Tinker, Slushpuppy's Special Sleigher, passed the remaining certifications for various OFA health standards for Alaskan Malamutes. She was graded as excellent on her hips, and recieved pass or clear for elbow dysplasia, patella, cardiac (heart), thyroid, and eyes. She is the first Alaskan Malamute certified under the new OFA Dentition program (Veterinarian-certified and meaning she actually has all her teeth). She is degenerative myelopathy clear, carries long coat and has AMCV Chondrodysplasia Certificate #160. All four dogs had their DNA registered with OFA, for future testing and research, but it has yet to make an appearance on the OFA record. I phoned them Friday to ask why, and they do have everything, and it's just behind - along with the results for two more DNA tests.
Last Summer, Ernie was 'given' Ms Tinker's appointment for all these tests due to Ms Tinker coming into season so she couldn't be done when I wanted to have her done. But just in between the time of Ernie being OFA-certified last August, and Tinker in February, several new DNA and OFA tests became available. Five years ago, when I was first testing Ms Ook, there wasn't much - hips and eyes - and everything else I had to acquire the information and learn about, as the years went by. At any point I've discovered a Malamute afflicted with a disease, I've tested the dogs for it - if one is available. Every test you see under my dogs names, has a known, traceable Alaskan Malamute afflicted with that disease, regardless of whether anyone else is testing or not. Do not, for an instant, believe someone when they say "X only affects other breeds, not this one ... blah, blah, blah" - as I traced real information, real medical studies and diagnosis, I found at least (generally a lot more) one Malamute with each of the diseases for which I am testing. Sadly, there isn't a test for 'everything'.
After Ms Ook had her basic hip, elbow and eye check, five years ago, with our Canadian OVC (no longer available), I became more and more interested in the health checks - and started looking into other tests, and taking the other dogs. Bert failed everything for which he's been tested. Heart, elbow and one DNA test became better-understood and its importance in testing, accepted, and so my dogs were tested for those diseases. I 'work' the dogs and even the 'neuters' deserve to have me make sure they are structurally sound to do that work, particularly coming into old age. So the neuters have been tested. Consequently, it wasn't a bad idea to take old Ernie back - he actually had OVC hip Xrays when he was young. But I wanted to make sure he was ok, years later, so it seemed like a good opportunity (plus I'm looking at some of his relatives as a sire for puppies with Tinker). It definitely doesn't hurt to check them if you are actually doing strenuous activity with them, breeding dog or pet. These health tests are designed, first and foremost, as an indicator of the health of the dog being tested; that someone may breed from that dog is an immediate second ...
Patella also became a bigger issue, as more Malamutes are diagnosed with the affliction, though it's typically a young dog disease, as is elbow dysplasia. But in the last year multiple tests are now available for Alaskan Malamutes, with at least one not yet commercially available (polyneuropathy). At the point the tests become available, I've tried to take the dogs back in for whatever they are. When Ook has her hips and elbows re-certified with OFA this Spring (and to be spayed as she is past breeding age) she will have her patella and dentition certified - and one final thyroid test. One of the kindest things you can do for an 'older dog' that still 'working', is to have the hips examined a second time, to ensure they remained free of dysplasia (and other things). The 'bad thing' isn't finding something bad; the 'bad thing' is not knowing - and leaving something untreated!
Last Summer, Ernie was 'given' Ms Tinker's appointment for all these tests due to Ms Tinker coming into season so she couldn't be done when I wanted to have her done. But just in between the time of Ernie being OFA-certified last August, and Tinker in February, several new DNA and OFA tests became available. Five years ago, when I was first testing Ms Ook, there wasn't much - hips and eyes - and everything else I had to acquire the information and learn about, as the years went by. At any point I've discovered a Malamute afflicted with a disease, I've tested the dogs for it - if one is available. Every test you see under my dogs names, has a known, traceable Alaskan Malamute afflicted with that disease, regardless of whether anyone else is testing or not. Do not, for an instant, believe someone when they say "X only affects other breeds, not this one ... blah, blah, blah" - as I traced real information, real medical studies and diagnosis, I found at least (generally a lot more) one Malamute with each of the diseases for which I am testing. Sadly, there isn't a test for 'everything'.
After Ms Ook had her basic hip, elbow and eye check, five years ago, with our Canadian OVC (no longer available), I became more and more interested in the health checks - and started looking into other tests, and taking the other dogs. Bert failed everything for which he's been tested. Heart, elbow and one DNA test became better-understood and its importance in testing, accepted, and so my dogs were tested for those diseases. I 'work' the dogs and even the 'neuters' deserve to have me make sure they are structurally sound to do that work, particularly coming into old age. So the neuters have been tested. Consequently, it wasn't a bad idea to take old Ernie back - he actually had OVC hip Xrays when he was young. But I wanted to make sure he was ok, years later, so it seemed like a good opportunity (plus I'm looking at some of his relatives as a sire for puppies with Tinker). It definitely doesn't hurt to check them if you are actually doing strenuous activity with them, breeding dog or pet. These health tests are designed, first and foremost, as an indicator of the health of the dog being tested; that someone may breed from that dog is an immediate second ...
Patella also became a bigger issue, as more Malamutes are diagnosed with the affliction, though it's typically a young dog disease, as is elbow dysplasia. But in the last year multiple tests are now available for Alaskan Malamutes, with at least one not yet commercially available (polyneuropathy). At the point the tests become available, I've tried to take the dogs back in for whatever they are. When Ook has her hips and elbows re-certified with OFA this Spring (and to be spayed as she is past breeding age) she will have her patella and dentition certified - and one final thyroid test. One of the kindest things you can do for an 'older dog' that still 'working', is to have the hips examined a second time, to ensure they remained free of dysplasia (and other things). The 'bad thing' isn't finding something bad; the 'bad thing' is not knowing - and leaving something untreated!