The known hereditary defects in Eurasiers

by Gisela Aach

(Any copies, or excerpts, only with permission from the author)

First, please let me make a fundamental statement regarding hereditary defects in dogs:

Phenotypically healthy animals, oh yes, these we have, and, fortunately they are very numerous, which means these animals appear to be healthy allround. Unfortunately, the carriers for various genetic diseases/hereditary defects cannot be detected from the "outside" and scientific research is not yet a help. The hopes to find a genetic marker for the exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) could not be fulfilled.  

From an economical point of view, it does not seem very profitable to undertake scientific research in dogs. Scientific research is also very expensive, because the same thing must be researched for each and every different breed. If a marker has been found for the German Shepherd Dog, this marker will most likely not be situated at the same genetic location in the Eurasier. We therefore need patience and we need the knowledge of traditional breeding methods to breed healthy Eurasiers (we also need a great deal of good luck). 

On the list of their aims, health was given top priority by the founding members of the Eurasier. But we must consider two things:

1. When you start a new breed with a very small population (Wolfsspitz + Chow with their not always visible, but surely inherently present defects), you cannot exclude the very first animals that were bred because of a "minor" defect (a defect we might evaluate differently today). You would not be able to build up a new population that way. The first breeders had to carefully weigh the importance of: a typical specimen for the breed, good character, vitality,  against the severeness of the defects: entropion, hip dysplasia (HD).

2. 1963 and in the following years the health checks and examinations we do today, were not common in dog breeding and some of these examinations were not even possible. In the past, Eurasier breeders made very good choices when it came to character, type, overall health, and this can be confirmed over and over again up until today, but without knowing it and occassionally even on purpose, they did put up with a defect, which we would like to "push back" now. 

Which hereditary defects in the Eurasier are known? Which disorders are considered before drawing up our breeding plans? 

We know and consider in the Eurasier: 

1. Hip dysplasia, 

2. Patellar luxation, 

3. Diseases of the thyroid, 

4. Diseases of the pancreas, 

5. Diabetes, 

6. Disorders concerning teeth, 

7. Kinky tail, 

8. Entropion, 

9. Distichiasis. 

A frightening long list?!? Actually not, once you know that in the ZG and in the past 20 years, the defects concerning points 1 to 8, depending on the disorder, only showed up in 1 to 3% of the population annually, and did not show up at all in some years. But then, of course, we have very strict regulations concerning health (also for behaviour and conformation) for the Eurasiers we choose for breeding. To date, only distichiasis (point 9) still causes problems for Eurasiers. Within the last ten years, this eye disease, where eyelashes grow in a wrong place, can be ascertained through diagnosis by a veterinary (specialist for ophthalmology preferred). Before that time, distichiasis was not detected and could therefore be spread throughout the breed. Distichiasis is very difficult to overcome, as we cannot exclude all carriers in a small population. Also, this disorder can become evident in later years so that it is often discovered after a Eurasier has been bred from. Fortunately, a very high percentage of Eurasiers with distichiasis are free of irritation and do not suffer. Concerning distichiasis, we are increasing our efforts to improve our breeding results. 

We would like to continue our success so far in following our aim for a healthy Eurasier, but we need the assistance and help of all Eurasier owners. Please inform us if your Eurasier has a disease or defect, especially if there could be a genetic cause. We need to have sufficient information about our Eurasier population in order to assess the overall health in our breed. And, of course, we would be very happy to receive information that your Eurasier is fully healthy, but with regard to breeding, it is most important for us to learn about the more negative things, as they call for counteraction. 

We hope all committed Eurasier owners interested in the continuation of a healthy breed will assist us!

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