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I have seen more than once, the claim that Dutch Shepherds do not have any health problems. This is not true and unfortunately any dog, whether purebred or mixed breed, can have genetic diseases. Ethical breeders try to minimize the chance of genetic disease by careful selection and when possible, screening tests. However, many genetic diseases are not fully understood and are multifactorial, making elimination of them impossible.
Due to the narrow genetic code of the domestic dog, they as a species are at higher risk for various genetic diseases when compared to our other domesticated species.
This page is intended to educate the public by giving information on some diseases that have been diagnosed in Dutch Shepherds to date.
Degenerative Myelopathy - Previously considered a "German Shepherd" disease, this was only recently diagnosed in a Dutch Shepherd in Germany. It appears to be at a low incidence in Dutch Shepherds based on German and Austrian kennel club research.
Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive disease of the spinal cord in older dogs. The disease has an insidious onset, typically between 8 and 14 years of age. It begins with a loss of coordination (ataxia) in the hind limbs. The affected dog will wobble when walking, knuckle over or drag the feet. This can first occur in one hind limb and then affect the other. The weakness gets progressively worse until the dog is unable to walk. The clinical course can range from 6 months to 3 years. If signs progress for a longer period of time, loss of urinary and fecal continence may occur and eventually weakness will develop in the front limbs. A key feature of DM is that it is not a painful disease.
DM is poorly understood, but it is thought to be related to progressive loss of myelin (nerve insulation) in the spinal cord. It appears similar to ALS in humans (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Risk of deveoping DM has been linked to a genetic marker on the SOD1 gene, and is considered simple recessive. Testing for this marker in dogs is widely available and is highly recommended before breeding due to the insidious and devastating nature of Degenerative Myelopathy.
Hip Dysplasia - The incidence of HD in Dutch Shepherds has actually risen in the past 5 years per OFA statistics, to 8.9% This is still a lower rate of HD than many large breed dogs; far lower than the German Shepherd Dog but higher than the Belgian Malinois.
Hip Dysplasia is a multifactorial and polygenetic disease. It can be defined as "hip joint formation that causes pain and/or high risk of early arthritis and loss of function". The two main factors in HD are depth of the ball and socket and laxity (movement).
There are two evaluation techniques that are commonly used for rating the hip joint. OFA uses a single extended femur view and places great weight on the depth of ball and socket. PennHip uses multiple views to evaluate laxity. Both rating systems have pros and cons, but all dogs being bred should have at least one of these evaluations with results showing no arthitris and normal joint formation. It is relatively easy, inexpensive, and there is simply NO excuse for breeding a dog without having a professional evaluation that said dog has normal hips.
A great many dogs with HD and actual arthritis do not show symptoms. This is one reason that these screening methods are so important to prevent the spread of HD!
Some other countries have their own official joint rating system using either letters or numbers. A brief comparison of foreign ratings can be viewed at the bottom of the page here. A very good article explaining the physiology of hip dysplasia can be viewed here.
Elbow Dysplasia - This disease is also defined as "high risk of early arthritis and loss of function" but in the elbow joint. The current OFA statistic for Dutch Shepherds is 2.5%, which is quite low for a herding breed. There are multiple causes, all considered to have genetic factors. Elbow xrays are easy to take, and OFA will evaluate them at the same time as hips for a nominal additional fee.
Inflammatory Myopathy (Myositis) - Myositis is basically inflammation of the muscle, a disease that can affect any dog, with various underlying causes. However, a newly described genetic form has been described in Dutch Shepherds. This form begins in puppyhood and progresses over time, eventually leading to death. It is caused by an abnormal and severe immune response of the body against its own muscle cells. This causes muscle damage and breakdown, then muscle atrophy. Although it is not fully understood, a genetic marker test has been developed for this disease by the University of Minnesota. As of 2018 the test is available to dog owners; more information here.
Hypothyroidism - This is a disease with both genetic and environmental factors. While a dog can be tested for thyroid hormones, there is no genetic test to identify at-risk individuals prior to disease development. Hypothyroidism can appear as many things; poor coat, decreased appetite, weight gain, or decreased energy. A dog with any of these symptoms should be tested for thyroid disease before being bred. Hypothyroidism can be controlled with lifelong thyroid supplement medication. There is one confirmed case of hypothyroidism in a Dutch Shepherd
Masticatory Myositis "MM" - This disease affects the masticatory muscles - the large muscles on the top and sides of the head which act to close the jaw. These muscles have a unique muscle protein composition. It is an immune-mediated disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the unique muscle protein found in the masticatory muscles. This causes the muscles to become painful and swollen initially, and the muscles will atrophy as the disease progresses. It can be controlled with medical treatment.
There is no genetic test for Masticatory Myositis. Diagnosis is only possible once symptoms have appeared. There are multiple (related) confirmed cases of this disease in Dutch Shepherds.
Atopy - Atopy can be considered the canine equivalent of allergies. It is quite common, affecting around 10 percent of dogs (all breeds). Animals with this condition become sensitized to substances (allergens) in the environment, that are inhaled, absorbed through the skin or ingested. The resultant allergic reaction is primarily seen as extreme itchiness (pruritis). Symptoms in affected animals usually develop between 1 and 4 years of age. Once symptoms are visible, blood or skin testing can determine if an allergy is the cause and what the animal is allergic to. Atopy is considered to have a genetic component, but the mode of inheritance and the influence of environment is not known. Thus, there is no genetic screening test for risk of developing atopy. Any dog showing signs should not be bred. There are several confirmed cases of atopy in Dutch Shepherds.
Pannus - Pannus, or chronic superficial keratitis, is a condition of inflammation of the cornea (the surface of the eye). Pannus appears to be caused by an inappropriate response of the immune system. It occurs more frequently and is harder to control in dogs that live at high altitudes and/or are exposed to increased levels of ultraviolet radiation. It can be controlled with lifelong medication. The genetic component of pannus is not understood and it is considered a multifactorial disease, thus routine eye screening is the best prevention for removing affected animals from breeding. There are several confirmed cases of Pannus in Dutch Shepherds.
Cerebellar Hypoplasia - The cerebellum is the part of the brain that regulates the coordination of movement. In this condition, the cells of the cerebellum do not mature normally before birth - this causes clinical signs related to poor balance and incoordination. Cerebellar hypoplasia can be idiopathic ("it just happens"), caused by bacterial or viral exposure in utero, or genetic (autosomal recessive). Affected dogs have normal mentation and because the disease is not painful or progressive, they can often lead normal lives. There is one confirmed case and another suspected case of this disease in Dutch Shepherds.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease "IBD" - This term is a "catch-all" for many conditions - most considered to have some genetic component, but not well understood at all. For simplification IBD can generally be thought of as an allergic intestine. It is very common in both dogs and cats. Symptoms can range from acute sickness (diarrhea and vomiting) to subtle and chronic (vomiting bile once a month with no history of eating a nonfood object). Any animal with a "sensitive stomach" should be suspected of having inflammatory bowel disease. Unfortunately, there are no good noninvasive diagnostic tests for IBD and a definitive diagnosis is generally obtained from an intestinal biopsy. In more severe cases, blood tests can help rule in the diagnosis. There are several suspected cases of IBD in Dutch Shepherds.
Cryptorchidism - Cryptorchidism or "retained testicle" means that one or both of a dog's testicles have not descended into the scrotum. If this does not happen by 8 weeks, the dog is generally diagnosed as cryptorchid, although the testicles may still descend up to 4 months or so. It can occur in any breed of dog. It is known to be a sex-linked autosomal recessive trait: in other words, the male and female carry the trait, but it is only expressed in males that have two copies of the gene for cryptorchidism. Dogs that are cryptorchid have a much increased risk of testicular cancer (approximately 10 times). Castration will of course eliminate this risk.
There are several confirmed cases of cryptorchidism in Dutch Shepherds - including in males that have been used as studs! This is a sad example of humans knowingly spreading a genetic disease for their own gain.
Genetic Disease Resources:
Online Mendelian Inheritance - University of Sydney's database of known gentics for multiple species, both diseases and traits.
Canine Inherited Disorders Database - via University of Prince Edward Island, a more simplified listing of breeds and diseases. Unfortunately, the Dutch Shepherd is not included.
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