There are no veterinary clinics in the Sahel. Food is scarce. The weather is harsh. Shelter is only as good as you make it. There are no health checks, treatment plans or opportunities for convalescence. Azawakh must be able to remain fit and healthy under these conditions, without any special care, or their nomadic masters will simply leave them behind.
As a result, Azawakh possess few health issues compared to most modern breeds of dog. They have excellent eyes, ears, hips, elbows and patellas, strong hearts, perfect dentition, a highly efficient digestive system and a powerful respiratory system.
However, Azawakh are not immune to health conditions, and living in the lap of luxury in the western world, without the harsh sahelian environment performing its own version of health screening – coupled with the effects of inbreeding in many lines – there are a small number of issues of which owners, and most especially breeders, must be aware.
Idiopathic epilepsy is endemic in the breed, often not appearing before the age of 5-8 years. To date, there is no genetic testing available for the condition, and its late onset can make it difficult for breeders to avoid perpetuating it, as it may not appear in a bitch or dog until many years after they have already reproduced. It is thought to have originated in the breed via the first Azawakh imported into Yugoslavia; the descendants of whom are present in most pedigrees.
Hypothyroidism has been observed in a number of Azawakh, and can occur on its own or as a side effect of autoimmune thyroiditis, which has also occurred in the breed. Blood tests are available to screen for thyroid and immune function prior to breeding, but are not currently a requirement under any kennel councils. However, when diagnosing thyroid issues, it is important to note normal, healthy values for Azawakh are lower than those for other non-sighthound breeds of dog.
Masticatory muscle myositis occurs occasionally, as it does in all breeds, but in Azawakh it seems to present, not with the extreme inflammation and swelling seen in other breeds, but as a rapidly progressing, highly visible atrophy. The condition is thought to be triggered by stress and depletion of the immune system. If left untreated, affected Azawakh are unable to open/close their mouths properly, and may lose their vision. Early detection followed by aggressive cortisone treatment has shown promise in halting and even reversing the condition in a handful of cases. Often, diagnosis must be visual as accurate testing is challenging, and often returns false negatives. Much more investigation is needed. Currently, there is no way to predict whether a dog may be effected by MMM during its lifetime.
A small number of Azawakh around the world have developed spinal issues later in life. Some have been diagnosed as having Wobblers; some appear to display something closer to IVDD; others have been described merely as a narrowing of the spine. Some cases have been complicated by suspected injuries caused by high speed play and/or Azawakh’s penchant for climbing on and off high obstacles. Considerably more internationally collaborative investigation is needed to determine whether there are any genetic or conformational links between these cases. If links can be found, we need to determine whether there is any way of identifying dogs at risk of becoming affected.
As a primitive breed, Azawakh are often more likely to thrive on simplified raw diets rather than commercial foods, as their systems can struggle to digest, or even be allergic to, some of the preservatives and other ingredients used. Interestingly, adult Azawakh produce the lactase enzyme, allowing them to digest milk throughout their lifetimes, unlike most dogs who lose this ability shortly after weaning.
Azawakh have an extremely low percentage of body fat (<17% compared to ~35% for the average dog), making them far more sensitive to anaesthesia than non-sighthound breeds; hence it is essential veterinarians err on the side of caution when calculating dosage rates. Fortunately, they are not known to have any particular difficulties with common canine vaccinations, parasite preventatives and so on. Due to their large hearts in proportion to their body weight; normal, healthy, Azawakh have higher red blood cell, haemoglobin and hematocrit counts than other breeds of dog. Whilst it is difficult to obtain extensive Azawakh data – when conducting blood tests, veterinarians are advised to seek out averages from greyhounds to use as a comparison, rather than the textbook figures derived from non-sighthound breeds.
The sahelian environment differs vastly from the parks and gardens frequented by Azawakh in many other parts of the world, and occasionnally some suffer from contact allergies in response to the lush grasses and plants belonging to families not found in West Africa. Mosquito and other insect bites sometimes cause skin reactions also. Whilst these are generally minor, short-lived irritations; awareness helps owners have the necessary anti-histamines, gentle baths or seasonal outdoor-wear at the ready just in case!