Des Merveilles D'Ilona
Miniature American Shepherd
Tests and Health
The Miniature American Shepherd is a hardy dog with an average life expectancy of 12 years. However, to ensure its health and happiness, some attention is essential.
Daily and annual care
• Vaccination : Strengthen your dog’s defenses with an annual vaccine.
• Deworming : Protect it from internal parasites at least three times a year.
• Pest Control : Prevent flea and tick infestations regularly.
• Diet : Offer him a healthy and balanced diet adapted to his age and activity level.
• Brushing : Maintain its coat with regular brushing to avoid knots and promote blood circulation.
• Exercise : Stimulate your body and mind with daily physical and mental activities.
• Love and affection : Provide him with a stable and loving environment for his emotional development.
Health Test for Breeders
Before breeding, Miniature American Shepherds must undergo a series of rigorous tests to ensure the health of the puppies:
• X-rays : Detect possible hip and elbow dysplasia.
• Genetic screening : Identify predispositions to certain hereditary diseases.
Never buy a puppy whose parents have not undergone the necessary health tests.
Tests are a guarantee of the good health of your future dog by reducing the risks of hereditary diseases, and help to contribute to the sustainability of the breed by selecting healthy breeders.
By caring for your Miniature American Shepherd and choosing a responsible breeder, you are giving your canine companion a long and happy life by your side.
Dysplasia screening by radiography
Hip X-ray is a crucial examination for the Miniature American Shepherd, performed from 12 months, the result of which is given by an official reader. It allows the detection of hip dysplasia, a hereditary joint malformation.
The results are graded from A/A (excellent) to E/E (very poor):
• A/A - OFA EXCELLENT and GOOD: Indicates a normal and healthy hip.
• B/B - OFA FAIR and BORDERLINE: Normal hip, but with slight joint laxity.
• C/C - OFA MILD: Moderate dysplasia.
• D/D - OFA MODERATE: Severe dysplasia.
• E/E - SEVERE OFA: Very severe dysplasia.
Recommendations for reproduction:
• A C/C dog should only be bred to an A/A dog.
• D/D and E/E dogs must not be bred.
Breeding dogs with unfavorable dysplasia results can pass the disease on to their offspring, affecting their quality of life. Choosing healthy breeders helps preserve the health of the breed and prevents the spread of dysplasia.
For elbow X-rays , the findings are classified as follows:
• ED0 – OFA NEGATIVE: Absence of dysplasia – The dog can be used for breeding.
• SL - OFA GRADE 1: Borderline stage - The dog can be used for breeding only with an ED0 dog.
• ED1 - OFA GRADE 1: Mild dysplasia - The dog can be used for breeding with an ED0 dog.
• ED2 - OFA GRADE 2: Moderate dysplasia - The dog must not be used for breeding.
• ED3 – OFA GRADE 3: Severe dysplasia – The dog must not be used for breeding.
Elbow dysplasia is an inherited disease. By selecting healthy breeding stock, the transmission of the disease to future generations can be reduced and the overall health of the breed improved.
Genetic Testing
We analyze the genes of breeders to detect hereditary and eye diseases.
These genetic tests make it possible to determine whether a dog is healthy, a healthy carrier or affected, ensuring that two carriers are never mated in order to avoid the transmission of diseases.
HSF4-A: Hereditary Cataract
Hereditary cataract is a disease that affects the lens of the eye, making it opaque and disrupting vision. Two major types of hereditary cataracts have been observed.
The first, juvenile cataract, appears at a young age and usually affects vision minimally (located under the posterior capsule of the lens).
The second, appears in adulthood and affects vision more seriously (is located near the nucleus of the lens). Hereditary cataract is an autosomal dominant disease. This means that a dog carrying a single mutated gene (+/-) has a 50% chance of developing the disease. Non-carrier dogs (+/+) are not affected and do not transmit the mutation.
A carrier dog (+/-) must be monitored by an ophthalmologist as part of the screening for eye defects and must only be mated with a healthy dog (+/+).
AOC: Collie Eye Anomaly
Collie Eye Anomaly, also called Choroidal Hypoplasia, is not unique to the Collie. It also affects other related breeds, such as the Miniature American Shepherd. This condition is characterized by abnormal development of the choroid, a layer of tissue located under the retina.
AOC presents with a wide variety of symptoms between breeds and individuals within the same breed. The severity of the lesions and the impact on vision vary considerably.
AOC is classified into five stages of severity, defining the extent of the lesions and the visual consequences:
• Stage 1: Small areas of choroidal hypoplasia, usually without significant impact on vision.
• Stage 2: More pronounced choroidal hypoplasia, which may cause a slight decrease in vision.
• Stage 3: Coloboma, a malformation of the choroid that can affect peripheral vision.
• Stage 4: Retinal detachment, an ophthalmic emergency that can lead to blindness.
• Stage 5: Intraocular hemorrhage, causing permanent blindness.
There is no curative treatment for AOC.
APR: Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is an inherited disease that affects the photoreceptor cells of the retina, the cones and rods. This progressive degeneration inevitably leads to total blindness in dogs.
The first symptom observed is usually night blindness, difficulty seeing in low light conditions.
There are two distinct forms of APR: juvenile APR and adult APR:
• Juvenile PRA appears as early as 12 weeks of age and is linked to underdevelopment of photoreceptor cells. It progresses rapidly and leads to blindness before the age of 2 years.
• Adult PRA develops between the ages of 4 and 7 years. It is caused by progressive degeneration of photoreceptor cells. The progression of the disease is variable, but total blindness is inevitable.
There is no cure for PRA.
DM: Degenerative Myelopathy
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurological disease that affects older dogs, usually between 10 and 12 years of age. It is characterized by degeneration of neurons in the thoracolumbar region of the spinal cord.
Early symptoms of DM include:
• Ataxia: Difficulty coordinating movements, unsteady gait.
• Paresis: Muscle weakness, especially in the hind limbs.
• Decreased reflexes: Reduced response to stimuli, such as the patella test.
• Decreased muscle tone: Flabby and atrophied muscles.
The disease progresses slowly, usually over several years, and can lead to flaccid paralysis of the hindquarters.
HUU: Hyperuricosuria
Hyperuricosuria (HUU) is a metabolic disorder characterized by excessive production of uric acid. This substance, naturally present in the body, can crystallize in the dog's urinary tract, causing urinary stones and other complications.
Symptoms of HUU may include difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, urinary incontinence, and abdominal pain.
If HUU is left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, such as acute kidney failure, urinary tract infection, bladder rupture.
CMR1: Multifocal Retinopathy
Multifocal Retinopathy (CMR1), also known as Genetic Retinopathy Type 1, is an inherited disease that affects the retina of dogs. It is characterized by progressive detachment and degeneration of the retina in multiple locations.
The severity of CMR1 varies considerably. In milder cases, dogs have no visible symptoms, even though the retina is abnormal. In more severe cases, the lesions can spread and lead to partial vision loss. or total.
The disease usually appears before the age of 4 months in affected dogs (-/-).
CDPA and CDDY: Chondrodysplasia and Chondrodystrophy
CDPA and CDDY are two genetic mutations that can affect dogs, particularly short-legged breeds such as the Dachshund, Basset Hound, and Welsh Corgi. However, this mutation has recently been discovered in the Miniature American Shepherd.
Both of these mutations impact the development of cartilage and bone, and can lead to a condition called intervertebral disc disease (IVDD).
IVDD occurs when the discs between the vertebrae in the spine herniate or rupture. Can cause pain, nerve damage, and paralysis.
More common in dogs with CDDY, but can also occur in dogs without the mutation.
MDR1: Drug Sensitivity
Drug Sensitivity is present in several breeds of dogs. This genetic mutation makes dogs sensitive to certain drugs that cause poisoning with severe neurological symptoms.
The administration of certain drugs or anti-parasitic treatments even at normal doses leads to neurotoxicity in dogs carrying the MDR1 gene.
When the MDR1 gene is mutated, the corresponding protein whose function is to expel toxic molecules from the central nervous system is inactive.
In order to avoid any risk of poisoning, owners of dogs belonging to a breed at risk are strongly advised to have their animal tested to see if it is carrying the MDR1 mutation.
3 types of genetic status are possible:
• Homozygous normal (+/+): the animal has two normal copies of the gene. The dog is not sensitive to the MDR1 gene, it will not develop symptoms of drug intoxication and will not transmit a sensitive gene to its offspring.
• Heterozygous (+/-): the animal has one normal copy and one defective copy of the gene. The dog has a moderate risk of drug poisoning; it will transmit the sensitive gene to 50% of its offspring. Prohibit the administration of risky molecules
• Homozygous mutated (-/-): the animal has two defective copies of the gene. The dog is at high risk of poisoning, it will develop symptoms of drug poisoning and will transmit the gene to 100% of its offspring. Prohibit the administration of risky molecules.
The severity of symptoms can vary from one individual to another, depending on the molecule, the dose, the sensitivity of the animal, etc.
You can find a very complete list of risky molecules here http://www.collie-online.com/colley/mdr1/index.php.
To keep it simple and concise, here is a non-exhaustive list of the most dangerous molecules published by Antagène:
– Molecules to be avoided: ivermectin, loperamide, emodepside, doramectin, abamectin.
– Molecules to avoid: milbemycin, moxidectin, spiramycin,
– Molecules with mandatory precautions: metoclopramide, metronidazole, spinosad,
– Molecules with precautions to be taken: acepromazide, butorphanol, vincristine, vinblastine, doxorubicin, domperidone.