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Dear Puppy Buyer – What you need to know about Kuvasz health
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 forever captured. Just as much as the Kuvasz will serve and protect
you for the next 12+ years, you, the puppy buyer, will make the promise 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, of which it
is believed only 30 remained in their native Hungary following World War 2. Amazingly,
it is a wonder that this rugged breed does not have a great many health problems that face
breeders of certain 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 and now, Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA),
which 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, meaning that there is more than one gene
involved in the expression of the disorder. Additionally, the disease can be influenced by
environmental factors. Environmental influences would be inappropriate feeding, over
feeding, over supplementation, inappropriate exercise, 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, but solely a European Kuvasz problem. However,
once the first DNA test for prcd-pra in the Kuvasz became available, and US Kuvasz
breeders and owners began testing, we now find that our US Kuvasz population does
indeed have the same concerns as our overseas counterparts. All Kuvasz breeders should
know the prcd-PRA status of their breeding dogs for prcd-PRA status before breeding.
Why is this important to you as a puppy buyer? Since the Kuvasz gene pool is relatively
small, it is imperative that all breeders work together in breeding Kuvasz that not only
represent the standard of the breed, but that are healthy. In order to propagate the breed,
breeders need to sometimes rely on dogs that are not part of their bloodlines in order to
introduce “fresh” genes and maintain genetic diversity. We used to believe that knowing
the health status of parents was most important. We now realize it is just as important to
know the health status of close relatives.
How do we, as fanciers of the breed and as puppy buyers, know which breeders are being
diligent in breeding the best healthy dog possible? 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) (see below). The breeders who report, for
example, dogs who have one gene for PRA (carriers) or whose hips have been evaluated
as poor, in addition to dogs who lack the gene for PRA (normal/clear) or whose hips are
fair/good/excellent, should be commended for such openness about 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. 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 would 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.” These breeders are being dishonest or they haven’t made the
effort to educate themselves and really don't know any better. Both types of breeders
should be avoided at all costs if you are looking for a healthy puppy! Dog breeding is not
an exact science and never will be (in our lifetime). Occasionally, health issues may crop
up. To reiterate what is stated above, the shame in negative health testing results is not in
openly reporting them, but in hiding them and pretending to the buying public that they
never occurred. If you can't verify health testing on an open database you must assume
that the testing did not occur.
With that being said, no ethical breeder will object to questions regarding health testing
results of their breeding stock and should offer the buyer some sort of a health guarantee.
Since no two breeders use the same contract it would be wise to ask breeders the details
of their puppy sales conditions. Buyers can also research the health of prospective puppy
parents themselves as well as their close relatives. As mentioned above, the Orthopedic
Foundation for Animals (OFA) has a searchable database at www.offa.org. A buyer can
research any breeder at this database and should not listen to excuses why a breeder does
not have their dogs health data listed there. In addition, the breeders listed on the KCA
breeder list have signed a Breeder's Code of Conduct that obligate 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. It is not necessarily a reflection of all the dogs
of that breeder, as some will only allow entry of the health clearances (i.e. positive results
only). 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 their
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 on all breeders 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 ([email protected]) for more information on Kuvasz health because we
want you to enjoy a long lasting and health filled relationship with your dogs, as much as
we have enjoyed the relationships with our Kuvaszok.