from the AMCA Newsletter, Volume 45, No 2. February 1996

Methods and Procedures

A four page, fill-in-the-blank survey was submitted in two issues of the Alaskan Malamute Club of America's newsletters in the Summer of 1996. This same survey was published in the Canadian Alaskan Malamute Club's newsletter as well as included on the Internet under information on Alaskan Malamutes. This survey included information on subjects such as years active in the breed, number of dogs owner and bred, puppy production information, diseases seen in malamutes owned and bred, temperament issues, cause of natural and unnatural (euthanasia) deaths, and opinions as to which types of diseases or conditions felt to be of major concern in the breed. Surveys were sent to an independent individual. Upon receipt of the surveys, the independent individual documented whether the surveys were received from the United States, Canada or At Large (all other countries). The envelopes that included the survey were then destroyed with no documentation as to specifics of who mailed the surveys or where they came from other than the three above areas. These surveys were then passed on to Jocelynn Jacobs, DVM for evaluation. Surveys were accepted until August 19, 1996 which was well over a month past the requested due date. The data was evaluated shortly after that date.

Results

A total 178 surveys were received. The breakdown of the three locations documented were as follows: United States - 133, Canada - 28, and At Large - 17. The number of years people who participated in the survey have been active or owned malamutes ranged from 1 year (all years were rounded off to the upper year) to 41 years with the average being 14.2 years. The participants on average owned 5.9 dogs with the range being from 1 to 30 at a time. However, when asked how many dogs have they ever owned, the average was 12.0 dogs with the range being between 1 to 200 dogs. Of the respondents, 70% were AMCA members, and 48% said they were members of another local malamute club.

Breed Survey — Part 1

When asked how many litters the respondents have ever had (if they ever bred their malamutes), the average number of litters was 8.8 litters with a range of 1 to 120 litters in their years involved in malamutes. Those respondents said on the average they had 1 litter per year. 73% of these breeders use the AKC or CKC non-breeding registration option for their pet quality puppies. The total number of puppies these breeders produced over the years was 41.9 on average with the range of 1 to 303 puppies. Of these puppies, 45% were male and 55% were female. The average size of the litters was 6.4 puppies per litter.

Most breeders said they began breeding their bitches at 2 years of age (2.2 years), and end their breeding career at the median age of 6 (the mean age of 6.6 years). When it came to discussing their bitches heat cycles, most breeders appeared to group erratic seasons and short cycling as one with the percentages of dogs displaying these irregularities at 44% and 41% respectively. 29% of the breeders mentioned they had bitches that had silent heats at some time in their breeding life. The participants said the average age their bitches come into heat were 7.7 months with the earliest age their bitches start coming in heat being at 6 months and the oldest age being 10 months. These bitches come in heat on the average every 6 months.

When asked how often they x-ray their dogs' hips (for OFA, etc.), 88% said they always check their dogs' hips, 6% said they usually do, 6% said they seldom do, and less than 1% said they never check their dogs' hips. When asked if they do preliminary x-rays (prior to OFA's or other foundation's minimum age for certification), only 16% said they always do preliminary x-rays, 20% said they sometimes do, 36% said they seldom do preliminaries, and 28% said they never do. Malamute owners believe hip dysplasia still is considered to be a problem in the breed, with 84% of the respondents saying they still were concerned about this condition.

With the emergence of CERF (eye) evaluations, more and more malamute owners are having their dogs' eyes evaluated for abnormalities. 51% of the participants said they always have their dogs' eyes check, 23% said they usually do, 9% said they seldom check their dogs' eyes, and 17% said they never have their eyes checked by a board certified ophthalmologist. Most of those who do have their dogs' eyes checked do so between 1 to 2 years of age. Most respondents felt that we do need to be concerned about eye problems in malamutes. 78.5% said they believed we needed to be concerned about eye problems, 17% said they did NOT believe we needed to be concerned about eye problems, while 4.5% were unsure.

In terms of chondrodysplasia certification, 78% said they do apply for ChD papers, 17% said they don't apply for them, and 5% said they sometimes will request them for their dogs.

When asked if they participate in any other genetic screening for their dogs, 67% said they do not participate in any other type of screening. 33% said they do, and of those who said they do, most listed doing a thyroid profile most often, while very few mentioned elbow dysplasia evaluations, cardiac evaluations and one mentioned doing copper/zinc blood tests on their dogs.

The average age listed their dogs die of old age (not euthanized) was 11.6 years with the range of those filling out this section being between 6 years and 15 years of age.

Breed Survey — Part 2

Part 2 of this survey evaluated the number and types of disease conditions participants have seen in either dogs they owned or have bred. There were a total of 3,305 dogs listed as being in this part of the survey. The breakdown of these dogs by area was as follows: United States - 2737, Canada - 425, and At Large - 143. Many respondents listed dogs they have bred, but may not have heard about from their new owners. Thus, the absolute numbers or percentages should not be documented as reliable numbers, but rather the trend to those numbers should be considered more important.

Overall, the top three conditions with the highest trend of prevalence were

• hip dysplasia

• hypothyroidism

• cataracts (all types)

It is interesting to note, these just happen to be three conditions we have screening tests for, thus it may explain why these are listed with a higher rate of prevalence.

Bone/Skeletal Problems

The numbers listed for hip dysplasia were the highest compared to all other bone/skeletal problems listed (289 dogs). However, it was not asked how many of the total number of dogs the participant mentioned were in the survey were actually checked (via OFA or some other foundation's certification process). Thus, the respondent may have had 45 dogs total mentioned in the survey, but only really had 20 of 45 radiographed for hip dysplasia. This problem will be rectified in the next Alaskan Malamute survey.

The only other condition mentioned in this section with a significant number were dogs with incomplete dentition. In the comment section, many breeders mentioned a number of dogs with dropped lower incisors (significant unknown), and some various types of occlusion problems. Other conditions mentioned with very low numbers were elbow dysplasia (very few breeders check for this condition in our breed at this time), OCD lesions, ChD, and others not listed in the survey but mentioned in the comment section (panosteitis, patella problems, degenerative arthritis, subluxating hock joints, and missing or deformed vertebrae in tail).

related website: OFA database query page

Eye Problems

Of all the conditions listed in this section, cataracts came up as the most frequently seen eye abnormality. Unfortunately the data in this may give a false sense of security in terms of how much of a concern this may or may not be in our breed. This survey did not ask how many dogs were diagnosed with a lesion on the lens of the eye(s) versus how many the breeders actually had checked. The rate of non-perfect lens is actually higher based on CERF's annual documentation for our breed. The next survey will ask the number of dogs affected versus the total checked, when the breeder actually began testing their dogs' eyes, as well as how often they check them (yearly, bi-yearly, etc.). The most commonly mentioned type of cataract was a juvenile cataract, however, this terminology is not specific enough for evaluation purposes. Cataracts or lens imperfections can be caused by many different things as well as there being many different types with various progressions (i.e., whether they cause blindness or vision impairment or not). Although it was asked specifically what type was seen, most generalized with this term. There were some listed as old age cataracts, but it is unknown whether those dogs were checked at a younger age.

Other conditions listed but at extremely low incidences were hemeralopia (day blindness), glaucoma, PRA, entropion as well as a few other conditions listed in the comment section at low levels.

related website:  Day Blindness

Blood Disorders/Autoimmune Problems

Very, very low numbers of dogs were listed in this area. In fact, SLE was the highest number seen with only 6 dogs listed.

Skin Problems

There were more dogs listed with various conditions in this area. As we know, the coat can make the malamute, thus respondents may be more concerned about coat problems, or because we have more coat, we may see more conditions arise. Flea allergies and food allergies were listed as the most commonly diagnosed conditions. The next most frequently seen condition was seborrheic skin conditions of unknown causes. “Coat funk” was also listed in the 20's, with atopy (inhalant allergies) listed close behind in frequency seen. Autoimmune skin diseases as well as zinc dermatosis were listed with very low rates of incidence. In the comment section, hot spots were listed quite frequently and will be added to the list of conditions in the next survey to see the rate of incidence of this. Other things were also listed in low numbers (warty toes, lick granulomas, general dermatitis, mange, chronic Staph infections, interdigital pyoderma, and contact dermatitis). Some people mentioned dogs losing pigment around their eyes and on their lips. The significance of this is unknown.

Endocrine Problems

The only condition mentioned in this section with higher than single digit incidence rates was hypothyroidism (126 dogs). As mentioned in many of my health columns, this condition is frequently misdiagnosed by the veterinarian due to many reasons (not to be listed here). Many dogs are put on thyroid medication which should not be, thus it is not uncommon to have owners think their dog has the condition when it does not.

Cancer

If one were to add up all the various types of cancers listed in this section, this disease would have been listed as one of the most commonly seen conditions. The most frequently seen types of cancers in malamutes were mammary gland (breast), bone, lymph node/lymphoma/ lymphosarcoma, stomach/intestine, and liver (all listed in the double digits in frequency). There were some other cancers mentioned in the comment section not listed by the survey.

Neurological/Neuro Muscular

In this section, only seizures were listed to occur with a high prevalence. 63 dogs were listed as having seizure activity. These seizures' age of onset varied widely (from as young as 2 months to as old as 12 years). No one age stood out as one most commonly encountered. Most of the triggers to incidences of seizures were loud noises, heat, excitement, stimulation and stress. Of these 5 triggers, loud noises and excitement seem to be the most common. Polyneuropathy, wobblers and undiagnosed neuro conditions were listed at very low amounts.

Birth Defects

From a total 556 litters listed in this section with a total of 3419 puppies, stillborn and fading puppies were listed as the most common problem encountered. It would have been extremely helpful and interesting to see if a necropsy (an autopsy for dogs) could have been done on those puppies to see if a cause of death could have been determined. Cleft palates and swimmers were listed in low numbers. Other problems listed in the comment sections in very, very low numbers include hydrocephalic, megaesophagus, generally deformed, club foot puppies, born with intestines out, portal systemic shunts, and spinal deformities. It appears that based on the large number of puppies listed, only about 9% are dead at birth or are listed as fading puppies. This would generally mean that in a litter of 11 puppies, 1 puppy could be expect to be stillborn or have fading puppy syndrome.

Reproductive Problems

False pregnancies were seen with a moderate prevalence in bitches used in breeding programs by participants in the survey. Abortions were seen in very low numbers. Cystic ovaries were seen in more bitches than expected (a total of 24). Infertility (both male and female) was seen in moderate numbers, however, the cause for infertility was not asked. Monorchidism was listed about twice as frequently as cryptorchidism (both testicles retained). Pyometra was listed by some in the comment section, and this will be added to the normal list of conditions in the next survey. Other conditions mentioned in the comment section in very, very low numbers were vaginal hyperplasia, endometriosis, hormonal induced diabetes, and persistent hymens.

Other Diseases

As expected, bloat was listed with moderate numbers (70 dogs). It may have been interesting to know if the majority of these were males (who, in general, have deeper chests or conformation that MAY lend to a higher incidence of bloat) or females.

Congenital heart murmurs were surprising listed at moderate numbers as well. 61 dogs were listed as being diagnosed with congenital heart murmurs. This moderate number of dogs listed with this condition should indicate how important heart auscultation exams are on puppy examinations at veterinary clinics. It would be interesting to have asked breeds what they did with these puppies or if the murmur progressed with age. Other cardiac conditions were listed in very low numbers such as congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, PDA, pericardial effusion, and acute pulmonary edema.

Other miscellaneous conditions listed in the comment section in very, very low numbers included tonsillitis, ulcers, renal failure (should have had a separate section for kidney failure), ZnCu deficiencies, and bursitis.

Temperament

Listed in decreasing frequency of incidence, excessively dog aggressive dogs were listed with highest number, followed by screamers/excessive barkers, shyness, people aggression, fear biters, and unstable/rage syndrome dogs. Only one other condition was listed in very, very low numbers — that being hyperactive dogs.

Breed Survey — Part 3

When the respondents were asked what 3 diseases/conditions they felt were of most concern to them, the top 3 concerns were hip dysplasia, cataracts and hypothyroidism in that order. It is interesting to note these were the same three conditions which appeared in higher numbers than all other diseases. Again, these are three conditions which we do have screening tests for, thus people have been made aware of these conditions. There are many other conditions that did come up with higher numbers of dogs, however, these conditions do not have screening tests available for them (i.e., bloat, seizures, etc.).

Breed Survey — Part 4

The last portion of the survey asked the participants to list the dogs they owned that have died over the years — either from natural causes or those euthanized. The top three causes/reasons for death included cancer (all types), bloat, and hip dysplasia in that order. Of those three, cancer and hip dysplasia had the highest rate of death by euthanasia, while bloat caused the death itself.

Conclusions

Overall, it was interesting to see the three conditions that came up with the highest number of affected dogs were also those of most concern to Alaskan Malamute fanciers. Presently the era of DNA testing is blossoming, and many conditions listed as concerns for malamute owners and breeders may be able to be eliminated through this method of genetic screening.

In terms of hip dysplasia, Michigan State University is conducting a DNA testing procedure for this condition paid for by the Mark Morris foundation. Unfortunately at this time, few breeders have sent in information to be part of this study. (Those who are interested in being part of this study can contact me or I can give them the name of the person doing the research at MSU to contact directly.)

The second condition most commonly seen is that of cataracts. Presently this is one particular type of lens lesion that is on interest — a type of juvenile cataract. This is an area I would submit to the AMCA Board that DNA testing and studying should be done to determine the mode of inheritance, if any. Our “cousin” breed, the Siberian Husky, has done some preliminary mode of inheritance work on this condition, however, they have not committed to any DNA work at this time. I have been making contacts with some of the specialists, and we can begin gathering samples soon even if we don't have the funds to support the research yet.

The third concern is that of hypothyroidism. As mentioned, this condition is frequently misdiagnosed by veterinarians. Certain thyroid levels test for are non-specific and considered useless in evaluating whether the dog actually has this condition. Actually, all the tests available for evaluating thyroid conditions are not very specific and can be inaccurate for a true diagnosis. Also, there is potential that racing breeds of dogs may have lower thyroid levels normally. There has been some work done on greyhounds at this point to prove this is commonly seen in their breed (for both pets and racing animals). However, no research has been conducted on other racing breeds (arctic breeds, etc.) and it may be of interest to see if this theory holds true.

Other concerns breeders had that made the top 10 list included the following: chondrodysplasia, aggression/temperaments, bloat, coat funk (follicle dysplasia), general autoimmune diseases, cancer, and polyneuropathy.