Dogs are truly man’s best friend. They are unwavering in their loyalty and faithfulness, and no matter how we treat them, their “love” for us is unconditional. The Kuvasz, bred to be a guardian, is no exception. Once you hold that little white fluffy furball in your arms, your heart is captured for eternity. The Kuvasz will serve and protect you for the next 12+ years, and as the puppy buyer, you need to do everything possible to keep your trusted companion in good health.
Today’s Kuvasz are descendants of a small population of dogs from Europe. It is believed that only 30 dogs remained in their native Hungary following World War II. Amazingly, it is a wonder that this rugged breed does not have the multitude of health problems as other breeds. With the advancement of technology, we are now able to evaluate and test Kuvasz breeding pairs and their descendents for a certain number of health ailments, including hip dysplasia, thyroid and elbow problems, and now, Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). Some of these health issues are discussed below.
Hip dysplasia is of concern in nearly all large breed dogs. Its exact mode of inheritance is not known, but it is believed to be polygenic, a trait whose expression is influenced by more than one gene. Additionally, the disease can be influenced by environmental factors, such as inappropriate diet, over feeding, over supplementation, inappropriate physical activity, and/or too much or too little exercise.
Prcd-PRA is a genetically inherited disease that causes the retina of the eye to degenerate slowly over time. Please see the KCA Health Committee advisory on prcd-PRA at http://www.kuvasz.com/kuvasz/health.htm. Prcd-PRA was once believed to be of no concern in the US Kuvasz population and solely a European Kuvasz problem. Once the first DNA test for prcd-pra in the Kuvasz became available and US Kuvasz breeders and owners began testing, results indicated that the prcd-PRA gene is also a concern in the US Kuvasz population. All Kuvasz breeders should know the prcd-PRA status of their dogs before breeding.
Why is this important to you as a puppy buyer? The Kuvasz gene pool is relatively small, and for this reason, it is imperative that all breeders work together to not only breed to the AKC standard, but to protect the gene pool and keep the breed healthy. In order to propagate the breed, individual breeders occasionally use dogs that are not part of their own bloodlines, to introduce “fresh” genes and maintain genetic diversity. We used to believe the health status of parents was the most important variable for successful breeding. We now realize it is just as important to know the health status of close relatives when planning a litter. The health of littermates may reveal a better understanding of the overall “quality” of genes passed from the parents to the offspring, thus allowing the breeder to properly assess the possibility of this dog as part of their breeding stock. For example, a candidate dog with a hip orthopedic evaluation of “fair” who has siblings with an orthopedic evaluation of either “good” or “excellent”, will statistically produce less offspring with dysplastic hips than a dog whose hips have been evaluated as “excellent”, but whose littermates are dysplastic.
How do we, as fanciers of the breed and as puppy buyers, know which breeders are being diligent in breeding healthy dogs? We look for breeders who openly report all health data, both positive and negative, in a public database, such as the Orthopedic Foundation For Animals (OFA - www.offa.org). The OFA provides breeders with an avenue in which to report their health findings. Breeders should report all negative and positive results, so that other breeders and puppy buyers can benefit from the results of their health tests. Breeders who report results from health tests should be commended for their openness in their breeding program. These are breeders whom we can trust to produce the healthiest puppies possible. There is no shame in having dogs with negative health data. The only shame is not reporting such negative data.
All breeders experience some health issues in their lines. A breeder who doesn't acknowledge health issues is not being honest with you. Examples of this may be: “I don't have any hip dysplasia, in my lines so I don't x-ray” or “Oh, yes. I test for PRA - I just don't report it to OFA.” We cannot endorse a breeder who is ‘closed’ with their health records. When a breeder submits all of their health results to OFA, you as a buyer will be able to evaluate for yourself the health status of a potential puppy. Dog breeding is not an exact science and never will be – not in our lifetime. Occasionally, health issues may crop up. The best way to choose a healthy puppy is to look into published test results of the breeding pair and related dogs via open databases such as OFA. The reporting of an occasional negative health result does not mean a breeder has unhealthy puppies: a negative health result can be either the breeding of dogs without knowledge of their health status or the expression of complex recessive traits that are the result of a genetic “perfect storm”. If you can't verify health testing on an open database, you must assume that the testing did not occur.
No ethical breeder will object to questions regarding health testing results of their breeding stock. Ethical breeders should offer the buyer some sort of a health guarantee. As no two breeders use the same contract, it would be wise to ask breeders details of the conditions of their puppy sale. Buyers can also research the health of the parents of a prospective puppy themselves as well as their close relatives through the OFA database (www.offa.org). A buyer can research any breeder at this database and should not listen to excuses as to why a breeder does not have their dog’s health data listed. The breeders listed on the KCA breeder list have signed a Breeder's Code of Conduct that obligates them to list all of their health testing data, including negative data.
To search the OFA database: Go to the database and enter the kennel name of the breeder under consideration. Some breeders will have breeding stock from other kennels. In those instances it would be necessary to research the kennel name where the parents were obtained or search the individual names of the parents. Select "as part of a name", select "Kuvasz", go to the bottom and click on "Search". The dogs of that breeder or kennel name in the database should be returned. Some breeders will not list the results of all of their dogs: some will only list the health clearances with positive results. Because of the small gene pool of the breed, ALL breeders will have some negative data. It is genetically impossible for every dog to pass every test. Some breeders are committed to revealing all health information, so a truer reflection of health as well as breeding choices is available. Once you find the names of the parents of the litter, click on their names. Another screen will display showing the health information for the parents as well as any offspring old enough to test, siblings and half siblings. You can continue clicking on various names if you wish to do further research on grandparents, siblings, etc.
The purchase of a Kuvasz puppy is a serious commitment. The breeding of a Kuvasz is also a serious commitment. The Health Committee of the Kuvasz Club of America encourages you, the puppy buyer, to perform a due diligence in researching and selecting a breeder based on the criteria described above. We endorse the breeders who perform health tests on their dogs and who openly report all health data. Lastly, we encourage you to contact the Health Committee (Health@kuvasz.com) for more information on Kuvasz health. We want you to enjoy a long lasting and health filled relationship with your dogs.
©2009 Kuvasz Club of America
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