Alpine Dachsbracke — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Chondrodystrophy-linked intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)can shorten life or cause chronic painCommon in this breed
The chromosome-12 FGF4 insertion shortens the legs and makes the spinal discs degenerate early, which multiplies the risk of a disc rupture that can cause pain or paralysis. It is very common in this breed — in one study 99 of 111 Alpine Dachsbracke carried at least one copy — and one copy is enough to raise the risk, so the test is a way to lower it across a litter rather than to avoid it entirely.
Ask to see: A CDDY/IVDD-risk DNA test on both parents
Brown et al. 2017, PNAS (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29073074/) · Batcher et al. 2022, The Effects of FGF4 Retrogenes on Canine Morphology (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8872533/)
Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCN8A)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
A recessive disease of the brain's movement centres described in this breed: from about three weeks old, when littermates start to move steadily, affected puppies tremble, lose their balance and fall, and every affected puppy in the study had to be put to sleep by ten to twelve weeks. Carrier parents look entirely healthy.
Ask to see: Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCN8A) DNA test result, on both parents
Letko et al. 2019, Genes (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31083464/) · OMIA — Ataxia, spinocerebellar, SCN8A-related (dog) (https://omia.org/OMIA002194/9615/)
Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis 8 (CLN8)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
A fatal storage disease of the brain and spinal cord; in this breed it is caused by the loss of the entire CLN8 gene. In dogs with CLN8 disease, signs usually begin as young adults — failing sight, behaviour changes, then seizures and loss of coordination — and progress to death within the second year or soon after. It is recessive.
Ask to see: Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis 8 (CLN8 deletion, Alpine Dachsbracke type) DNA test result, on both parents
Hirz et al. 2017, Molecular Genetics and Metabolism (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymgme.2016.12.007) · OMIA — Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis 8 (dog) (https://omia.org/OMIA001506/9615/)