Pumi Health

Health Tests

The Pumi is basically a health breed and we want to keep it that way by continuing to test our stock for diseases known to occur in the breed.  While there has been no incidence (that we’re aware of) of Progressive Lens Luxation (PLL) and Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) in this country, we are finding dogs who carry the gene, and if bred to another carrier, could produce puppies with the problem.

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) keeps a registry of health checks by breed.  You can click on this link to see a list of all Pumik whose owners have tested their dogs and opted to have their results made public.

The Hungarian Pumi Club of America is working with the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) to establish a list of health tests specifically recommended for the Pumi.  This list is below, and additional information including how to order the DNA tests can be found at www.caninehealthinfo.org/brdreqs.html?breed=PM.

• Hip Dysplasia (X-ray)
• Patellar Luxation (Veterinary certification)
• Primary Lens Luxation (DNA test)
• Degenerative Myelopathy (DNA Test)
• Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Ophthalmologist (Optional)
• Elbow Dysplasia (Optional) (X-ray)
• DNA Repository (Optional) (Blood Sample Required)

You can see the incidence we have so far in tested animals from the OFA database below.  This includes all Pumik tested including those whose owners preferred to keep the specific results for their dog(s) private, so that we have a good understanding of the incidence of these diseases.

*CHIC required tests

Hip Dysplasia

Hip Dysplasia appears to be the most common problem in the breed. All Pumik should have an OFA x-ray for hip dysplasia whether or not they are going to be bred. If they are affected, you can start some treatment early to lessen the effects. Also your dog’s breeder will want to know that they have produced an affected dog. This will also allow us to get a better idea of the incidence of the problem in Pumik.

Lumbarsacral Transitional Vertebra (LTV)
Several incidents of LTV (lumbarsacral transitional vertebra) have been identified in young, unrelated Pumik in Europe. When LTV appears in the younger dog, there’s a very high probability they will have some nerve compression problems at some time in their life. Although OFA hip analysis should cover screening of the vertebra, it may have gone unnoticed. If you are submitting hip x-rays to OFA, please have your veterinarian attach a note to pay special attention to this area. No additional fees, nor x-rays are required.

The HPCA is following this issue with breeders in Europe and may make changes to the required OFA tests should this problem be identified as being more widespread. In the meantime, it’s good to have our own dogs checked since it requires no additional cost to the owner and will provide additional information for the worldwide Pumi community. For questions, please contact Karen Tria, HPCA Health Committee Chair, at tria@att.net.

Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)**

We have discovered that our Pumik can carry the gene for Degenerative Myelopathy, or “DM” for short. This is a disease that is similar to ALS in humans. Dogs are not affected until they are older, as in humans. You can find out more about DM at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. The University has developed a DNA test for the disease. You can find out if your Pumi is clear of the disease (2 normal genes), a carrier (1 normal and 1 affected gene) or affected (2 affected genes) by taking a cheek swab to collect the DNA and sending it to the U of MO. You can order a test kit here.
It is important before you get a puppy or breed your Pumi, to make sure that the parents are DNA tested for this disease. A carrier can be bred as long as they are bred to a dog that doesn’t carry the disease and the puppies must be then tested before they are bred. The primary rule is that a carrier must never be bred to another carrier.

Primary Lens Luxation (PLL)**

There have been several instances of Primary Lens Luxation in puppies in the Scandinavian countries. There is also an OFA DNA test for this disease. As with DM, it’s important to test your Pumi before breeding them. You can order a test kit here (scroll to the bottom of the page). You can find out more about PLL at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.

**PLEASE NOTE:  In order to be published in the OFA statistics, you must get the DNA tests through the University of Missouri, not any other lab.  If you get the DNA test through another lab, you must pay an additional $15 per test to get it registered with OFA in order to get a CHIC number.