Finnish Lapphund: health-screening sources

Key facts

Published statement

10 August 2016 [source]

Clinical areas

Hips, elbows, patellas and eyes [source]

Genetic topics

PRA, Pompe disease and DM [source]

Several kinds of evidence appear in the FLCA list

The Finnish Lapphund Club of America’s August 2016 statement recommends hip, elbow and patellar assessments, PRA DNA testing, specialist eye examination, Pompe disease testing and degenerative myelopathy testing, with results recorded through OFA. The document groups several items compactly and contains awkward numbering. AKC’s current breed summary clarifies the named genetic topics as prcd-PRA, Pompe disease or GSD II, and common-variant DM. Preserve the actual assay named on each laboratory report rather than copying a numbering ambiguity into an apparently exact test count.

The eye examination cannot be inferred from PRA status

A prcd-PRA report concerns a specified genetic variant. The specialist eye examination assesses observable findings across a broader clinical screening domain. OFA explains that CAER certification is not a comprehensive examination for every possible ocular problem and that a clinically normal dog can carry an inherited variant. Consequently, a laboratory result and an ophthalmologist’s certificate should be retained as separate documents. The age and examination date also matter when comparing a dog’s record with the dated FLCA recommendation and any later scheme updates.

Use the right breed and the right purpose

The Finnish Lapphund is a separate modern breed from the Lapponian Herder, despite their shared registration history. This source is FLCA guidance for Finnish Lapphunds; the list is not evidence of identical requirements for all northern reindeer-dog populations. It also concerns screening information, rather than certifying fitness for livestock work or resolving a symptomatic dog’s diagnosis. An owner can assemble the joint and knee findings, eye report and distinct DNA results for the veterinarian. The club statement provides a map of source topics, while current programme criteria and the individual’s history determine how those records should be interpreted.

Common questions

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

• Finnish Lapphund parent-club health statement (opens in a new tab)
• OFA: Companion Animal Eye Registry scope (opens in a new tab)
• AKC: herding screening summaries (opens in a new tab)

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