Alaskan Malamute Polyneuropathy in Dogs

Category: Nervous System & Behavioral
Inheritance: Autosomal recessive
Breeds documented: 1
Published sources: 3

Overview

Inherited nerve disease can affect both walking and the muscles involved in breathing and barking. Back-leg weakness may spread to the front legs, while muscle loss can make standing and climbing stairs harder. A dog's bark may change, and breathing can become noisy. The condition varies in severity and has a specific genetic cause identified in Alaskan Malamutes.

Signs to watch for

Tiring quickly during exercise
A change in the sound of the bark
Noisy breathing
An increasingly awkward walk or weakness in the back legs
Difficulty standing or climbing stairs
Loss of muscle bulk

Signs generally begin while dogs are young, before two years of age.

Emergency Go to a vet now if your dog has difficulty breathing.

Diagnosis and tests

UC Davis offers a DNA test for the NDRG1 variant associated with this form of polyneuropathy. It distinguishes unaffected dogs, carriers, and dogs with two copies of the variant. The test is specific to the Alaskan Malamute form, and its results can guide breeding decisions.

Breeds with documented risk

1 breed

By breed size

1 Large

Alaskan MalamuteLarge · Working Group

Inheritance

Autosomal recessive
A dog is affected only if it inherits two copies of the gene variant, one from each parent. A dog with one copy is a carrier: usually healthy, but able to pass the variant on. When two carriers are bred, on average one puppy in four is affected. A DNA test can tell clear, carrier and at-risk dogs apart.
As stated by UC Davis VGL

We've gathered what published sources say about this condition, so you can talk it through with your vet. It isn't veterinary advice: you and your vet know your dog best.