The American Staffordshire Terrier is a hardy breed that doesn't suffer from a lot of Health Problems, but there are some concerns that do come up with some dogs:
Hip Dysplasia: A common disorder in canines, this degenerative disease causes the hip joint to become damaged, causing pain and problems with mobility. Symptoms occur over a long period of time and can manifest in symptoms such as slower movement and problems getting up and down. Treatment options will vary, but include exercises, pain medications, and even surgery.
Congenital Heart Disease: Some American Staffordshire Terrier dogs are born with this condition and symptoms and treatments vary. Many dogs have no problems at all, while others will require monitoring and medications to make sure the heart is working properly. It is different from Acquired Heart disease, which is a heart condition that develops later in a dogs life. CHD is rare, but it can result in serious heart failure.
Cataracts: Caused by genetic factors, these Cataracts can cause blindness and vision disturbances. Treatments are available and in severe cases often the dog will require surgery to remove the Cataracts.
Hives: Since the coat of the American Staffordshire Terrier is so short, the skin is often exposed to the elements and the outside environment. This often creates a situation in which the skin can become irritated more easily by insects or heat, even stress, causing hives or small welts in the skin.
Cerebellar Ataxiais: A neurological disorder. This disease is also called Cerebellar Cortical Degeneration or Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL).
The first signs of the disease usually appear between 3 and 5 years of age in affected dogs.
More rarely, early or late-onset symptoms can appear between 1.5-3 years or after 5 years. Symptoms are loss of balance, difficulty cornering, andfalling when shaking their head. When they became unable to walk without falling repeatedly, owners usually make the difficult choice to euthanize.
The clinical diagnosis is realized by excluding others diseases and confirmed by a MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging).
ANTAGENE commercialises the NCL-A test in the American Staffordshire Terrier.
The technology underlying this test is patented world-wide by INRA and ENVA. ANTAGENE has an exclusive license to provide this test in Europe and in the World.
The Cerebellar Ataxia is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern.
Pilot studies achieved during the development of the test revealed a high frequency of carrier dogs in the french population of AmStaff (30%). In addition, collaboration with Dr Natasha Olby (North Carolina StateU niversity, Raleigh) confirmed that american dogs carry the same disease-causing mutation as the one identified in french dogs.
Why breeders should be testing their dogs ?
• detection of affected dogs before the first symptoms,
• easy identification of this disease before considering other time and money-consuming exams,
• aide in selecting sires and dams to be bred,
• avoiding selling dogs who will eventually become affected,
• controlling the dissemination of the genetic defect in the breed.
