Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Primary lens luxation (PLL)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
The lens of the eye detaches from its normal supporting fibres and can fall forward or backward inside the eye. It is painful, often needs emergency surgery, and can cause permanent blindness if missed; a UK genotyping study found the causative allele at a notably high frequency in the breed.
Ask to see: DNA test for the ADAMTS17 mutation (c.1473+1G>A) on both parents
Tzouganakis et al. 2021 — allele frequency of the ADAMTS17 PLL mutation in the Portuguese Podengo, PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34870369/) · Portuguese Podengo Club (UK) — Health (https://podengos.org/health)
Hip dysplasia
Malformation of the hip joint that can progress to osteoarthritis. It is screened for by the breed's US parent club, though no published prevalence study specific to this breed was found.
Ask to see: Hip evaluation from OFA or PennHIP on both parents
Portuguese Podengo Pequeno Club of America — breeder health requirements (http://www.portuguesepodengopequeno.org/health.html)
Patellar luxation
The kneecap slips out of its normal groove, causing an intermittent skip in the gait that can become permanent. It is screened for by the breed's US parent club.
Ask to see: Veterinary orthopaedic (OFA) evaluation for patellar luxation on both parents
Portuguese Podengo Pequeno Club of America — breeder health requirements (http://www.portuguesepodengopequeno.org/health.html)
Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
Progressive, incurable degeneration of the retina leading to blindness. Commercial DNA panels list this breed as appropriate for the standard prcd test, although it is not yet a formal requirement of the breed's US parent club.
Ask to see: DNA test for prcd-PRA on both parents
Portuguese Podengo Bundle — Canine Genetic Testing (https://www.cagt.co.uk/product/portuguese-podengo-bundle/)