To better validate our health screening program starting in Aug. of 2008 we will start doing only VPI health check on all our dogs, for ALL health checks not just hips/elbows! A personal scanner has been purchased and we will be using this to prove that we have the same dog in hand as on paper. All our dogs are micro chipped and have DNA on file with the AKC for permanent ID!

Gen. Health:

We are currently doing health checks on Hips and Elbows, X-Rays are sent into the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) for evaluation, results can be found at http://offa.org/search.html . We have eyes checked by a board certified, veterinary ophthalmologists and results can be seen at the Canine Eye Registration Foundation  ( CERF ) http://www.vmdb.org/verify.html . We started doing Cardio checks in early 2007 and now all our dogs have their cardio clearance done by a board certified Cardiologist, results can be found at  http://offa.org/search.html . In early 2008 we started doing Thyroid checks, blood samples are sent into an OFA approved laboratory and the results can be found at http://offa.org/search.html . We have AKC DNA Profiles done on all dogs, as well as donate blood samples to the AKC Canine Health Foundation for future DNA research studies to improve the health of the breed!

CHD:

Chondrodysplasia Certification (also known as dwarfism and CHD): Causes severe and visible deformities in the front of a Malamute, namely bent and twisted legs. While it's been around for a long, long time, it is a very rare thing to occur. Many Alaskan Malamutes are certified via the Alaskan Malamute Club of America due to unbroken certification of ancestors through test breeding. Unfortunately, every once in a while a CHD Malamute turns up in a normal breeding program, with and without the AMCA CHD Certificate. Other Alaskan Malamutes cannot get the certification due to no test breeding (breeding to a known carrier of the disease only brings the probability down to 6.25%, it does not clear a dog), failure of historic Malamute breeders to secure the certificate of ancestors in a timely manner or disregard, disgust for the entire process. We have our malamutes certified through the Alaskan Malamute Club of Victoria (AMCV), the AMCV researches at least 10 generations in every pedigree before they will give a pass/fail rating. All the money that the AMCV takes in goes back to health research for the Alaskan Malamute for the betterment of the breed as a whole! If you are looking to see were your malamute stands when it comes to CHD check out the AMCV Web Site, you can apply at    http://www.amcv.org.au/

Polyneuropathy:

From the AMCA Health Committee (Dated 10/12/11):

We are excited to announce that the genetic mutation for Polyneuropathy in our breed has been identified.

Polyneuropathy is an often deadly disease with a long history of occurrence in our breed. Researchers in Denmark and Sweden have been working on identifying the genetic cause of this disease for some time. Earlier this year, we were in contact with researchers at the University of Minnesota, who had identified the gene in Leonbergers. They tested several samples of affected dogs and compared this to the results for Leonbergers, but the genetic cause was not the same in the two breeds. They continued to work with us however, in gathering samples from Malamutes with confirmed diagnosis of the disease through advanced nerve and muscle biopsies. The hope was that once we gathered enough samples, we would be able to do a breed-specific study. Two months ago, we learned from that the researchers in Denmark had found promising results, and only needed additional samples to confirm their findings. Our breed owes an ENORMOUS debt to these researchers, as well as the research team at the University of Minnesota, who immediately offered the Scandinavian team the samples they had gathered to further the effort to find this gene.

Those samples allowed the Scandinavian Polyneuropathy Research Group to confirm that the mutation they had found was indeed the one which causes Polyneuropathy in our breed. The manuscript detailing these findings will be ready within a month.

In addition to samples from affected dogs, they have also analyzed many samples from these dogs' relatives--parents and siblings. Their work has shown that the gene is simple recessive in nature. This is an identical mode of transmission as producing Chd or long coats in our breed--two carrier parents will produce affected dogs. Therefore, dogs with polyneuropathy as confirmed by muscle/tissue biopsy (other conditions can mimic PN) or with confirmed genetic results/genotyping have parents who are carriers of this mutation. Carriers can be safely bred to non-carriers without producing the disease, but pups produced from such a breeding will then need to be tested themselves prior to breeding.

Generally when the disease has been produced, many relatives have been removed from breeding so it has not become prolific. However, it clearly lingers in our breeding population with diagnoses occurring annually. The samples sent from the University of Minnesota and Scandinavia occurred across many unrelated pedigrees--this is not a gene that can be associated with one line of dogs. Without trying too hard, in six months we amassed 15 samples from living dogs with confirmed diagnoses. These samples were just from dogs within the USA and only from dogs with extensive nerve and muscle biopsies that many owners and breeders can not afford. The disease has been reported in Europe, Scandinavia, and Australia in recent years as well--again across multiple unrelated pedigrees. Therefore, it will be critical to begin testing our breeding stock as soon as the DNA test is available. The researchers estimate that this test will be available in about two months.

We will provide you with information on the availability of the DNA test as soon as more information is provided. In the interim...raise a glass or have a quiet cheer. This is truly a landmark occasion in our efforts to improve the health of our wonderful breed.

Sandi Shrager
AMCA Health Committee Chair
sandis@u.washington.edu