25/09/2020
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☾𝙰𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝙰𝚐𝚎 & 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚑☾
One of the hardest things about having a dog as a part of your family is knowing that the chances are very high that you will outlive them. To follow that, it goes without saying that letting go of a beloved family member is probably one of the harder things humans have to go through in their lives.
So, naturally, when one is seeking out a dog to add to their family, they are going to gravitate towards breeds with longer lifespans and no health issues. No health issues!? Lives 15-20 years?! Who wouldn’t want a dog of that caliber!?
In practice, it doesn’t really exist with any kind of predictive value.
Certainly there are some dogs out there that can live all the way to age 18-20 and some dogs may live their entire lives without a single health or mobility issue until old age and structure/organ failure sets in all at once at the end. However, they’re by far the exception and not the rule. If you encounter any breeder of any dog out there that claims their dogs live forever and are free from health issues, run - don’t walk - in the other direction. Health issues are a facet of life and an affliction of the living. No animal species on the planet is immune to some kind of ailment at some point!
NAID Health: The good, the bad and the ugly.
Keeping in mind the Origins of the NAID - which includes (but isn’t limited to) northern breed and working breed lines like old landrace line Siberian, Malamute and GSD - we can extrapolate that many of the good and bad health values (we will save temperament values for another post) that come from those core breeds may transpose to the NAID line as well.
While not an exhaustive list, some of the things the above breeds - and thus the NAID - are known for include:
Eye issues - cataracts, glaucoma (which may arise on its own or result from cataracts), progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) and, more rarely, pannus (GSD associated) to name a few of the more serious concerns. Lesser, more aesthetic presentations that should not affect or hinder a dog’s quality of life (and may be managed with a fat moderated diet) could include things like corneal dystrophy (CD) which are fatty opacities/deposits that (for northern breeds especially) generally present mildly on the outer perimeters of the cornea, somewhat like a snowflake on a windshield.
Joint Issues - There is considerable debate on this topic in nearly every medium and large breed-specific community out there, and some small breeds as well. While rigorous testing and screening tools have been implemented to help breeders choose desirable breeding animals that reduce prevalence of joint issues, the fact remains that issues like hip dysplasia (HD), elbow dysplasia (ED), a spectrum of spinal abnormalities and associated osteoarthritis (OA) have continued to be areas of concern across many breeds. Over time, the theories of said occurrence have evolved to the belief that a complex modality exists with genetic (structural and multi-factorial hereditary components) and multi-factorial environmental influences. New studies are emerging all the time to better understand the practical applications and broad applications of screening tools, especially with regard to HD. These tools include things like PennHIP (which offers 3 distinct views of the hips while a dogs is dorsally recumbent - distracted, compressed and extended views), OFA (parallel extension view with various grades related to shape and fit of the acetabulum/femur head and associated laxity or signs of OA) or BVA (scoring based on 9 specific criteria associated with the hip joint shape/signs of function). Studies are also constantly ongoing to better understand the effects/quality/balance of early nutrition in puppies, quality of traction in the early development months, extent/breadth of physical activity within the first 24-36 months of life, age at time of alteration (especially in large breed dogs who are slow to mature), early trauma (falls, rough play, extensive intense exercise, excessive jumping from heights), traction within the home (running mats if hardwood flooring is present), positive effects of routine low-impact exercise that strengthens joints, monitoring appropriate adult nutrition/supplementation (omega fatty acids/fish oils, joint supports like chondroitin/glucosamine and natural anti-inflammatory agents) and, very importantly, weight management.
Allergies/Sensitivities - Whether born from evolution via breeds of dogs that lived at various elevations and indulged specific diet sources and have since been placed in climates and fed diets that their bodies aren’t entirely adapted to or the result of close breeding/line breeding or several other possibilities, allergies and environmental/food sensitivities have continued to be an area of concern for many breeds with several being especially known for said issues. The stand out amongst the crowd is certainly the GSD, who, among other issues, has certainly been known for both allergies and food sensitivities. Second to said breed would be the Siberian, who has, over the last century, moved from much more rugged terrain with irregular meals, physically demanding work and cold environments to warmer climates with a broader spectrum of constantly available food and less work/muscle expenditure demanded of them in pet homes despite their biological programming that is geared towards regular movement and periodic nutrition intake (similar to their close ancestor, the wolf). As a result of some of these aforementioned things (in addition to having a small gene pool themselves, where typically recessive genes have become more predominant), the NAID follows suit with many dogs, being self-regulating eaters (especially influenced by the four seasons), picky eaters and some presenting with a preference to not eat certain proteins or grains or a physically averse reaction (loose stool) to some food formulations. Likewise, some have shown allergic response to their environments or their food sources (itching, etc). As such, it is certainly something to be mindful of when raising a NAID. One would do well to read about allergy/sensitivity issues in Siberians, Malamutes and GSDs to better understand and provide for their NAID. While much preference has been given over the years to avoid grain-inclusive diets, continued concerns with diet-related dilated cardio myopathy (DCM) have prompted many owners to seek grain-inclusive diets that meet WSAVA guidelines to ensure their dogs are getting appropriate essential amino acids in their diet to protect heart health. As always, one’s veterinarian is the best source of said advice and owners should be cautioned away from breeders who require that a certain feed or supplement be given lest health guarantees be considered nullified. Said tactics are often only of financial value to the breeder and not necessarily the best interest or health of the dog.
Miscellaneous Other - While rare amongst NAIDs, the core breeds that make up the NAID are also known for other health issues or occurrences. These can include, but are not limited to, neurological issues like degenerative myelopathy (DM)(especially known within the GSD and a detectable issue via DNA testing, including Embark) or wobbler’s, peripheral neuropathy (Malamutes), epilepsy (Siberian and GSD especially known for) etc., genetic heart disease issues, cancer (affects essentially every breed of dog, with specific types more associated with various breeds - incidents of cancer in the NAID seem to primarily occur in senior age with cellular deterioration), cushing’s disease/thyroid function issues (not those mediated by vector born issues like tick bites or the prolonged use of corticosteroids), diabetes, a**l gland issues (cysts/tumours), VKH syndrome (most associates with Malamutes), sebaceous cysts (Malamutes especially, but common across many breeds), zinc-responsive dermatosis (ZRK) which is very common in northern breeds, dental disease (Malamutes, for example, can be known for excessive tartar build up which can lead to gum disease and heart issues - proper dental care is a must), and another major concern in all breeds with deep, narrow chests is gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) - more commonly known as “bloat” which can result in stomach torsion and fast death - but fortunately can be generally prevented with stomach tacking surgery (often done at the same time as s*x alteration).
Given all of the above, one can see the NAID is not perfect and, like any other breed, breed in progress or mixed breed, it is prone to all of the ailments of the founding breeds that form its core as well as the practices used by individual breeders. If you encounter a breeder (NAID or otherwise) that says they’ve never encountered any of these issues, look elsewhere. No dog is a magical unicorn and the NAID is no exception. Sorry if this bursts anyone’s bubble, but that’s the reality of biology!
The Truth - NAID Life Expectancy:
While advertised by some as living 15-20 years, that is not realistic. While some NAIDs have lived as long as 17 years, that is the exception and certainly not the rule. However, the actual life expectancy for the NAID is still very good for a large breed dog. One can expect the average NAID to live 10-14 years, with anything more than 12 years being somewhat of a blessing. This is directly in line with all of the domestic and primitive breeds at the core of the NAID.
What Future and Current NAID Owners Can Do:
Research. Research. Research. Read about all of the above health issues associated with the various breeds noted above. Speak to every breeder to see what issues they’ve had and in what lines (they should be keeping track). Ask for references to various owners to see what their experiences are like. Ask what genetic and routine health testing has been done on their dogs, how often it’s done and what actions have been taken. Ask your breeders what their plans are for the future of their lines and how they plan to execute their plans. Various lines may have more core breed influence over another which can also correlate to the potential for some health issues (or behavioural attributes) in some dogs, so it is certainly worth asking your breeder to pair you with a puppy from a line more influenced by the breed you would prefer. This is not an exhaustive list of things to consider, but it’s certainly a start.
If you are an existing owner, you can ensure you’re meeting the routine exercise needs, metabolic needs (wholesome foods, supplements, joint support supplements) of your dog, you can practice regular grooming to prevent skin concerns and promote good circulation, you can ensure you see your veterinarian yearly for a full physical exam (including teeth/eyes/range of movement/rectal exam and baseline blood panels when they feel it is appropriate) and you can try to not worry about “what could happen” to shorten your dogs’ lives and help them live every day to the fullest, the best way you can. As you too should live!
As always...
𝙱𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 🐾 & 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝙿𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎🐺!
