Health Concerns

Basenjis do have some health issues that you need to know about when purchasing a puppy. The main ones are Fanconi Syndrome, PRA and hip dysplasia, but also PPM, IPSID, Hemolytic Anemia, hypo-thyroid and occasionally colombomas.

Fanconi Syndrome - Fanconi Syndrome, simply put, is a form of renal failure. It presents much like diabetes, the most noticeable difference is the presence of sugar in the urine, but normal levels in the blood. If left undiagnosed and untreated it will kill the dog. Onset is late, usually around age 7 or 8 years, but sometimes as young as 5 years and as old as 9 years. It's unfortunate that the Basenji breed has a fairly small gene pool & that many of our widely used studs of the past had it, or produced it prolifically. Most Basenjis in the USA have a dog that had Fanconi (a.k.a. an "affected"), was a Fanconi producer (one who parented a dog with it) or the sire, dam or sibling of an affected or producer in their pedigree somewhere.
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Hypo-thyroid - Many Basenjis are low thyroid. Breeders should test their dogs annually for thyroid levels, and it's also recommended for pet owners. Low thyroid is easily (and cheaply) treated with Soloxine, a daily pill. Some forms are hereditary, some congenital.
Because HT can affect a dog's temperament, I feel that it should be closely monitored, especially in lines in which it appears to be common. If a behavioral change occurs, it is important that the HT be treated immediately & the behavior not allowed to become habitual. It is possible that certain changes that are brought on by HT could become entrenched. Once the dog learns to act in a certain way medication may not be able to "correct" the problem.

Hemolytic Anemia (aka Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency) is the easiest to rule out - there is a genetic test available that tells you if your dog is clear or a carrier. HA sufferers are usually dead by 18mo, and, thankfully, it's pretty much gone in the US except among puppy mill stock. Still, I test for it every other generation. Some others do, some don't. VetGen will provide a certificate to dogs that test clear. Though the pet owner need not test their dog, the stock from which a puppy is produced should be.

Hip Dysplasia Most of us are familiar with this. The OFA can screen a dog for it at 24mo of age. When looking at hips, and hip quality in a litter, it's important to look at the 'big picture' not just the pedigree. I mean siblings, aunts, uncles, etc.. A stud dog may be an OFA "excellent" but that alone will not tell you if he is likely to produce good hips. You have to consider his litter mates and the rest of his family as well. So lets say this stud has 4 littermates, two of whom are "fair", one "border line" and one "dysplastic". You would not want to breed this dog (or have him as your pup's sire). However, a dog that rated "good", whose littermates were also "good" would be preferable even though individually stud #2's score isn't as good as stud #1's. Stud #1's more likely to pass on bad hips than his own - he's a fluke. Stud #2's a good bet on getting healthy hips. You can verify that a dog has an OFA score by visiting http://www.offa.org/ and checking the online search.

IPSID - This problem is somewhat enigmatic, and it stands for 'Immunoproliferative small intestinal disease'. I lifted this from the BCOA page:

"[IPSID] is a chronic intestinal problem with symptoms including diarrhea, weight loss, loss of appetite, and, if unchecked, potentially death. Its frequency and mode of inheritance are unknown. Age of onset varies widely. It is an autoimmune problem, associated with the proliferation of lymphocytes and plasmocytes in the intestine. The mode of inheritance is not yet clearly understood, but it appears to be a hereditary problem.
There are many, many disorders and problems that cause similar symptoms, including disease, parasite infections, food allergies, and pancreatitis. For that reason, proper diagnosis by a veterinarian is very important. Not all appetite or intestinal problems in Basenjis are hereditary, and many are not serious if treated promptly."
Emphasis mine - I have a friend whose dog has pancreatitis, and the vet was ready to write her off as having IPSID. Without treatment, the pancreatitis would have killed her. She's doing excellently now, so long as she has her daily enzymes.
To read more, check out http://www.basenji.org/healthipsid.htm

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) The name says it all, IMO. In Basenjis the age of onset for PRA is older - usually around 7 years or so. This makes it slightly more difficult to breed away from since dogs are usually bred before this age. It also makes the status of grandparents doubly important. It is untreatable and irreversible and eventually leads to blindness. It's also nonfatal and not painful. At this time the Basenji breed has no genetic test for it. Yearly CERF exams and screening is our best tool. Make sure your breeder does this. Like the OFA, they have an online search: http://www.vet.purdue.edu/~yshen/cerf.html

Some Basenjis do not have CERF numbers because in the past PPM's were not allowed for our breed. (Other breeds allow dogs with PPM's to CERF.) Dogs currently being bred and tested should be able to attain them, however, as this has changed.

Persistent pupillary membranes (PPM) The good thing about PPM's is that they are present at birth and never get worse. In fact, if you get a 8wk old puppy with a few PPMs, they are likely to disappear by the time he is 2 years old. Basically a PPM is the undissolved membrane covering the eye of all mammals when in utero. In most dogs, this covering dissolves soon after birth. In Basenjis, it doesn't always. They are usually seen in "strands" and there are varying types. Iris to iris or only one end attached to the iris is the least concerning, however if there are enough present it can affect the dog's vision. One or two "i-i" PPMs is not of a high concern. Cornea to cornea or cornea to iris are of more concern, and a dog with this sort of PPM probably should not be bred. In the past, the presence of PPMs (even one) would prevent a dog from obtaining a CERF number eve if his eye health is otherwise good. A breeder should have forms from his canine ophthalmologist indicating as much & should be willing to let you contact his ophthalmologist if you wish to confirm this. Recently CERF has repealed this, and now dogs who have minor PPM's can register with them. Registration must be renewed yearly, as eyes change.
In my opinion, all Basenji puppies should see the canine ophthalmologist at around 12wks of age. I take mine in myself before they go home with their owners. Other breeders simply require new owners to take them in by a designated age. Information should be provided to you about the nearest canine ophthalmologist. A regular vet is not qualified to check their eyes.

Make sure that the puppy is from healthy, hardy stock. Picky eaters, or dogs that easily suffer from digestive upset could indicate a tendency toward IBD or IPSID. Also, god forbid, if the dog were to come down with Fanconi, you want a dog that is easy to pill.

All that said, Basenjis are relatively healthy as purebred dogs. Their problems are few compared to many breeds and for that we are lucky. With vigilance, they will stay that way.