IPSID. The sampling requirements are a 5 ml EDTA tube shipped overnight Monday -Thursday. Include with the sample tthe dogs name, AKC number, a three generation pedigree if possible and a notation that the sample is for the basenji enteropathy study. All blood samples stored by Dr. Johnson are available for other research studies.
Dr. Willard is a gastroenterologist that teaches and does research at Texas A& M University. A couple of years ago he did a preliminary study on IPSID and apoptosis. Apoptosis is when the cell doesn’t die as scheduled and growth is uncontrolled. Cancer is a form of apoptosis as is IPSID. In IPSID, the intestine over produces lymphocytes and plasmacytes. As part of his study he was using preserved intestinal tissue. Although the study is not promising at this time he is still collecting tissue samples to bank for research in the future. What he is looking for is preserved tissue samples of dogs suspected of having IPSID or diagnosed with IPSID. If you have a dog suspected of having IPSID and are planning on having a biopsy done or are willing to have a necropsy done and would like to support this study Dr. Willard suggests “they send samples to Dr. Gayman Helman at the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Oklahoma State University, Stilwater, Oklahoma 74078. He will treat them like a routine biopsy (i.e., read it and send report) and, if requested, will send me a recut so I can look at it too.” According to Dr. Willard, Dr. Helman is one of the best intestinal pathologists in the country. If your dog has been diagnosed with IPSID you can send the sample to Dr. Willard at 409-845-2351, e-mail address mwillard@cvm.tamu.edu. Dr. Willard is available for consultations by phone with vets needing more information on the disease. *
Additional references: Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Health Newsletter Vol. 10 number 10: Sept. 1996 pgs.3-6
Immunoproliferative Enteropathy of Basenjis By Edward Breitschwerdt, Seminars in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (small animal), Vol. 7 no 2 (May), pp 153-161
* This article is quite old and quite possibly outdated. This article is only for information purposes due to said age.
Hemolytic
Anemia of the Basenji Dog
(Also
known as Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency Hemolytic Anemia)
This is quoted from "A Review of Hemolytic Anemia," by Russell V. Brown, Ph.D., 1983
"There are two types of anemia that have been found in the Basenji. One is a nonhereditary type called auto immune anemia. This happens when the dog produces antibodies that will attack its own red blood cells. This can be treated, by giving drugs like steroids, to shut down the immune system temporarily. Transfusion of blood can be given to keep the red cell count up. As the antibodies in the blood go down in number the anemia becomes less severe. Dogs that would have died have recovered with proper treatment.
The other type of anemia is, of course, the hereditary type, where the red cells have a genetically controlled defective pyruvate kinase activity. This is not a curable anemia. Removal of the spleen & transfusions may prolong life, but the enzyme defect is permanent.
Because of the short life span of red cells in the dog with hemolytic anemia, the bone marrow must replace the red cells more rapidly than normal. The bone marrow is not capable of this with mature red cells, so immature red cells (erythroblasts or erticulocytes) are released into the blood..."
Pyruvate
Kinase Deficiency Hemolytic Anemia per VetGen
"Pyruvate
kinase deficiency in Basenji dogs is an inherited lack of an enzyme (pyruvate
kinase) in the red blood cells of an affected animal. This enzyme is required
for red blood cells to survive for a normal length of time in the blood
of the animal, and when it is missing, the red blood cells break down and
are destroyed prematurely. This leads to lifelong anemia in the affected
animal. The symptoms of anemia are lack of energy, low exercise tolerance,
easy fatigability, and probably reduced fertility.
This disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive. This means that affected animals have two doses of the mutant gene. Dogs that have one mutant and one normal gene are called carriers. Carriers are not ill (they do not have anemia), but can produce affected offspring if mated to another carrier."
Due to the ability to test for this condition, there should never be another HA basenji born. Please test your dogs before breeding. Please note - in 2003 there has been at least one known HA carrier born - so the disease is still out there and if not tested for or responsibly bred away from, it could still be a problem in some lines. Visit the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and search to see if any basenji you are interested in has been genetically cleared for this disease.
Health Database - Care To Help?
In 1998 I purchased Chuck Orange's pedigree software - PEDWIN. Since then I have worked diligently inputting basenji pedigrees into my database. Thanks in part to Sally Wallis, I have over 18,000 names currently entered with numerous records waiting in the wings (and on the shelf and in the drawer!). During this same time I have obtained, via breeders/owners, the Internet and old magazine research, numerous (500+) health facts on conditions that afflict the basenji breed. Some day this information, and certainly the pedigrees, might be important to the breed as a whole.
How
can you help? Well, if you have bred or owned a basenji that has
had, or currently has, any health problems mentioned on this page, I would
appreciate any and all information you would be willing to share.
The type of information needed would be: registered name, AKC number, sire,
dam and date of birth.
*Please
know that ALL information will be kept private.*
*
References available regarding my integrity. *