Basenji Profile

health

Basenjis are generally healthy, but like all breeds, they're prone to certain health conditions. Not all Basenjis will get any or all of these diseases, but it's important to be aware of them if you're considering this breed.

If you're buying a puppy, find a good breeder who will show you health clearances for both your puppy's parents. Health clearances prove that a dog has been tested for and cleared of a particular condition. In Basenjis, you should expect to see health clearances from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) for hip dysplasia (with a score of fair or better), elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, and von Willebrand's disease; from Auburn University for thrombopathia; and from the Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) certifying that eyes are normal. You can confirm health clearances by checking the OFA web site (offa.org).

Fanconi Syndrome: Fanconi syndrome is a kidney disease that affects the normal processing of sugars and proteins. The dog urinates away the protein he needs to survive. Signs include excessive thirst, excessive urination, and elevated levels of glucose in the urine. It's usually diagnosed in dogs that are 4 to 7 years old. Fanconi syndrome used to be considered fatal, but a new way to manage the disease has increased the life expectancy of dogs with this condition. There is no cure. There is also no test to determine if a dog is a carrier. Treatment is not necessarily expensive, but it is time-consuming as it involves giving your dog up to 30 pills daily. A reputable breeder should be able to show you which dogs in his bloodline have produced dogs with Fanconi Syndrome and which have not.
Immunoproliferative Systemic Intestinal Disease: Commonly known as malabsorption, this condition is similar to irritable bowel disease in humans. Dogs ISID seem to have a permanent allergic reaction to the food they eat. Affected dogs will have chronic loose stools and difficulty with weight gain. Treatment includes minimizing stress, changing the diet often, and use of drugs to decrease histamine reaction. This condition has become far less common in Basenjis than in the past.
Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (Hemolytic Anemia): This is a genetic condition in which affected Basenjis have two defective genes for the production of pyruvate kinase, an enzyme required to maintain healthy red blood cells. Basenjis with this disease usually don't live much beyond their second birthday.
Hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism is caused by a deficiency of thyroid hormone and may produce signs that include infertility, obesity, mental dullness, and lack of energy. The dog's fur may become coarse and brittle and begin to fall out, while the skin becomes tough and dark. It can be managed very well with a thyroid replacement pill daily. Medication must continue throughout the dog's life.
Persistent Pupillary Membrane (PPM): Persistent Pupillary Membranes are strands of tissue in the eye, remnants of the fetal membrane that nourished the lenses of the eyes before birth. They normally disappear by the time a puppy is 4 or 5 weeks old, but sometimes they persist. The strands can stretch from iris to iris, iris to lens, or cornea to iris, and sometimes they are found in the anterior (front) chamber of the eye. For many dogs, the strands do not cause any problems and generally they break down by 8 weeks of age. If the strands do not break down, they can lead to cataracts or cause corneal opacities. Eye drops prescribed by your veterinarian can help break them down.
Coloboma: Coloboma is the common name to describe a gap or hole in the eye structure. The gap can occur anywhere in the eye, usually at the bottom of the eye. The condition is thought to be inherited, but no pattern has been established. Effects of the condition can be mild or severe depending on the size and location of the hole. Affected puppies must be spayed or neutered so they don't pass on the condition.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy(PRA): Once a minor concern in Basenjis it has recently become more of a problem. PRA is a family of eye diseases that involves the gradual deterioration of the retina. Early in the disease, dogs become night-blind. As the disease progresses, they lose their daytime vision as well. Many dogs adapt to limited or complete vision loss very well, as long as their surroundings remain the same. Reputable breeders have their dogs' eyes certified annually by a veterinary ophthalmologist and do not breed dogs with this disease.
Umbilical Hernia: Umbilical hernia is present at birth where abdominal fat or internal organs protrude against the abdominal wall near the umbilicus. If the hernia is small, it can be left without treatment. Some small hernias spontaneously close by the time the puppy is 6 months old and some dogs have lived with small hernias their entire lives without difficulty. Large hernias require surgery, which is often done when the dog is being spayed or neutered. Surgery is used to prevent a more serious condition where an intestine loop drops into the hernia causing life threatening "strangulation" of the intestine.
Hip Dysplasia: This is a heritable condition in which the thighbone doesn't fit snugly into the hip joint. Some dogs show pain and lameness on one or both rear legs, but you may not notice any signs of discomfort in a dog with hip dysplasia. As the dog ages, arthritis can develop. X-ray screening for hip dysplasia is done by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals or the University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program. Dogs with hip dysplasia should not be bred. If you're buying a puppy, ask the breeder for proof that the parents have been tested for hip dysplasia and are free of problems. Hip dysplasia is hereditary, but it can also be triggered by environmental factors, such as letting a puppy gain too much weight too quickly or injuries incurred from jumping or falling on slick floors. That's why it's sometimes diagnosed in puppies whose parents were free of the disease.