Basenji — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Fanconi syndromecan shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited kidney-tubule disorder in which the kidneys leak glucose, electrolytes and nutrients into the urine instead of reabsorbing them. Untreated, it is fatal; a dog diagnosed early and managed under a monitoring and supplementation protocol can have a near-normal lifespan.
Ask to see: Direct DNA test result ('Normal', 'Carrier' or 'Affected') on both parents, via the OFA.
Basenji Club of America — Basenji Health (https://www.basenji.org/basenji/health/) · OFA — Fanconi Syndrome DNA test (https://ofa.org/diseases/dna-tested-diseases/fanconi-syndrome) · Farias et al. 2024, Genes — FAN1 deletion variant in Basenji dogs with Fanconi syndrome (https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15111469) · Donner et al. 2023, PLOS Genetics (Table S3, Basenji row) (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010651)
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA-BJ1)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited eye disease causing progressive vision loss, usually starting at 5 to 8 years old or later. It accounts for only about half of progressive retinal atrophy cases in the breed, so a clear DNA result does not rule out the second, still-untested form.
Ask to see: DNA test result for PRA-BJ1 on both parents (OFA or OptiGen), plus a current annual ACVO ophthalmologist eye exam (OFA CAER) on both parents to catch the non-BJ1 form.
Basenji Club of America — Basenji Health (https://www.basenji.org/basenji/health/) · OFA — DNA-based disease tests (https://ofa.org/diseases/dna-based-disease-tests/) · Goldstein et al. 2013, Molecular Vision — a non-stop S-antigen (SAG) mutation in Basenji PRA (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3762564/) · Donner et al. 2023, PLOS Genetics (Table S3, Basenji row) (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010651)
Pyruvate kinase deficiency (haemolytic anaemia)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited enzyme deficiency causing red blood cells to break down prematurely; affected puppies become severely anaemic and typically die by 2 years old. Decades of testing have made it rare in the breed, but a small number of carriers remain, which matters most for dogs with recent African-import ancestry.
Ask to see: Ask whether both parents descend from stock DNA-tested Normal for PK deficiency, or have themselves been tested; routine fresh testing is no longer universal because the mutation is now uncommon.
Basenji Club of America — Basenji Health (https://www.basenji.org/basenji/health/) · Whitney et al. 1994, Experimental Hematology — the molecular basis of canine pyruvate kinase deficiency (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7520391/) · Whitney & Lothrop 1995, JAVMA — genetic test for pyruvate kinase deficiency of Basenjis (https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.1995.207.07.0918)
Immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID) / Basenji enteropathycan shorten life or cause chronic pain
A severe inflammatory bowel disease causing chronic diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss, with a guarded prognosis in bad cases. A predisposition appears to be inherited, but the mode of inheritance is not known and physical or emotional stress may act as a trigger rather than a sole cause.
Ask to see: No DNA test or breeding-stock screen exists. Ask whether IPSID or unexplained chronic diarrhoea has occurred in the line; diagnosis in a sick dog is by intestinal biopsy, not a pre-breeding test.
Basenji Club of America — Basenji Health (https://www.basenji.org/basenji/health/) · Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology — 'Elevated serum IgA associated with immunoproliferative enteropathy of Basenji dogs' (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0165242788900244)