New Zealand Heading Dog: inherited diseases and health
Breed health
The inherited conditions below have been documented in this breed in published research. That does not mean your dog has them or will get them – but it helps to know the names when you talk to a breeder or a vet.
Inherited conditions documented in the breed
Conditions documented: 11
A gene variant is known for 11 of the conditions below, so a DNA test may exist. Ask your vet or the breed club.
| Condition | Body system | Inheritance | Gene variant known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ataxia, cerebellar, KCNJ10-related[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Coat colour, dilution, MLPH-related[1] | Pigmentation | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Degenerative myelopathy[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Intestinal cobalamin (vitamin B12) malabsorption, CUBN-related[1] | Homeostasis / metabolism | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Laryngeal paralysis and polyneuropathy, CNTNAP1-related[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Lundehund syndrome[1] | Digestive / alimentary | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Multidrug resistance 1, ABCB1-related[1] | Homeostasis / metabolism | Autosomal incomplete dominant | Yes |
| Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, 8[1] | Lysosomal storage disease | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Polydactyly[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | Autosomal dominant | Yes |
| Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome[1] | Haematopoietic system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Wilson disease[1] | Liver/biliary system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
What this list means
- “Documented in the breed” means at least one published case or study – it says nothing about how common the condition is.
- Many of these conditions are rare. A responsible breeder can tell you which health tests the parents have had.
- Where the gene variant is known, a DNA test may exist – ask your vet or the breed club.
- If your pet shows signs of illness, contact your vet. This page cannot tell you whether your pet is ill.
About the breed
- Origin
- New Zealand
If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.
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Sources
How this page was made: the list is taken directly from the sources below; nothing on it was written by AI. Names of conditions may be machine-translated. It is information, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages