Finnish Lapphund - Health Information
Mostly a hardy breed, there are a few health conditions to be aware of that can affect the Finnish Lapphund. Like most things, information can be interpreted differently, so what follows is our views on the health and welfare of Lappies in Australia.
It's important to note that there is new legislation in Victoria that states that it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly breed a dog with a heritable defect. It also states that when selling a dog with any such defect, it must be disclosed to the purchaser. This means that anyone that purchases a puppy in Victoria is protected by this legislation. We hope that it will have consequences for the 'backyard breeders' who so casually and recklessly breed without any thought to resulting disease.
Hip / Elbow Dysplasia: is an incorrect or poor formation of the hip or elbow joint/s and its not just dogs that can be affected. Essentially if there is not a good, snug fit of the ball and socket of the hip/elbow then it can rub and chafe with the result being a range of problems from arthritis to painful movement.
To minimise the possibility of it occurring in Lappies, we hip and elbow score each of our breeding stock. That means their hips and elbows are x-rayed and a specialist reviews each giving it a number. For hips 0/0 is perfect - 53/53 is about as bad as it can get. For elbows it's scored from 0/0 - 3/3.
The average hip score for Lappies is a total of 13 (so that's both number added together) ( elbows are in the lower region too). From that you can see that 'on average' the breed has a pretty good outlook when it comes to dysplasia.
Whilst bad hips and elbows can be inherited, they can also be caused from environmental factors as well. Poor nutrition to exercising on slippery surfaces can all be factors.
We are always happy to show you the scores of our breeding stock - be wary of kennels that won’t freely show you this information. We also provide our puppy buyers with lots of information on how to exercise and feed your pup to minimise any likelihood of joint problems down the track.
PRA Progressive Retinal Atrophy: PRA is a disease where the retinal tissue of the eye dies over time causing gradual blindness to the dog. Onset for the Finnish Lapphund affected animals has been quite late in life, often five years plus.
However, we are very lucky to have a genetic test for ensuring that no dog produced should ever be affected by PRA. Some animals are carriers for the disease; these animals will NEVER be affected by the disease.
Given we have a very limited gene pool in this country and to produce the best type Lappies (and improve upon the breed standard - which is our mission as breeders) we use PRA carrier animals to PRA clear animals. As mentioned above, the resulting offspring will never be affected or exhibit the disease.
The following graph is probably the easiest way to understand visually how it works (without having to wade through pages of information on genetics). The key to understanding is only those in below in red will exhibit the disease.
At Kalevi, we test all our breeding stock and only breed with the top two parent status (so that's clear to clear or clear to carrier). Therefore we will never produce a dog that is affected by PRA.
Hereditary Cataracts: Cataracts is a cloud in the lens of the eye causing very mild to severe vision problems. Cataracts have been known to occur in Finnish Lapphunds overseas with no diagnosis ever being made in Australia as yet however, without any specific testing Lappies do remain at risk for hereditary cataracts.
With that in mind conducting regular eye examinations of breeding stock is probably one of the most important tests a Lappie breeder should undertake. So ensure that you ask for the results (the exam should be within 24 months) and must be for both parents of the litter.