Staying up to date with common, let alone rare, health risks in susceptible dog breeds can be difficult. In this regular feature, our Educational Partner, International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD) signposts resources on a particular breed and highlights breed-specific diseases.
Meet the Salukis – Few but fine!
Salukis stand out for their conformation, being very sleek and slender. Although primarily a companion dog today, the Saluki is an ancient breed, bred over 1000’s of years based on purpose and ability.
For Salukis, as for other relatively uncommon breeds, healthy, sustainable breeding must focus on the international population, as they are often very few within any one country. The Breed Archive is a platform maintained overall by a small group with software expertise with breed-specific information provided and maintained by breed interest groups This is volunteered info, not truly population-based, with some attendant limitations, but for breeds like Salukis, and other sighthounds like the Whippet, Italian Greyhound, and Borzoi, it can provide a broad view of history and the current situation. Information is included on popular sires. As we know in many breeds, the tendency to overuse certain sires due to popularity or success in the show ring can depress genetic diversity and lead to health issues.
The highest number of listings for Salukis are from the USA, Germany, Sweden, Finland, and the UK. In our accompanying article and our breeds database we provide more information on diseases of interest, populations and health programs from various countries; interesting videos and links to research. A main condition of interest is heart disease, and veterinarians should be aware of recent research on cardiac reference values specific to Salukis. A genetic test is available for Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 8 (NCL8), a specific mutation to the Saluki. Testing is being recommended pre-breeding, although this fatal neurodegenerative disease is likely extremely rare in the breed.
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The International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD) is a non-profit working for dog health, well-being, and welfare. This article has been prepared by its CEO, Dr Brenda Bonnett, DVM PhD
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More resources to help you:
- The Breed Archive: Salukis –
Giraut S, Häggström J, Koskinen LLE, Lohi H, Wiberg M. Breed-specific reference ranges for standard echocardiographic measurements in salukis. J Small Anim Pract. 2019 Jun;60(6):374-378.