Health test

One of our main objectives is to have healthy dogs free of hereditary diseases. It is therefore essential for us that all our breeding dogs pass the health tests required for the breed.

The OFA organization requires Siberian Huskies to pass four tests: hips, eyes, Siberian Husky Polyneuropathy (SHPN1) and Siberian Husky Shaking Puppy Syndrome (SPS1). In addition to these, all our reproductive dogs at Kachina Kennel will have their elbows assessed, as well as additional genetic tests.

Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a disease that develops during a dog's growth up to 24 months of age. It causes laxity in the femoral heads, which in turn leads to pain and osteoarthritis. While there is evidence of a genetic component, there may also be an environmental one. It is therefore essential to test all reproductive animals after 24 months of age and before any mating. The optimum results targeted by our breeding program are “excellent” or “good”.

Eye exam

Most eye diseases can be detected with an ACVO examination performed by an ophthalmologist. This examination should be performed at one year of age and every year thereafter. It's important to do the test in subsequent years, as some diseases can appear over the years. These include cataracts, corneal dystrophy, progressive retinal atrophy and many others. We only accept dogs with normal results.

Siberian Husky Polyneuropathy type 1 (SHPN1)

There are several types of polyneuropathy in the Siberian husky, but SHPN1 is the only one that researchers have managed to discover the associated variant. SHPN1 is generally observed before 2 years of age. Affected dogs will begin to show ataxia, muscular weakness and muscle wasting. As the disease progresses, affected dogs may become immobile and have muscle tremors. Unlike other forms of polyneuropathy, SHPN1 does not usually develop laryngeal paralysis.

To determine whether or not a dog is a carrier, it is necessary to perform a genetic test in a laboratory at the University of Minnesota.

Siberian Husky Shaking Puppy Syndrome (SPS1)

Shaking puppy syndrome is a problem seen in trembling puppies. These tremors reflect a neurological disorder. However, this syndrome covers several conditions with similar clinical signs. Generally speaking, around 2 weeks of age, the first clinical signs are observed with a puppy who has difficulty walking due to tremors and incoordination. These signs often disappear after a few weeks, but affected dogs often die suddenly before the age of 2.

To determine whether or not a dog is a carrier, it is necessary to perform a genetic test in a laboratory at the University of Minnesota.

Elbow dysplasia

Elbow dysplasia is an abnormality in the development of the elbow. It can lead to persistent lameness, osteoarthritis and pain. To determine whether a dog is affected, a radiographic evaluation must be carried out after 24 months of age and sent to OFA. The test is performed at the same time as the hip assessment. The only accepted result is normal.

Genetic disease

We genetically test our dogs for certain diseases that affect Siberian huskies. These include day blindness, degenerative myelopathy, GM1, progressive retinal atrophy, .... These tests also provide other interesting information. These diseases are genetically tested with Embark.